Be Leaders for Well-Being

I am a doctor, but not that kind of doctor…so please consult your primary care clinicians for the best advice on matters of health and wellness. Instead, I want to offer a prescription for how any one of us can be better champions for campus well-being, explore what that means, and why it may be more important now than ever before. Promoting well-being on campuses, in our organizations, and within communities can be another shared experience across our Mortar Board chapters. 

I serve as the advisor to the Teleiotes chapter of Mortar Board at Otterbein University, where I initiated as an Honorary Member this Spring. As the senior student affairs officer on campus, my work centers on the well-being and success of students across campus. I am grateful to our various student organizations for the unique contributions they make to bring people together around a collective purpose, and in the case of Mortar Board, to serve the common good through scholarship, leadership, and service. Whether you are a student , alumni, or advisor, your efforts to champion an organizational culture that enhances well-being outcomes matter.  

This past year, I was able to focus on my own scholarship by contributing a chapter to a book published by Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (known as NASPA). I joined twenty-two colleagues in producing what readers hopefully will use as a manual for establishing evidence-based programs and sustaining cultures of well-being at colleges and universities across the country.  

 

Understanding Well-Being in College Contexts  

So, what do we mean when we say “well-being”? Well-being in higher education is best understood as both individual and collective. While individual health and wellness behaviors and coping strategies matter, well-being is also shaped by systems, environments, policies, relationships, and campus culture. Well-being is an optimal and dynamic state that allows people to achieve their full potential. It focuses on two interdependent types of well-being: 1) individual and 2) community. Individual well-being is defined within three broad and interrelated categories: (a) the perceived assessment of one’s own life as being generally happy and satisfying, (b) having one’s human rights and needs met, and (c) one’s contribution to the community. Community well-being is defined by relationships and connectedness, perceived quality of life for all people in the community, and how well the community meets the needs of all members. By focusing on the whole — the whole person, the whole educational experience, the whole institution, the whole community — well-being becomes a multifaceted goal and a shared responsibility for the entire institution.  

Early efforts on health and wellness in higher education focused on hygiene, disease control, and medical care. Over time, the focus shifted toward health promotion, holistic models, and public‑health‑informed approaches. Today’s “health‑promoting universities (HPUs)” emphasize prevention over reaction, and systems design over isolated programs. HPUs are celebrated for integrating health and well-being into all aspects of campus life, fostering a supportive environment for students, staff, and the broader community. There are several active Mortar Board chapters at HPUs, including Northern Illinois University (Well-being at NIU | Northern Illinois University), Northern Michigan University (People, Culture, & WellBeing | NMU People Culture and Wellbeing), and the University of California-Los Angeles (Our Guiding Principles – UCLA Semel HCI Center), to name a few. 

As of 2025, a total of 330 institutions engage in the US Health Promoting Campus Network. Forty-five institutions in the US have formally signed and adopted the Okanagan Charter. Network – U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network 

Importantly, a focus on well-being is not limited to students. Faculty and staff well-being are deeply interconnected with student outcomes. Institutions increasingly acknowledge that supporting those who educate and serve students is essential to creating conditions where students can thrive. For more on that…I highly recommend Dr. Kevin R. McClure’s book released in 2025 titled “The Caring University: Reimagining the Higher Education Workplace After the Great Resignation”.   

 

Be Well to Do Well: Why Well-Being Matters in Higher Education  

Colleges and universities are experiencing profound change. Inside Higher Education has surveyed university presidents for 16 years. The 2026 Survey of College and University Presidents | Inside Higher Ed shows shifting demographics, mental health concerns, financial pressures, political scrutiny, and workforce burnout and departure are reshaping the higher education landscape. University presidents cite the growing need to better understand and effectively respond to mental health crises on campuses. Within this context, well-being has emerged as a central priority. Institutions recognize that if students, faculty, and staff are not well, then learning, engagement, persistence, and success may be compromised.  

Well-being in college settings is no longer viewed simply as the responsibility of counseling centers or health services. Instead, it is understood as foundational to student success, institutional effectiveness, and the long‑term vitality of higher education.  

In leading a new NASPA commission studying the intersection of college student well-being and success, we assert that well-being is inseparable from student success. The research shows that health, wellness, and well-being can shape student outcomes. A student’s experience of individual or community well-being can be a barrier to or enabler of their success. Considering this connection, it makes sense that our colleges and universities are investing in well-being to bolster student success. 

 

Well-Being and Student Success: Making the Connection  

Belonging, connection, confidence in one’s capabilities, and well-being are among the strongest predictors of college success metrics such as retention and persistence. Large numbers of students who pause their time at college cite loneliness, isolation, unmet basic needs, or health‑related challenges as contributing factors.  

At the same time, success cannot be defined solely by grades or completion. A student may persist academically while struggling significantly with well-being. This reality underscores the need for shared metrics and narratives that integrate academic outcomes with well-being indicators.  

 

The Role of Leadership in Advancing Well-Being  

A consistent theme across well-being scholarship and practice is the role of leadership. While I believe that anyone on campus can act as a well-being leader, institutional culture is shaped most powerfully by leaders who routinely prioritize well-being through decisions, investments, and messaging.  

