NASPA Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community (WHPKC)

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:

Campus Well-being Frameworks: Collecting and disseminating a comprehensive framework that guides institutions in creating supportive environments for student well-being.
Best Practices Repository: Curating a collection of exemplary health promotion practices, programs, and policies from institutions across the nation.
Health Advocacy: Our community champions health equity and destigmatization, providing resources and support for campus 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:

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.
Peer Networking: Facilitated networking opportunities that connect members with peers for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Mentorship Programs: Connect with experienced professionals for guidance and support in your career development.
Volunteer Opportunities: Contribute to the community by volunteering for committees, task forces, or special projects.

View our Past Webinar Recordings

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:

Session Planning: Curating a diverse and impactful lineup of sessions that address current trends and challenges in health promotion.
Keynote Speakers: Inviting thought leaders and innovators to share their insights and inspire attendees.
Networking Events: Organizing events that foster connections and collaborations among conference participants.

Complete 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.

Ashleigh Hala

Past Co-Chair

Associate Dean & Chief Wellness Officer
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Bonnie Hemrick

Research and Publications Coordinator

Director of Mental Health Promotion
Oregon State University

Jeannie Marks

Membership Engagement Coordinator

Student Well-being Program Coordinator
University of South Carolina

Samantha Smith

Health Equity Coordinator

Director, Office of Health Promotion
University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Oliver Tacto

Past Co-Chair

Dean of Student Wellness
Maryville University of Saint Louis

Katherine Walz

Communications Coordinator

Wellness Programming Coordinator
Trinity University

Gia Born

Co-Chair

Program Manager South Spencer Residential College
University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Marlaina Widmann

Co-Chair

Assistant Director of Wellness Services
Trinity University

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

Past Award Winners

2024 Award Winners:

Outstanding Professional: John Rigney, Nazareth College
Outstanding New Professional: Marlaina Widmann, Trinity University
Outstanding Campus Program: Virginia Tech Residential Well-being Program

2023 Award Winners:

Outstanding Professional: Oliver Tacto, Washington University in St. Louis
Outstanding New Professional: Molly Hutchison, Johns Hopkins University
Outstanding Campus Program: I Ask, I Listen, I Respect, Johns Hopkins University

Nominate Someone for a KC Award!

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.

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)

Institute of Medicine Framework and Its Implications for the Advancement of Prevention Policy, Programs, and Practice (2007)