Cross-Cultural Diversity   (website)

We would like to invite student organization leaders to participate in a exciting effort to continue to promote better understanding and relationships among the diverse students in our campus community. The goal of Student Affairs Cross-Cultural Programming Series is very simple: we want to encourage you to work with students across cultural differences. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs.

We recognize that is not as easy as it sounds and have constructed this program to guide your experience. Once you have identified the program and the organization(s) that you are interested in collaborating with, to the extent our budget allows, we will fund portions of your programming efforts that meet this goal.

Question – what do these groups have in common: The Latino Student Union, Pan-Hellenic Council, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance, Inter fraternity Council, La Unidad Latina, Pan-Hellenic Association, Dorchester International House and Lambda Theta Alpha? These were but some of the groups that benefit from this program.

Programming efforts should be scheduled for the Spring Semester. For best consideration of your proposal, complete this application and return it soon to:

CHANDRA BISNATH
Office of Vice President for Student Affairs
2108 Mitchell Building
College Park, MD 20742

Please note that this program is not just a funding source, but a vehicle for us to cross the cultural boundaries that divide us as a community. We are challenging you to reach out and get involved with students who are not like yourselves. Among you are future leaders of our country and current leaders of our campus who will benefit greatly from this initiative. We hope you take advantage of this wonderful learning opportunity.

Wellness Initiative   (website)

The Wellness Initiative is an effort, led by the Division of Student Affairs, in partnership with the School of Public Health, to establish a campus culture that supports the development and maintenance of a healthy mind, body, and spirit for all members of the university community.

Wellness is a concept that encourages individuals to take responsibility for good decisions about their health and well-being (Wellness Task Force Report, March 2008). Student Affairs and health professionals have long understood there is a relationship between student health and academic achievement. In 2007 the Vice President for Student Affairs, Linda Clement, invited a cross-divisional group of individuals to explore the idea of making wellness a priority for our campus.

The "Wellness Task Force" recommended pursuing a campus wellness initiative by developing a coalition of key stakeholders who would move us strategically toward a healthier campus. This initiative is based on the belief that healthy students, faculty, and staff are more likely to achieve the ambitious goals set forth in the campus strategic plan.

The Wellness Coalition convened in January 2009 to identify priorities and set strategic goals for the Wellness Initiative. The Coalition is a collaborative of departments and organizations across campus dedicated to creating a culture where the pursuit of a balanced lifestyle is valued, and all members of our community are encouraged to take responsibility for choosing to be well. Over 50 individuals from these organizations currently serve on work groups and project teams that support the mission of the Wellness Initiative. 

Workgroup and Project Teams

Program Workgroup

This is a standing work group consisting of individuals from various departments across campus with some responsibility for delivering wellness-related programs and services.  This work group exists to coordinate a broad range of existing programs and events and collaborate when appropriate to address Wellness Initiative goals.

Project Teams  

Project teams of varying sizes are task-based, time-limited groups convened to accomplish one or more specific goals. Current project teams include:

1. The Farmers' Market project team is partnering with the Office of Sustainability to establish a regular Farmers’ Market on the Maryland campus.
2. The Worksite Wellness project team is dedicated to developing the resources needed to establish a wellness program for the nearly 10,000 University of Maryland employees.
3.  The Smoke-Free Campus project team is pursuing the establishment of a smoke-free living and learning environment.
4. The Branding and Tagline Development project team is tasked with creating a cohesive, enduring visual identity for University of Maryland Wellness.
5. The Impact Assessment project team is tasked with developing the tools necessary to collect evidence of the impact of the Coalition’s efforts to establish a campus environment that supports the pursuit of wellness.

Learn how to get involved as faculty/staff, students, and departments/organizations.

Stay Informed

• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
• Sign-up to receive Well in a Shell, the e-Newsletter of the Maryland Wellness Coalition.
•  Read Maryland’s Student Health 101.
• Join the conversation on our blog.

For more information on the Wellness Initiative or to express interest in joining a Wellness Coalition group or project team, contact Barbara Aiken (baiken@umd.edu).

Work-Life Integration   (website)

All Student Affairs employees have multiple roles, priorities, and challenges – as staff members, as partners, as parents, as children, and/or as members of communities.

The Division of Student Affairs strives to facilitate the integration of work and life outside of work for all staff members in order to provide fulfilling work experiences and obtain maximum staff productivity.

The Division is embarking on a Work-Life Integration initiative to enhance its work environments and to ensure its work cultures are staff-friendly and on the forefront in the area of work-life integration practices.

The Student Affairs Work-Life Committee pursuing this initiative has representation from every department min the Division.

Please see the website in progress and contact your departmental representative or Brooke Supple or Maria Lonsbury for more information. Let us know how we can better facilitate your personal integration of work and life outside of work!

Work-Life committee members can be found on the Student Affairs Staff Listings & Committees page.