NASPA Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community (WHPKC)
Health, Safety, and Well-being Wellness and Health Promotion
Welcome to the WHPKC!
The NASPA Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community (WHPKC) is dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of students in higher education through innovative practices, research, and professional development. Our community brings together professionals committed to fostering environments that support holistic student health, thriving campuses, and the promotion of comprehensive well-being initiatives.
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Our Mission
The WHPKC aims to advocate for the integration of health and well-being into the fabric of higher education initiatives, promote evidence-based practices and innovative strategies that enhance student health and wellness, and foster a collaborative and supportive community of professionals dedicated to student well-being.
Major Initiatives
Our knowledge community undertakes several major initiatives each year, including:
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Campus Well-being Frameworks: Collecting and disseminating a comprehensive framework that guides institutions in creating supportive environments for student well-being.
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Best Practices Repository: Curating a collection of exemplary health promotion practices, programs, and policies from institutions across the nation.
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Mental Health Advocacy: Our community champions mental health awareness and destigmatization, providing resources and support for campus mental health initiatives.
Professional Development and Membership Engagement Opportunities
The WHPKC is committed to the professional growth of its members. In collaboration with other national associations (e.g., ACHA, USHPCN, NIRSA, etc.), we offer various opportunities for learning and development, including:
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Webinars and Workshops: Regular online sessions led by experts in the field, covering a wide range of topics from mental health, wellness programming, and substance use prevention.
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Peer Networking: Facilitated networking opportunities that connect members with peers for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
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Mentorship Programs: Connect with experienced professionals for guidance and support in your career development.
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Volunteer Opportunities: Contribute to the community by volunteering for committees, task forces, or special projects.
Research and Publications
Research Collaborations: Facilitating partnerships between institutions for multi-site research or collaborative presentations in national conferences.
Journal Submission: Publish your research in the Annual Publication and share your findings and programs with the broader community.
Resource Library: Access a comprehensive library of research articles, toolkits, and best practices.
NASPA Strategies Conferences
The WHPKC plays a pivotal role in the planning and execution of the annual NASPA Strategies Conference. Our contributions include:
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Session Planning: Curating a diverse and impactful lineup of sessions that address current trends and challenges in health promotion.
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Keynote Speakers: Inviting thought leaders and innovators to share their insights and inspire attendees.
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Networking Events: Organizing events that foster connections and collaborations among conference participants.
How to Get Involved
Are you passionate about health and well-being in higher education? Join the WHPKC Leadership Team and make a difference! Here’s how:
- Membership: Become a member of NASPA and select the WHPKC as your primary knowledge community.
- Volunteer: Express your interest in volunteer opportunities by contacting our leadership team.
- Leadership Roles: Apply for open leadership positions and contribute to the strategic direction of our community.
- Join Committees: Participate in our various committees focused on professional development, research, conference planning, and more.
For more information or to get involved, please visit contact us at [email protected].
Together we can create healthier, thriving campus communities!
Join Community
What it means to “Join the Community”
Joining the community means you will receive the NASPA WHPKC Newsletters, updates, & invitations to professional development opportunities. It’s free for all NASPA Members!
How to Join the Community
- Sign into NASPA & select “Edit My Profile”
- Under the “My NASPA Engagement” Tab add Wellness and Health Promotion to the Knowledge Communities Section
- You will automatically start receiving our emails!
Want to get more involved? Join our Leadership Team!
Current open positions:
- Membership Engagement Coordinator (2)
- Marketing & Communications Coordinator (1)
- Professional Development Coordinator (2)
- Awards Coordinator (1)
- Region Representatives
Email [email protected] to express interest in joining the leadership team to help coordinate the WHPKC efforts.
Complete Your Profile
Login and update your profile.
News & Updates
Save the Date! NASPA Strategies 2025
The NASPA Strategies Conferences provide student affairs practitioners with the knowledge and skills to effectively address collegiate alcohol and drug misuse prevention, mental health, sexual violence prevention and response, peer education and well-being through a variety of comprehensive and integrative approaches. Our KC is very involved in the Wellness and Health Promotion Conference and encourage all members of our community to join.
About
Why a Knowledge Community on Wellness and Health Promotion?
