Promoting Whole Person Well-Being:
Be Well BU
Belmont University’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Quality Enhancement Plan Committee (QEP) used institutional research findings, focus group information, and student, faculty and staff interviews and surveys to determine that the focus of the University’s QEP would be student well-being. From these data, the Committee learned that many health promotion and wellness courses and activities are available to students, but the efforts are disconnected, may not be accessible to some students and have not been consistently linked to student outcomes. Thus, the Committee recommends the creation of a one-stop-shop program for linking students to appropriate curricular and co-curricular health promotion and well-being activities and services and to coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of future programming. The name of the QEP and the program for student well-being will be, Be Well BU.
Be Well BU will constitute a rigorous, comprehensive program aimed at producing graduates who demonstrate awareness of practices that lead to better health and well-being and identify ways of living that reflect a knowledge of their life’s purpose. Grounded in nine dimensions of well-being, curricular and co-curricular resources will be aligned and expanded. Faculty who are informed about the unique needs of young adults will guide these efforts to reinforce students’ healthy decision making and behaviors. This QEP directly supports Belmont’s first Vision 2025 strategic priority (BU 2025 Strategic Priorities, 2020), to attract, retain and graduate extraordinary students, thereby adhering to our institutional mission to empower men and women of diverse backgrounds to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.
Students will:
- Identify ways of living that reflect a greater knowledge of the purpose of their lives
- Demonstrate awareness of practices that lead to better health and well-being
- Identify ways their Belmont expeirence has helped them achieve well-being in various dimensions of human life
The developmental process for Belmont’s QEP started in 2018 and has involved hundreds of people across our campus community.
| August 2018 | Provost Burns initiated QEP topic and development discussions during his State of the University address to students, faculty and staff |
| Fall 2018 | FitRec faculty/staff invites campus wellness discussions. Previous BeFit BU and other health promotion initiatives reviewed |
| Spring 2019 | QEP topic discussions continue among student, faculty and staff groups and at College/Department meetings. |
| April/July 2019 | QEP topic proposals submitted to Provost Burns. Students, faculty and staff in their areas to survey QEP topic areas of need and interest. |
| August 2019 | Provost Burns outlined aims of the QEP and requested input into development of QEP topics in his annual presentation to all faculty and staff. |
| September 2019 | Five potential QEP topics (see below) were presented to Provost Council for review and discussion with students, faculty and staff. |
| November 2019 | Initial feedback from students, faculty and staff reviewed with Provost Council |
| December 2019 | Provost Burns presented the QEP topic proposals and early feedback to Faculty Senate for review. |
| January 2020 | Provost Burns appointed exploratory workgroups to review all QEP proposals and provide feedback and recommendations |
| January 2020 | Additional discussion in Faculty Senate. Senators urged to review further with students, faculty and staff in their Colleges and to submit comments and suggestions |
| February 2020 | Continued QEP topic review and discussion by Faculty Senate. Senate suggested that Whole Person and Student Wellness proposals be merged to align with new WELL Core elements and as a comprehensive way to address financial literacy and student mental health needs more directly |
| March 2020 | All QEP topic recommendations due to Provost Burns |
| March 2020 | University moves to remote learning due to COVID-19 |
| April 2020 | EP Recommendations reviewed by University Administration. Student Wellness topic approved for QEP development |
| May 2020 |
Provost appointed QEP Proposal Development Team to begin work on a comprehensive proposal targeting wholistic student well-being
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| May - August 2020 |
Baseline assessment data collection; Virtual focus groups and individual interviews; Literature review |
| August 2020 |
Multiple listening sessions with students, faculty and staff to explore University culture related to diversity, equity and inclusion |
| October 2020 |
Assemble findings and draft proposal |
| November 2020 |
Review draft with Provost and Provost Council |
| November 2020 |
Virtual presentations and listening sessions with faculty, staff and student focus groups to review draft proposal for Be Well BU |
| November 2020 |
QEP draft video posted for review and feedback by faculty, staff and students |
| December 2020 |
Integration of faculty, staff and student feedback; submission of final draft to University Administration for revision and approval |
| January 2021 |
QEP draft presented to the Boar dof Trustees for approval |
| February 2021 |
QEP proposal submitted to SACSOC for review |
