This message was sent to the WPI community.
Message Highlights:
- Announcing a new Mental Heath and Well-Being communication series
- An update from the Mental Health and Well-Being Task Force
- Tips, resources and info about mental health and well-being at WPI
Welcome to the You’ve Been Herd email, a new series of regular emails to keep the WPI community up to date on the work of the Mental Health and Well-Being (MHWB) Task Force, along with related news, initiatives, and resources available on campus and beyond. Watch for updates every other week and check the Be Well Together Resources webpage, too.
MHWB Task Force Snapshot
- More than 1,100 students, faculty, and staff responded to a campus-wide survey about mental health and well-being, and more than 600 (plus parents and families!) participated in 16 town hall listening sessions.
- Some groups within our community say they haven’t felt engaged in the feedback process; we’re working on further outreach.
- The Task Force has spent more than 80 hours thus far analyzing this qualitative data.
- Task Force subcommittees (Academics, Campus Culture, the new Center for Well-Being, and Leveraging Technology) spent a five-hour in-person retreat on December 6 discussing top-level survey outcomes and honing recommendations.
- The Task Force will present its initial report, including concrete recommendations, to university leadership this week. The report will focus first on students; additional time is needed to review data related to faculty and staff.
You've Been Herd: You gave feedback and we listened.
Watch for updates here on how we're acting on your feedback.
You asked for a new way to access after-hours mental health support. Watch for information about the new mental health support phone line launching in January 2022.
Helping You Find Balance: Featured Resources
The Office of Student Aid and Financial Literacy
Worried about grades and retaining your financial aid? We understand. In support of student mental health (and given the challenges of the pandemic), we’ve modified our policies for the current academic year only, allowing students to earn 30 credits, instead of the usual 33, to retain their institutional funding. Contact finaid@wpi.edu or 508-831-5469 with questions.
- B-Term is almost over! Take a moment to breathe and recognize the hard work that got you here. You did it!
- Before you head home for the break, check in with WPI friends and colleagues and stay in touch with each other over the break.
- Relax and rest as much as you can. Sleep in or do what energizes you. Take care of yourself.
Community voices get real about mental health and well-being.
“I always find myself de-stressing with bullet journaling because it not only holds me accountable, but it also serves as a brain dump to write down everything I am thinking about. Bullet journaling has also helped me practice contentment where it serves as a daily gratitude log to remind myself of all the things I have to be grateful for.”
-Jacquelyn Lopez ’23
Be Well Together | SDCC
National Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Student Health Services | I'm concerned about a student form
This email is intended to be for informational purposes only and not to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you or someone you know is in imminent danger of suicidal action or other threat, call WPI Campus police at 508-831-5555 (or call 911 if off-campus) or present for emergency care at a nearby hospital.
Remember: we are all in this together.
If you have any questions or concerns about the initiatives or information listed here, please email bewelltogether@wpi.edu. Please note this email inbox is not monitored 24/7.