2024 USHPCN Summit, Albany, NY | October 14-16, 2024

In the journey of adopting the Okanagan Charter at UMass Amherst, the initial focus centered on cultivating collaborative leadership and building cross-sector relational groundwork. Within the initial 1-2 years, successes and challenges unfolded along the way that informed our journey. The Wellbeing Collaborative that was developed fostered robust collaborations and integrated indigenous wisdom to promote inclusivity. Designing our structure to eliminate institutional silos and promote diverse stakeholder engagement, UMass leveraged the power of convenings. These events facilitated relationship-building, knowledge-sharing, and co-creation which lays the foundation for collaborative, collective efforts. Milestones include integration with campus community celebrations and campus strategic planning.

Session 1

Presenters: Ann Becker, RN, DNP, PHNL | Betsy Cracco, PhD. | Ruben Sança, MBA

The Okanagan Charter references the Edmonton Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Institutions of Higher Education and the definition used for health promotion states it is “the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants” which some may interpret as it being antithetical to the Catholic values and morals, thus creating some apprehension to the adoption of the Okanagan Charter. With Holy Cross recently adopting the Charter, there is hope that other Catholic institutions may be more inclined to follow suit. However, we are currently living in polarizing times and Catholic institutions are not immune to that. The aim of this program is to provide evidence of how the 7 Catholic Social Teachings directly align with the Okanagan Charter to encourage those who are seeking ways to promote the adoption of the Charter on their campus.

Session 2

Presenter: Del Rey Honeycutt, PhD

UCSC will lay out how they came to adopt the Okanagan Charter from start to finish. Through finding their leadership champions, building a partnership between student and employee wellness, assembling their adoption committee, and bringing UCSC to the finish line, co-leads Meg Kobe and Jessica Bulleri will discuss the synergies, surprises, and snags they encountered throughout the process of adopting the Okanagan Charter.

Session 3

Presenter: Meg Kobe, MPH | Jessica Bulleri, MS

Stakeholder mapping is a tool that elevates voices which are often left unheard, including the perspectives of those across a campus community regardless of position, title, or background. Each stakeholder within a community holds power and visualizing stakeholders through a mapping process acknowledges the collective, inherent power of community members. These principles will be emphasized throughout the session, while acknowledging the privileged identities of the session facilitators. The session will also be facilitated in a format that is highly interactive, welcoming the collective wisdom of the participants and the communities they call home.

Session 4

Presenters: Renee Gill | Emily Pagano, MS, CPH

Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and indigeneity are fundamental concepts of the Okanagan Charter. As such, accurate measurement of HPU impacts on campuses must intentionally factor in how these concepts show up as well as the ways they go unrecognized. Additionally, it is important to consider whether HPU impact is sustainable locally, while accepting responsibility of influence beyond the campus community into society and the wider world. Biases are inherent in many metrics and this presentation will take care to elucidate weaknesses, strengths, and ideals. Cultural context often changes quickly, particularly in the arena of health/wellbeing, and even more so within traditional college-age populations. Thus, it’s critically important that metrics consider evolving social contexts and perspectives, including diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and indigeneity

Session 5

Presenters: Rebecca Kennedy, PhD | Julie Edwards, EdD | Sarah Brockway, EdD

To foster conditions that improve health & well-being systems on our campus, it is imperative that institutions provide resources for individual action and a framework that supports systemic change, recognizing that both are important to holistically address current well-being needs. Collective impact is a sustainable approach that centers equity in systems and policy change efforts. Collective impact recognizes that this work should center the needs of, and solutions tailored for, vulnerable or marginalized groups, including community members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, and individuals with disabilities. For the greatest probability of success, a diverse cross-section of the campus community working with one another is essential. The collective impact framework, with representatives from across the institutional ecosystem, will be adaptable to community needs over time, reflecting diversity in their experiences and identities. This diversity must be reflected in policies and systems-level so that community members feel welcomed, comfortable, recognized, and respected. The development of well-being KPIs will also assist university administrators, practitioners, and staff by identifying disparities among various populations. The disaggregation of data through multiple demographic characteristics ensures that equitable practices and approaches are utilized when applying various actions of health promotion.

Session 7

Presenters: Mary Jo Desprez, MLIR | Oliver Tacto, DSW, MPH, CHES | Joe Zichi, MA

Discover how Cornell University uses participatory approaches to engage the voices of students, staff, and faculty to advance its Health Promoting Campus (HPC) initiatives. Explore the methods used to create well-being vision and mission statements for Cornell, identify solutions, set priorities, and take campus-wide action. Gain insights into the findings from these approaches and how they have shaped the university’s HPC efforts.

Session 8

Presenters: Taylor Bouraad, MA | Julie Edwards, Ed.D. | Andrew Juan, B.S. Health Care Policy, Cornell University ‘2025

Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and indigeneity are critical elements of health promoting universities, including in states with laws that limit the work of an institution of higher education. It will be critical to navigate with care because the importance of these concepts are not diminished because of the shifts in states. An ethic of care for students is critical, especially at an HPU whose tenets and aspirations include the work of justice.

