Well-being and Belonging

Strengthen connections with ourselves.

We recognize the importance of well-being and belonging to the success of our students, faculty, staff, and community. The University of Regina is committed to creating space where everyone feels part of the community. We embrace the ideals of the medicine wheel that describes the need for us to have balance on our journey of emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. We foster the success of our students, faculty, and staff by valuing their health, safety, and well-being.

GOAL: Assess, adopt, implement, and improve student thriving metrics.3

Objectives

a) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Our community is strengthened by its diverse worldviews and perspectives. The University of Regina is committed to cultivating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. By creating awareness of how worldviews shape attitudes and perspectives, we are all strengthened.

  • Review and renew policies to ensure the use of inclusive language.
  • Provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to develop skills that will enable effective interactions with people across cultures.
  • Develop comprehensive recruitment and retention plans for achieving and sustaining parity of underrepresented groups on campus.
  • Refine the diversity reporting framework.
  • Identify LGBTQ2S+ as an underrepresented group.
  • Provide EDI-specific training and workshops.
  • Engage faculty and staff in EDI outreach initiatives.

b) Healthy Living

Our current health care systems in Saskatchewan and Canada face a crucial challenge to balance the demands of a growing population with available resources. We must make the connections between our everyday activities and our physical well-being, and take responsibility for those components of our health that are within our control. To this end, the University of Regina is committed to the provision and encouragement of safe and healthy lifestyles.

  • Support and prioritize research activities at existing health-related research centres on campus.
  • Identify and reduce barriers to fitness and wellness adoption by stakeholders.
  • Work continuously to improve affordability of campus life through the provision of affordable and high-quality food, and evaluating other costs for students, faculty, and staff.
  • Educate and provide opportunities to learn new skills around healthy living.
  • Prioritize infrastructure projects that provide opportunities to improve food services on campus for healthier and culturally-specific food options, and offerings after regular hours.
  • Support and promote a Student Wellness Centre.

c) Mental Health Literacy and Research

Mental health disabilities are anticipated to surpass physical disabilities in Canada by 2025, a crisis that needs urgent and sustained attention and support. The University of Regina is a national leader in mental health research, which improves the lives of individuals in our communities. The University is also at the leading edge of mental health literacy and is developing a coordinated approach to a primary health care model of mental health. This includes the provision of varied supports and resources, early intervention, and counselling, which are key for building resiliency and reducing stigma, thus supporting the long-term mental health of our stakeholders.

  • Develop and implement a robust mental health website/hub.
  • Prioritize and support research in mental health.
  • Strengthen and support actions for mental health literacy and a comprehensive mental health strategy.
  • Commit to consistent funding for the coordination of mental health resources.
  • Develop and monitor metrics necessary to measure mental health literacy on- and off-campus.

3 Adopt and implement student thriving metrics through experience surveys. These metrics should include measurements of sense of community, purpose, and belonging; adequacy of supports; and evaluation of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.