This document outlines George Mason University's plans to become a model well-being university. It discusses defining well-being as vitality, purpose and resilience. Initiatives include well-being learning communities, a partnership with Gallup to measure well-being and provide strengths assessments, and developing curricula and programs to build resilience for students, faculty and staff. The goal is to positively impact retention, engagement, graduation rates and quality of life through cultivating knowledge and skills for thriving.

1. WELL-BEING UNIVERSITY
Thriving Together
AT
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
BECOMING A MODEL WELL-
BEING UNIVERSITY

2. 2
“What will happen
when we think about what is
rightwith people rather than
fixating on what is wrong with
them?”
Donald O. Clifton,
psychologist and
business executive
(1924-2003)

3. HOW DO WE MAKE THE CASE FOR
WELL-BEING IN HIGHER
EDUCATION?

4. WHAT IS WELL-BEING?

5. WELL-BEING DEFINED AT
MASON
Building a life of vitality, purpose,
resilience, and engagement.
---THRIVING TOGETHER---
(WBU LEARNING COMMUNITY)

6. BUILDING A LIFE OF VITALITY,
PURPOSE, & RESILIENCE…
• ENRICHED BY DIVERSITY & CHARACTERIZED BY
THRIVING ACROSS A RANGE OF DOMAINS,
INCLUDING PHYSICAL, INTELLECTUAL,
CAREER, SOCIAL, COMMUNITY,
PSYCHOLOGICAL, & PURPOSE
• CHARACTERIZED AS BEING SATISFIED WITH
ONE’S LIFE AND REGULARLY EXPERIENCING
CURIOUSITY, HOPE, MEANING, AND JOY

7. UNIVERSITY-WIDE COMMITMENT
• INTENTIONALLY CULTIVATES IN ITS
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE KNOWLEDGE &
SKILLS NEEDED TO THRIVE TOGETHER
• COMMITS TO PROMOTING & SUPPORTING A
CARING ENVIRONMENT THAT EXPLICITLY
ENGAGES STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES, & RETIREES
IN A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES RELATED TO
WELL-BEING

8. HISTORY OF WELL-BEING AT MASON
2005: FIRST UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
OFFERED ON THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING
2006: MAJOR UNITS ADOPT GALLUP’S
STRENGTHS-FINDER ASSESSMENT
2009: CENTER CONSCIOUSNESS &
TRANSFORMATION ESTABLISHED
2010: FIRST LEADING TO WELL-BEING
CONFERENCE OFFERED
2011: INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES
WELL-BEING UNIVERSITY AT MASON

9. HISTORY OF WELL-BEING
2013: FIRST WBU LEARNING COMMUNITY FORMED
2013: LONGITUDINAL STUDY MEASURING
STUDENTS’ WELL-BEING LAUNCHED
2013: BOARD OF VISITORS APPROVES INITIATIVE IN
NEW, 10-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
2014: SECOND LEARNING COMMUNITY FORMED
2014: GALLUP & MASON ENTER FORMAL
PARTNERSHIP TO MEASURE WELL-BEING &
PROVIDE STRENGTHS-INTERVENTIONS

10. FOCUS ON RESILIENCE
YEARS 1-3 AT MASON
• RESILIENCE AS A GATEWAY COMPETENCY
• OPPORTUNITIES INSIDE & OUTSIDE THE
CLASSROOM FOR STUDENTS TO BUILD THEIR
RESILIENCE MUSCLES
• DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULAR AND
COCURRICULAR MODULES

11. DESIGNING THE ARCHITECTURE AT MASON
• WELL-BEING UNIVERSITY LEARNING COMMUNITIES
• STRATEGIC INITIATIVE IN UNIVERSITY 10-YEAR PLAN
• UNIVERSITY LIFE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING
GROUP ON WELL-BEING
• UNIVERSITY AUDIT OF WHAT EXISTS
• PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION
FOR MEASUREMENT & STRENGTHS INTERVENTIONS
• WBU WEBSITE
• STUDENT LED PROGRAMMING & INITIATIVES

12. KEY INITIATIVES
• Launch initiatives that promote the multiple
domains of well-being for students, faculty,
retirees, and staff
• Partnership with Gallup to measure student and
alumni well-being and to shape interventions
• Create a strengths-based culture by providing
free, online assessments & education on how to
recognize & capitalize on strengths and a new
STRENGTHS ACADEMY

13. KEY INITIATIVES
• PROPOSING A WELL-BEING PATHWAY IN
GENERAL EDUCATION FOR UNDERGRADUATES
• UNIVERSITY LIFE CREATING CO-CURRICULAR
PATHWAYS TO HELP STUDENTS IDENTIFY AND
ACHIEVE WELL-BEING LEARNING OUTCOMES
& COMPETENCIES

14. SAMPLE METRICS
• 75% OF STUDENTS COMPLETING STRENGTHS
ASSESSMENT
• INCREASE IN FACULTY & STAFF PARTICIPATION
IN STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT
• BY FALL 2017, 60% OF STUDENTS, FACULTY,
AND STAFF DOWNLOAD MASON’S WELL-
BEING APP
• INCREASED NUMBER OF ALUMNI REPORTING
HIGHER LEVELS OF CAREER WELL-BEING

15. POSITIVE IMPACT ON
• STUDENT RETENTION
• STUDENTS’ WELL-BEING & ENGAGEMENT
• GRADUATION RATES
• GRADUATE JOB PLACEMENT
• ALUMNI SENSE OF AFFLIATION WITH MASON
• FACULTY, STAFF, AND RETIREE QUALITY OF LIFE
& WELL-BEING
• EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

16. MASON’S SPRING INTO WELL-BEING &
PHILANTROPHY WEEK 2014

17. Leading to Well-Being Conference 2015