Session 10

Presenters: Rebecca Kennedy, PhD | Mary Wallace, PhD | Wendy Reed, PhD, MPH

In line with the guiding principles of the Okanagan Charter, this session will highlight how creating and mobilizing a backbone structure that (a) includes community members along the full spectrum of institutional power and privilege, (b) ensures participatory approaches, (c) values and amplifies the priorities of populations that have been historically marginalized, and (d) actively works to dismantle systemic bias and health inequalities – can be positioned to promote health equity, inclusion, and social justice on an institution-wide level.

Session 11

Presenters: Julie Edwards, PhD | Mary Jo Desprez, MLIR

Stepping into the divide: Using coalition building skills to deepen relationships in the face of antisemitism, racism, and islamophobia is about being in partnership with people representing multiple identities, life experiences, and points of view. The unified purpose is to better communicate, build authentic relationships and remain engaged in dialogue, especially when controversy is present in the face of antisemitism, racism, and islamophobia. We stand at a critical juncture where the need for such impactful programs is undeniable. Stepping into the divide uses an innovative and effective way of addressing  antisemitism, racism, and islamophobia on college campuses through its comprehensive and empathetic approach to dialogue and conflict resolution. This program not only equips individuals with the tools necessary to foster understanding and coalition building but also provides the scaffolding for campus leaders to take these skill sets back to their campuses to impact their communities for the better. The skills participants gain are crucial in these challenging times where honest conversation and mutual respect are sorely needed in service of liberation for all. The aim of this presentation is to make campuses aware of this program and how Russell Sage College is using aspects of it to guide its DEI initiatives.  

Presenter: Tawana Davis, MPP

Session 12

This session will share details of our 2024 spring quarter collaboration between the Counseling, Health and Wellness Department, the Sociology Department, and the Center for Community Learning. We will share the experiences and data results from developing and implementing 22 campus conversations (over 500 participants) exploring experiences, feelings, visions, and recommendations related to well-being at WWU. The findings from this project will be used to inform strategic planning for the WWU Wellbeing Collaborative planning team. This session will provide an example of one way campuses can gather perspectives from their campus community around wellness and wellbeing.

Presenters: Brandon Joseph, PhD | Liz Mogford, PhD | Travis Tennessen, PhD

Session 13

Supporting neurodiverse students is vital to the well-being of a college campus community. The current built environment of our most campuses does not meet the unique needs of these students and current literature does not provide evidence for best practice in the college setting. This presentation will discuss the steps taken by one university to create both a calm and a sensory space specifically for neurodiverse students and the evidence-based theories that guided design. Lessons learned in the creation of both spaces will be provided along with early assessment results. 

Session 14

Presenter: Kristina Blyer, DNP, RN, NE-BC

This project focuses on an inclusive approach to health promotion and wellness. The natural environment is not easily accessible for all. Indoor nature environmental exposure creates opportunities for underserved populations to experience the physiological and psychological health benefits of real-world natural environment exposure. The term ‘biophilia’ is described as a love of living things. The biophilia theory posits that the inborn affinity that people have for nature, or the predetermined attraction between humankind and nature, is deeply rooted in human biology. Indigenous peoples thrived in the natural world. The escalating and poorly attenuated stress levels of humankind is a significant global health concern requiring a simple and immediate solution. Honoring the innate wisdom of indigenous people’s nature medicine is an opportunity to help begin the journey towards equitable health and wellbeing.

Session 15

Presenters: Katrin Ramsey, PT, DSc

Join sustainability officers from 3 different NY schools for a conversation on how sustainability and the Charter overlap. Learn how they are working to advance the charter on their campuses and ideate on collaborative opportunities that emphasize ecosystem interactions to foster healthy people and planet.

Session 16

Presenters: Mary Ellen Mallia, PhD | Kimberly Barth Anderson | Enid Cardinal

Clemson University is developing a well-being strategy aligned with institutional risk assessment, university strategic planning and enterprise operations, which elevate well-being as a strategic function of our university’s success. These processes, systems, and plans help to advance Clemson as a US Health Promoting Campus and position us for success in adopting the Okanagan charter.

Case Study 1

Presenters: Anna Courie, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC

The case for adopting the Okanagan Charter caught on quickly all over the campus community at NMU. The Charter provided the language and framework we needed to harness the efforts already underway to enhance wellbeing, sustainability and diversity and inclusion and to propel us forward. With adoption we were able to generate even greater student excitement, faculty/staff support, administrative buy-in and Presidential leadership.  Moving into our second year post-adoption, the principles of the Charter are identifiable in our University infrastructure and woven into the fabric of our new ambitious strategic plan.

Presenters:  Abigail Wyche, AVP WellBeing; Jes Thompson, AVP Sustainability; Shawnrece Campbell, AVP Diversity & Inclusion; Dale Kapla, Senior Associate Provost; and Lanae Joubert, WellBeing Scholar

Case Study 3

As the first U.S. university to adopt the Okanagan Charter, this case study narrates UAB’s journey as an HPU and delineates the process, unique challenges, achievements, and lessons learned along the way. It not only includes milestones and insight for aspiring institutions, but it reveals the critical importance of adaptability, maintenance, and sustainability.

Case Study 2

Presenters: Rebecca Kennedy, PhD | Wendy Reed, PhD, MPH