Well-being leadership in college settings is often characterized by:  

• Intentionality: Moving beyond reactive responses to crises toward proactive design of supportive environments.  

• Collaboration: Coordinating fragmented services and bridging academic affairs, student affairs, human resources, and community partners.  

• Distributed and silo-busting leadership: Recognizing that leadership is not confined to formal titles; faculty, staff, and students all influence well-being.  

• Values‑driven advocacy: Clearly articulating that well-being is essential to the academic mission and must be championed at executive and governing‑board levels.  

The emergence of executive roles such as Chief Wellness Officer (Fox, 2021) reflects an innovation in how organizations manage change related to well-being program delivery, though effective well-being leadership does not require a single position. Rather, it requires shared ownership and collective action. It certainly helps to have someone waking up every day thinking strategically about campus well-being and inspiring others to come along.  

 

Equity, Belonging, and the Conditions for Well-Being  

Well-being cannot be separated from equity. Students’ experiences are shaped by access to resources such as food, housing, healthcare, financial stability, inclusive learning environments, and culturally responsive support. Such social determinants of well-being influence who thrives and who struggles on campus.  

Equity‑centered well-being leadership focuses on:  

• Addressing root causes rather than symptoms  

• Designing targeted strategies for specific populations while maintaining universal access  

• Incorporating frameworks such as social determinants of health, social‑ecological models, and health equity approaches  

• Ensuring diverse voices are included in decision‑making  

A culture of well-being is ultimately a culture of care—one that reduces harm, removes barriers, and creates conditions in which all members of the community can participate fully and flourish.  

 

From Programs to Systems: Embedding Well-Being Across Campus  

One of the clearest lessons from the field is that isolated programs are insufficient. Sustainable well-being efforts focus on systems and settings rather than standalone initiatives. Promising approaches include:  

• Embedding well-being into institutional policies and strategic plans  

• Integrating well-being into curricula, classrooms, and onboarding experiences  

• Designing physical and digital environments that make healthier choices easier  

• Supporting faculty with practical, accessible tools to attend to well-being in learning spaces  

• Establishing cross‑functional councils or working groups to guide strategy and implementation  

On many campuses, progress begins with small, visible wins that build trust and momentum. Over time, these efforts scale into comprehensive, institution‑wide approaches.  

 

Well-Being as a Shared Responsibility and a Strategic Imperative  

Colleges and universities that embrace well-being as a shared responsibility—embedded in leadership, culture, systems, and everyday evidence-based policies and practices—are better positioned to support student success, sustain their workforce, and fulfill their educational mission.  

When we invest in well-being, we set students up for success during the college years and well beyond. We fulfill missions that call us to provide a public good when our graduated citizens bring to their homes, work, and communities an expanded understanding of healthy habits and wellness practices. Such a foundation is incredibly valuable over a lifetime as it improves one’s life and influences the well-being of others.   

In 2025, US colleges and universities enrolled nearly 20 million undergraduates and employed over 3 million faculty and staff. Someone I admire who has been at the center of my research on this topic once shared with me the following quote. “Millions of Americans work and learn on campuses across the country. Massive change could occur if well-being is considered a core institutional strategy and learning outcome.” There is an opportunity and urgency for colleges and universities to apply lessons learned at the intersection of wellness and success to assist our broader society. This drives my personal why behind the work I commit to daily on campus. My call to action for Mortar Board members is to understand the well-being strategy on your campus, get exposed to the resources offered so you and those in your circle can most benefit, and find ways to engage through your own expressions of scholarship, leadership, or service to share in the responsibility of advocating for and advancing that work in your sphere of influence. 

 

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About the Author

Dr. Bill Fox is the vice president for student affairs at Otterbein University. He draws on 25 years of professional experience in supporting campus well-being and student success across six institutions, primarily on small residential liberal arts college campuses. He has served on the board of directors for the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities. He currently co-chairs the Commission on the Intersection of Well-being and Student Success for Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) which will publish findings later this year. His research and recent publications contribute a unique focus on the emergent role of Chief Wellness Officer and their leadership in higher education settings. He holds a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree from The Ohio State University, and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University.   

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References  

Fox, W. A. (2021). Making the Case for a University Senior Wellness Officer. Journal of  Student Affairs Research and Practice, 58(2), 121–134.    https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2020.1853559  

Inside Higher Ed, & Hanover Research. (2026, March 10). 2026 survey of college and university presidents. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/deep-dives/2026/03/10/presidents-feel-pressure-trumps-second-termhttps 

McClure, K. R. (2025). The Caring University: Reimagining the Higher Education Workplace After the Great Resignation. JHU Press. 

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education & ACHA – American College Health Association (November 2020). Inter-association definition of well-being. Retrieved from www.nirsa.org/hands-in 

U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network. (n.d.). Network. http://ushpcn.org/network/ 

Mantaro, T., & Travia, R. (2026). Well-Being Leadership in Higher Education. NASPA