Dear Colleagues,
Our commemoration of Mental Health and Wellness Week, beginning April 25, gave Rutgers–New Brunswick’s students, faculty, and staff a much-needed opportunity to step back and reflect on our own mental health needs.
We learned about the many wellbeing resources available to employees and students.
We benefited from the inaugural Chancellor-Provost’s Mental Health and Wellness Lecture by Dr. Shireen Rizvi, professor of clinical psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), who spoke on “Skills for Achieving Emotional Wellness.”
We participated in seminars, trainings, and other events that helped us learn to care for ourselves and those around us.
We took time, each day, for moments of mindfulness and relaxation through activities such as “I Need a Minute” mindfulness exercises led by Dr. Peter Economou, associate teaching professor at GSAPP and Nikita Cuvilje, health education specialist at Student Health; a sound bath guided meditation at the Zimmerli Art Museum; and many other opportunities led by Student Health, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, University Behavioral Health Care, and others.
This special week highlighted our effort to establish a culture of wellness at Rutgers–New Brunswick, consistent with President Jonathan Holloway’s commitment to building a beloved community, and with our Academic Master Plan’s focus on student success. My office will provide more information about this priority during the coming weeks and months.
For now I wish to thank everyone who made Mental Health and Wellness Week possible, and all who participated in its offerings. Let us always remember that our responsibilities—to ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities—must include looking after our own mental health and wellness.
I also wish to remind our community of the publication of the Rutgers–New Brunswick Academic Master Plan Final Report, a grounded and ambitious roadmap for our future in providing a rigorous academic experience, in solving the complex grand challenges of our day, in public service and social justice, and in fostering student success. Please read the final report and view the video from the April 26 virtual town hall in which it was presented.
Sincerely,
Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Chancellor-Provost, Rutgers University–New Brunswick