Thanks to donor support, Campus Wellness offers a variety of programs and care for Waterloo's diverse student community
University is a time of transition and new challenges for all students. First-year students are often experiencing life on their own for the first time away from home. Post-graduate students are working to balance the demands of research, studying and even teaching courses themselves. With all these stresses, making time for physical and mental health is critical for both academic success and personal well-being.
The University of Waterloo Campus Wellness team works throughout the year to provide on-campus support for all students, including healthcare, nutritional and dietician support, counselling services and more.
While Campus Wellness covers a wide spectrum of support, Melissa Strachan, associate director of Counselling Services, is focusing on improving mental health support for students.
“There has been a lot of interest across campus in investing in mental health support. This year, there was a President's task force specifically focused on student mental health. Academic advisors, who are often the first point of contact for students, are asking to be trained on understanding how to identify mental health challenges and be able to direct students to the right resources,” Strachan says.