Ursinus In Montco First Liberal Arts College In Nation To Sign Okanagan Charter

COLLEGEVILLE, PA — A small liberal arts college in this central Montgomery County community has reportedly become the first of its kind in the country to sign the Okanagan Charter, which is an international charter promoting well-being on college campuses by integrating health into all aspects of campus culture.

The international pact, according to the university, was first introduced back in 2015 at the International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges.

Ursinus President Robyn Hannigan signed the international charter as her first official act after she was inaugurated as the college's newest president during a ceremony in mid-October.

"Wellness cannot be an afterthought," Hannigan was quoted as saying in an article on the college website. "As a society, we have navigated adversities in mental and physical well-being that were present prior to and amplified by the pandemic. As a college community, we need to support the whole student, as well as each of our employees, and promote healthy lifestyles viewed through a broader wellness lens."

According to Ursinus, the Okanagan Charter gives schools common languages and principles for well-being in "person, place and planet," and by becoming a signatory to the charter, Ursinus joins 16 other colleges or universities across the country to adopt the pact.

While other schools have signed on to the pact, Ursinus says it was the first liberal arts college to do so.

The college said that it created a comprehensive new health and wellness division last year, which included adding more staff and establishing a flex-space trailer onsite to offer more room for medical and counseling support for students who need it.

"The new division unites athletics, clinical services (medical care, counseling, and sports medicine) for the first time, allowing an overview of campus health trends and enabling comprehensive troubleshooting of issues, particularly around mental health," the article on the website states.

Laura Moliken, vice president for health and wellness at Ursinus, was quoted as saying that the college is "primed to create a culture around healthy lifestyle, behavior, choices, and community support," and that the Okanagan Charter provides a framework for how the university can approach health and wellness issues across operations, administration and student life.

"I am thrilled to be able to help lead this very important venture," Moliken said in her statement. "By signing this charter, we have an opportunity to lead this effort nationally, among our liberal arts peers, and for all institutions of higher learning."

According to information about the charter found online, the pact was created by scholars and professionals from around the globe when they gathered at the 2015 International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges.

The purpose of the charter is to guide educational institutions, given their unique role in "research, teaching and service to their communities," to be leaders the world over in creating health-promoting strategies on campus settings, thereby helping to influence surrounding communities and global entities alike on wellbeing strategies.

"The key is moving beyond traditional approaches of influencing individual behavior, and moving upstream to systems level and environmental strategies that influence the health and wellbeing of person, place and planet," the online information about the Okanagan Charter states.

In addition to the U.S., several other countries across the globe have signed onto the pact, including the United Kingdon, Canada, New Zealand, Germany and others.