Canadian campuses and stakeholders continue leading efforts to improve health and well-being of students, faculty, staff.

A year after six Canadian campuses were the first to adopt the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges (the Charter), four leading organizations including the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) have endorsed it. Next week the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA BC), Healthy Campus Alberta, and the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) will be the first to officially endorse the charter, as a show of support, and to encourage their communities of practice to join the conversation.

Representatives from CACUSS, CMHA BC, NIRSA, and Healthy Campus Alberta will take part in a joint announcement endorsing the Charter at the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health (CICMH) annual conference in Toronto, ON, on October 31, 2017, to mark the one-year anniversary of the initial signing.

CACUSS has a long history of supporting research, sharing of best practices and innovation in campus mental health initiatives. Through our work with our communities of practice and member campuses, the Board of Directors prioritized “Health and Well-being” as a commitment in the 2017-2021 CACUSS Strategic Plan. In 2013 CACUSS released the “Post-Secondary Student Mental Health: Guide to a Systemic Approach” document in collaboration with CMHA-BC. In 2017 CACUSS released a follow-up Inventory tool for the Systemic Approach. CACUSS continues to partner with member institutions and other organizations to advance learning in campus health and well-being.

Read the full announcement