The Barnes Center at The Arch is once again partnering with Institutional Research to administer the Student Health and Wellness Survey to all students. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)
The future of Barnes Center at The Arch health and wellness related programs, services and resources is constructed on a foundation of frequent student feedback. Syracuse University students and Barnes Center staff work side-by-side daily to strengthen this foundation and every two years, the University launches the Health and Wellness Survey to gather an overarching understanding of the student experience.
“As the hub for student wellness, the Barnes Center at The Arch works to support our students at Syracuse University and empower them to be well beyond graduation,” says Cory Wallack, Ph.D., Barnes Center at The Arch associate vice president of student health and wellness. “This starts with weaving in the voices of and feedback shared from of our students into everything we do.”
Shortly after the last Health and Wellness Survey closed in 2023 and fueled by anonymous yet comprehensive student feedback, the Barnes Center team was quickly able to start implementing actions to enhance the student health and wellness experience.
“A trend that quickly emerged when analyzing the 2023 Health and Wellness Survey results was one that shared a story of our students seeking an increased sense of belonging in their experiences at Syracuse University,” explains Qingyi Yu, Ph.D., Barnes Center at The Arch associate director of health and wellness research. “Answering our student’s needs for increased belonging, the Barnes Center team alongside campus partners implemented expanded belonging initiatives, including growing the Together We Thrive program to encompass academic units, hiring new staff in support of recreation belonging programming, alongside hosting faculty and staff trainings on topics of belonging, thriving, suicide prevention and trauma informed care.”
Findings from the 2023 Health and Wellness Survey and recommendations were presented to the Board of Trustees, academic deans and their leadership teams, provosts and their leadership teams, Athletics, Student Association and numerous other University constituents.
“The Barnes Center is driven by an understanding that student wellness cannot be achieved in a vacuum or silo—it takes a community to achieve this, so the step we’ve taken alongside incorporating student feedback is sharing our findings and recommendations with our campus partners and helping them enhance support in their spaces that students experience,” says Wallack.
Continuing the momentum of success and as part of ongoing efforts to design and deliver health and wellness-related programs, services and resources, the Barnes Center is once again partnering with Institutional Research to administer the Student Health and Wellness Survey to all students. Highlights are shared below and complete details are available on the Health and Wellness Survey webpage.
