Greetings Temple Families! The fall semester has picked up with projects, exams, responsibilities and more. This point in the semester can be a good time to check in with your students to ensure that they are taking care of themselves and know the most appropriate resources on campus to support them. In this newsletter, we offer tips for how you can empower your students to advocate for their needs and share insights from current Temple students on how they navigate the busier times of the semester. 📚🦉❤️
Who We Are: The Wellness Resource Center is Temple University’s health promotion office; we strive to support members of the campus community in exploring wellness and creating a life that aligns with their values. We offer intentional learning opportunities to promote exploration and meaningful connection.
Empowering Your Student: Self-advocacy is a crucial skill for college students to develop. It allows them to speak up for themselves and ensure that their needs are met. Developing this skill fosters independence and empowers students to find solutions that may not be obvious to others. For many college students, self-advocacy can be a new skill because they are on their own for the first time making autonomous decisions. As responsibilities mount and days get busier it is important to empower your students to advocate for their needs and find the right resources to support them on their journey. Being a self-advocate and navigating challenges is an invaluable life skill that will serve them beyond college!
- Ask open-ended question to help them self-reflect, “What have you been doing to find some rest and balance during the week?” or “I’d love to hear about your favorite campus office or someone who’s offered good advice this semester!”
- Remind them of their strengths and abilities, “I know things are tough right now and I also know you’re smart and determined. I believe in you and am here whenever you want to talk things through.”
- Help them “rehearse” calls or outreach to campus offices – this can help decrease anxiety and increase the likelihood they’ll get connected with the best support.
Read more about ways college students can face adversity here.
For tips on how college students can seek mental health support click here.
Insights from Current Wellness Peer Educators: Wellness Peer Educators are nationally certified peer educators that work with the Wellness Resource Center. These student leaders educate fellow Owls on how they can support their well-being while navigating college. Students share their insights on how they advocate for their needs during stressful periods:
- “As a busy college student involved in many clubs and a member of the Temple University Diamond Band, I advocate for my needs by managing my time and setting clear priorities. I communicate well with all my professors and organization leaders, ask for support when needed, and make sure to balance my commitments with self-care to maintain both my academic success and personal well-being.” - Justina Bottoms, Junior General Science with Teaching Major
- “As a senior student worker, I manage my time by dedicating the workweek entirely to my professional and academic responsibilities. This means my weekends are non-negotiable for personal time and preventing burnout. From Friday evening onward, I am fully focused on recharging. I like spending time with friends, going to the movies, attending markets, or simply staying at home watching my favorite shows.” - Andressa Miranda Hanco, Senior Psychology Major
Campus Resources:
- The Student Success Center is a comprehensive “one-stop-shop" academic support center serving graduate and undergraduate students at Temple University. This center offers Academic Coaching, a Writing Center, Peer Assisted Study Sessions and much more!
- Disability Resources and Services works to educate the Temple community on disability, inclusion, and accessibility and to empower students to become self-aware advocates. Students can access their services to receive accommodations for academics, accessible housing, communication and more.
- The Dean of Students office works to engage, develop, and retain Temple students. The office provides holistic support and advocacy to equip students to thrive at Temple.
- The Wellness Resource Center works to promote wellness and create connectedness through a variety of wellness programming and services. Some services available to students include wellness consultations, workshops designed to enhance student well-being and campus culture, and campus community events.
- Tuttleman Counseling Services is Temple’s counseling center. This office provides culturally sensitive mental health services that support the psychological health of the diverse community of Temple students and thereby their academic success. Tuttleman offers a range of services for students like Let’s Talk drop-in sessions, group sessions, and free online mental health resources.
- Welltrack Boost is a self-guided, clinically supported, set of digital tools and resources used to assess and understand behavioral health. The service allows folks to track their mood, deal with stress and anxiety, connect with resources, and much more! Temple Students can access the app using their temple.edu email address.
- Togetherall is a free, safe, and anonymous online community with trained mental health professionals. The service is available 24/7, 365 days a year to support folks through whatever they’re going through. Temple students can register for the service using their @temple.edu email address.
Stay Connected:
Stay connected and learn more about upcoming workshops and opportunities available for your students by following @BeWellTU on X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Email: TUWellness@temple.edu
Linktree: @BeWellTU | Linktree
Website: wellness.temple.edu
Be Well! <3