Student learning is at the core of the academic mission. Students' physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health and well-being have a significant influence on their academic and personal success. Creating a campus environment that supports student health and safety is therefore an important, broad institutional responsibility that commitment and activities both inside and outside the classroom.
A wide range of college and university professionals work to promote health (defined broadly, not just medically) and therefore support student learning. It is common to find residence life staff, health educators, nurses, student activities staff, physicians, campus recreation staff, counselors, and other Student Affairs professionals leading or collaborating with faculty members or administrators on campus-wide health initiatives. Population-level health concerns (such as alcohol, violence, stress, and depression) are increasingly viewed as campus-wide issues that affect the health of students and their academic progress.
History
The Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community, formerly known as the Health in Higher Education Knowledge Community, was established in July 2004. As NASPA's Health Education and Leadership Program ends, the Health and Wellness Promotion KC will continue the discussion on the relationship between health and learning, and creating environments and healthy campus initiatives that support student achievement.
Leadership Team
Knowledge Community leaders are NASPA volunteers who have generously devoted their time to their Knowledge Community. Chairs are elected by the Knowledge Community members while Regional representatives are selected from within the Region. Additional roles are selected by the Knowledge Community.
Awards
Outstanding Student Award
- This award is given to a current master’s or doctoral student in a higher education or student affairs related program.
- The recipient of this award will have made a positive contribution (either through research or service to the profession) to supporting the mission of the Knowledge Community.
- Recipient must be seeking and involved in new opportunities the Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community has to offer.
- Recipient may not have previously received award
- Short description of the individual in 150 words or less (for use in publications)
Outstanding New Professional Award
- Recipient must have been in the profession for less than three years
- Recipient must be seeking and involved in new opportunities the Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community has to offer
- Recipient must be a member of NASPA
- Recipient may not have previously received award
- Short description of the individual in 150 words or less (for use in publications)
Outstanding Professional Award
- Recipient must have been in the profession for more than five years
- The recipient of this award will have made a positive contribution (either through research or service to the profession) to the supporting the mission of the Knowledge Community
- Recipient must be a member of NASPA
- Recipient may not have previously received award
- Short description of the individual in 150 words or less (for use in publications)
Outstanding Campus Program Award
- Relevance to Wellness and Health Promotion topics in Higher Education
- Specific and measurable goals and learning outcomes
- Occurred or be in progress by the date of nomination
- A thorough and creative design
- Replicable at other institutions
- A quantifiable impact on audience, institution, community and/or field of Higher Education
Resources
Standards
Standards are agreed upon conditions of educational service that must be provided to achieve the highest level of service to students (Council on the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2015). Standards are essential criteria to define successful professional practice in a given field of expertise, for which tangible evidence can be found to support a program or an individual practitioner's level of attainment.
Standards for Health Promotion Services with an introductory Contextual Statement are included in the CAS Book of Professional Standards and Guidelines.
Potential uses of standards include program development, continuous improvement, self-study for accreditation or review, staff development, student development, program planning, program evaluation, and education about student affairs services and programs.
- Council on the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education
- American College Health Association Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education
Readings
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Well-Being Concepts (2017)
Widening the View: Situating Collective Impact among Frameworks for Community-led Change (2015)
An Operational Classification of Disease Prevention (1983)
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986)
Health Promotion as a Public Health Strategy for the 1990s (1990)
Health-Promoting Environments: The Next Steps (1997)
World Health Organization - Health Promoting Glossary (1998)
The Contribution of the World Health Organization to a New Public Health and Health Promotion (2003)
Leadership for a Healthy Campus: An Ecological Approach for Student Success (2005)
Prevention Tactics: The IOM Model Tool for Prevention Planning and Implementation (2006)
World Health Organization Health Promotion Glossary: New Terms (2006)
Healthy Universities: Introduction and Model (2010)
Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education (2019)
The Well-Being and Flourishing of Students (2013)
Searching for the Meaning of Community Well-Being (2015)
Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities & Colleges (2015)
Wellness: Its Origins, Theories and Current Applications in the United States (2015)
Health Promotion Glossary (2021)
Geneva Charter for Well-being (2022)
Centering Equity in Collective Impact (2022)
The Planetary Health Education Framework (2021)