Health Promotion in Higher Education
Health promotion is everyone’s responsibility
In 1986, the World Health Organization defined health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health". Since then, health promotion has expanded from the health sector and into a holistic appreciation of well-being.
At Notre Dame, we have an obligation to do everything we can to ensure that students are well. We want you to flourish so that you can make the most of your Notre Dame experience. The McDonald Center for Student Well-Being will continue to build upon the University’s mission and five pillars of Holy Cross charism—Mind, Heart, Zeal, Family, and Hope—to create a campus culture centered on well-being.
Health promotion at Notre Dame
In order for all students to be well, there needs to be a “well system” in place - a system that includes high quality, strategically planned, and effectively coordinated health education and promotion. By removing barriers and obstacles to wellness, we can empower students to be authentically successful.
As a Notre Dame community, we have the opportunity to assist Notre Dame students in achieving their true potential by creating a campus environment that promotes healthy student decision-making and by nurturing students on their well-being journey. We have the power to promote holistic well-being, help students achieve academic and personal success at Notre Dame and plant a seed for their future success.
As the strategists tasked with keeping Notre Dame students well, we’ve conducting wide-ranging research to discover what our students - and our campus - need to be successful. While we are charged with leading the strategies for change, as you can see, the McWell team is just one piece of the well-being puzzle at Notre Dame. Well-being doesn’t just happen at McWell, it requires collaboration between partners across campus - collaboration that will enable us to infuse awareness and programing for well-being into the fabric of campus.