New department focuses on holistic student health

Along with providing students with a world-class education, TU is taking steps to provide help for both their emotional and physical health.

This past winter, Nora Clark-Giles joined TU as its inaugural assistant vice president for Student Health and Wellbeing. This new department, which is within the Division of Student Affairs, brings together Campus Recreation, the Counseling and Health Centers along with a focus on health promotion and prevention education.  

Things like food insecurity, mental health struggles, health struggles, not feeling like you belong, those sorts of things are really what cause students to struggle and not do well academically. 

Nora Clark-Giles

Clark-Giles has worked the past two decades as a student affairs professional at colleges in the northeast. And through her engagement with students, she has seen that many of the challenges they face come from outside the classroom.

So, when this opportunity came up at TU, Clark-Giles jumped at the chance to help build a new department on campus to help students with their physical and mental wellbeing.

“Things like food insecurity, mental health struggles, health struggles, not feeling like you belong, those sorts of things are really what cause students to struggle and not do well academically,” Clark-Giles says. “When I saw this opportunity at TU, I absolutely knew we could build something that is essential to students’ success.”

Promoting Student Health

For years, the Counseling and Health Centers operated separately from Campus Recreation. Now, the three will work together under the banner of a new department. This allows each department to expand their resources and lead to a reduction in the duplication of efforts.

We have the same goal—make sure students are well ... Now we’re coming together to talk about how we can do that collectively.

Nora Clark-Giles

Clark-Giles says that there is now more efficient communication and collaboration and provides each department further reach with their efforts to promote student health.

“We have the same goal—make sure students are well” Clark-Giles says. “Now we’re coming together to talk about how we can do that collectively. We have opportunities like the ‘Let’s Talk’ series where our counselors come to Burdick Hall and students can walk up and ask general questions in a safe space.

“Or our primary care physician can recommend a student meet with one of our personal trainers. These are some ways in which being together allows us to work together toward a common goal—cultivating a culture of wellbeing for students where they can be their best selves.”

A Community Effort

While this department’s focus is the student’s health, Clark-Giles says that the campus community can play a part in making sure students are taking care of themselves.

This includes being aware of the programs the university offers that help students and not hesitating to let students know that it’s okay to reach out for help.

Clark-Giles also has some advice directly to students.

“If there's something that just doesn't feel right or you don't feel like yourself, reach out for support because that's what we're here for. We're here to support you,” she says.