Strategies, Structure, and Support: SHIFTing the Narrative to Create a Health-Promoting Campus

Student talks with counselor

Strategies, Structure, and Support: SHIFTing the Narrative to Create a Health-Promoting Campus
- Santee Ezell, MS, PCED, CHES, CHWI, CPM, CNP, CPT

Santee Ezell

"Maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots." -Rumi

Over the last 12 years, I have had the opportunity to work in public health, prevention, peer education, policy development, and philanthropy to amplify the importance of making our communities stronger and better. My health promotion philosophy is, “No matter what, I am a solution-oriented practitioner that believes in capacity building, cultivating relationships, community care, and creating a healthier community.” This journey has been full of lessons learned that have led to unbecoming, becoming, learning, unlearning, and reflecting on what lies ahead.

As higher education faces growing health concerns, inclusive and intentional strategies, structure, and support are all valuable to the campus. We must engage with all students differently but equally. I learned very quickly that a one-size-fits-all approach is not the answer to fostering a culture of well-being. It creates a single narrative of the majority while excluding those who do not identify with the majority. The Council for the Advancement of Standards developed a cross-functional framework for advancing health and well-being (2019) that amplified our college environments should be proactive, flourishing, multidimensional, thriving, and holistic. This could look like the list below:

  • Positive Sense of Belonging
  • Fairness and Equity Inside and Outside of the Classroom
  • Positive Mental Health
  • Thriving Communities and Connections
  • Harm Reduction
  • Sexual Responsibility
  • Preventing Sexual Misconduct
  • Upstanding Behaviors

We can focus on the WHOLE student by looking at each student and not just the majority. With this in mind, here are the questions I have had to answer:

  • Has the university adopted a universal definition of wellness or well-being?
  • What is the current campus climate when it comes to health and well-being?
  • Does the socioecological model, including the range of policies, practices, and programs, lead to greater well-being outcomes and how do they differ for students and employees?
  • What are the impacts of well-being initiatives on academic success?

So, I am sure you are wondering: how can this help my team or office? It helps us look beyond the branches and focus on the root causes to make resources more accessible and provide the best accommodations. In addition, it helps us understand that health represents many dimensions and intersections with the SHIFT strategy:

  • Strategically develop restorative practices and principles
  • Harvest healthy dynamics and behaviors
  • Intentional and impactful well-being experiences
  • Foster well-being inside and outside the classroom
  • Train the campus to become trauma-informed

If you are only searching among the branches, you will not fully understand the WHOLE student. Invite and include the students within the decision making of various practices, programs, and policies. College is an exciting experience that includes various transitions, responsibilities, involvement, and so much more. Well-being may not be on their minds, but we should foster a culture of well-being on our campuses to make sure we are serving the WHOLE student and develop a SHIFT on our campus like...

  • A more motivated and supported campus
  • Reduced sick-related visits to the health center
  • Reduced waiting lists and overwhelmed counselors
  • Improved student experience and retention
  • Improved health and well-being of staff and students
  • Opportunities for participation and developing health partnerships

Every faculty member, staff member, and student connected to your campus SHIFT the culture, create healthier structures, develop strategies inside and outside of the classroom, and support the well-being of our campus. Whether it is including well-being in a syllabus or creating a space for students, we ALL play a key role in the SHIFT. The impact of our students’ well-being on their academic success should be, without question, everyone’s priority.

 

References

Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2019). Advancing health and well-being: Cross- functional framework. Retrieved from https://www.cas.edu/blog_home.asp?display=86.

Center for Community Health and Development. (2017). Chapter 17, Section 5: Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Development. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table‐of‐contents/analyze/analyze‐community‐problems‐and-solutions/social‐determinants‐of‐health/checklist.

Santee Ezell serves as the Director of Health Promotion and Wellness at Mississippi State University. Within her role she advises two student organizations, which are the award-winning Healthy Dawgs Peer Educators and Aspiring Minorities in Health Professions student organization, along with serving as a Health Promotion Instructor. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with two minors in Community Health Sciences and Nonprofit Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi, along with a Master of Science in Community Development with an emphasis in Sustainability from Delta State University. After graduating, Santee started her public health and prevention career that later led to higher education. Since then, she has worked at two universities and has spent the last eight years serving college students through prevention education, peer education, policy development, and public health. She believes the greatest person you can ever be is a servant and to always leave a place better than you found it.