• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Login
Campus Rec Magazine
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Campus Rec Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Well-being

Integrating Holistic Health in Higher Education

Ashley Ballard by Ashley Ballard
August 1, 2023
in Columns, Well-being
0
Holistic Health

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

According to Merriam-Webster, the word complex is defined as, “a whole made up of complicated or interrelated parts.” Complex seems to be the most accurate word to describe the challenges with the health and well-being of students on campus. Health concerns observed in higher education have ranged from mental health issues to increased alcohol use to social disconnect. A recent survey conducted by Best Colleges showed nearly 50% of college students surveyed struggled with isolation, anxiety and a lack of focus, which often precipitated academic failure and a decline in student persistence. With the convolution of health concerns realized on college campuses, developing and implementing integrated holistic health interventions is very successful.

Early implementation of a cohesive approach can aid students’ development of positive health behaviors and avoid developing negative health behaviors, which creates a good foundation for future optimal health. On the academic side, creating a system where all units on campus work together to develop a healthier environment has often led to success in the classroom, campus life satisfaction and retention.

An integrated method involves bridging the university collectively for the health success of the university community. Strategies for successful collaboration of different departments and units across campus include the creation of strong linkage services and breaking down existing silos.

To embrace the complexity of health and an integrated approach, the University of North Florida has found success in the creation of a campus-wide, holistic health initiative entitled Healthy Osprey. Healthy Osprey was established in the early 2000s with the purpose of transforming the health and well-being of the university community. It is a collaboration of students, faculty and staff working together to foster an environment that embraces the development of a healthy body, mind and spirit.

North Florida’s Approach in Action

Over the years, changes created by Healthy Osprey have been small, happening at the individual and interpersonal levels with programs and events but greater at an institutional level with policy changes. Healthy Osprey has participated in national initiatives such as the Partnership for Healthier America and the Okanagan Charter to challenge us in making our university healthier. It has also contributed to policy changes on campus from our mandated alcohol education policy to our smoke-free policy. This initiative has led the charge in building a strong community that supports healthy lifestyles.

In recent years, recognizing the ever-changing needs of our student body and surrounding community post-COVID, our strategies have evolved. Our current focus is to prepare and equip the whole student by purposefully integrating all aspects of wellness by adding two new paradigms: intersectionality and experiential wellness. We believe health and wellness should be all-encompassing, embracing everyone at every level and developing programming catered to the needs of our individual students.

Programs and services provided by Healthy Osprey align with the university’s guiding philosophies such as student-centeredness and innovation. Our goal is for our students to flourish inside and outside the classroom by using approaches such as:

  1. Cultivating character, enhancing resilience, and developing habits of mind and spirit.
  2. Adopting a holistic and comprehensive approach to mental health.
  3. Collaborating with Academic Affairs to embed well-being programming into the process of recruitment, registration and retention.
  4. Fostering conditions that enable students to thrive and addressing behaviors that lead to languishing.*

*adopted from Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development

Challenges and Benefits

The development and execution of Healthy Osprey came with its fair share of challenges and opportunities for growth. With budgetary constraints, conflicting objectives, operational silos and the fear of the unknown, factors such as these impacted the effectiveness of the initiative.

However, with the administration’s support, creating a successful integrated system required the understanding this campus-wide health initiative was important to everyone. Once the seed of collaboration and a unified approach was planted, changes led by Healthy Osprey encouraged the growth of the university community in every dimension of wellness. An integrated campus-wide health approach allows student lifestyles to truly blossom in health, contributing to academic success. For more information about Healthy Osprey, please visit: https://www.unf.edu/recwell/healthyosprey/index.html

 

Want more expert resources like this sent straight to your inbox each week? Sign up for a digital subscription here.

 

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: Academic affairscampus reccampus recreationfeaturedHealthy Ospreyholistic healthOkanagan CharterUniversity of North FloridaWell-being
Previous Post

North Carolina State University Wellness and Recreation

Next Post

Augustana College Boosts Esports With Spectrum Industries

Ashley Ballard

Ashley Ballard

Ashley N. Ballard is currently the senior director of the Department of Recreation and Wellness at the University of North Florida. Ballard specializes in helping young people improve their lives holistically through healthy eating, physical training and sound decision-making. She’s a graduate of the University of North Florida (UNF), having received her bachelor’s degree in Health Science in 2005 and a Masters of Public Health in 2009.

Related Posts

difficult conversations
Columns

6 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations

May 20, 2025
padel
Club Sports

Why Campus Recreation Leaders Should Start Paying Attention to Padel

May 15, 2025
group fitness managers
Columns

How to Finish Strong as a Group Fitness Manager

May 8, 2025
2025 Summit
Columns

The 2025 Summit is Around the Corner — and 2026 Should be on Your Radar

May 6, 2025
2025 NIRSA
Columns

2025 NIRSA Recap: Data, Funding Woes and Well-being

April 29, 2025
ai in campus rec
Columns

The AI Imperative: Why, Now and How to Responsibly Use AI in Campus Rec

April 15, 2025
Next Post
Spectrum Industries

Augustana College Boosts Esports With Spectrum Industries

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Campus Rec Logo

The premier business resource for college and university recreation centers.

The Current Issue

May/June 2025

May/June 2025

Browse

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.