Stroll and learn: Health, Wellness and Safety Walk signs guide students to helpful resources

BOONE, N.C. — Students walking around campus in late August and early September saw 22 signs as part of a self-guided Health, Wellness and Safety Walk designed to inform them about helpful resources available to them for their well-being.

The signs featured resources related to counseling, student health, academic success, financial aid, student support and more, explained Kyra Patel ’16, coordinator for student social wellness in Appalachian’s Department of Wellness and Prevention Services.

The goal of the initiative was for students “to learn more about resources available at the university and where they are located. It’s one thing to know we have a Counseling Center, for example, and another to know exactly where to go for assistance,” Patel said.

Each sign included a QR (Quick Response) code that students could scan with their phone, which took them to a Google document detailing the resources in that particular building. The document also included a still image from Appalachian’s interactive campus map that identified the building’s physical location, along with a list of off-campus resources.

Those who participated were sent a post-event survey to gauge their level of knowledge after reading about the resources.

Previous campaigns using campus signs to emphasize healthy behaviors have been well received by students, Patel said.

The Health, Wellness and Safety Walk was sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this initiative was developed as a safe alternative to the annual Health, Wellness and Safety Week activities.

Campus buildings housing health, wellness and safety resources

Appalachian’s fall 2020 Health, Wellness and Safety Walk featured the following campus buildings with signs and their respective resources:

Plemmons Student Union

• Office of the Dean of Students
• Appalachian Spiritual Life Association
• Student Conduct
• Intercultural Student Affairs

Rivers Street Parking Deck

• Appalachian Police Department
• AppState-ALERT
• Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management
• Safe Walk/Ride

Miles Annas Building

• Counseling Center
• M.S. Shook Student Health Service
• Wellness and Prevention Services

Anne Belk Hall

• Office of Disability Resources

I.G. Greer Hall

• Office of Student Success
• Office of Title IX Compliance
• First Generation Student Association

Trivette Hall

• Campus Dining

Peacock Hall

• Information Technology Services (main office)

John Thomas Hall

• Career Development Center
• Office of the Registrar
• Office of Student Financial Aid

Student Recreation Center

• University Recreation

D.D. Dougherty Hall

• Student Learning Center

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About the Division of Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs at Appalachian State University is committed to the development of lifelong learners and leaders by engaging and challenging students within a culture of care and inclusion. The division consists of 16 units that offer activities and services to help students develop more fully by becoming global learners, fostering healthy relationships, appreciating diversity and different perspectives, understanding community responsibility, enhancing self-awareness, developing autonomy and living ethically. These units include the Career Development Center, Campus Activities, Office of Community-Engaged Leadership, Wellness and Prevention Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Service, Parent and Family Services, University Housing, Student Conduct, University Recreation, Intercultural Student Affairs, Student Legal Clinic and Off-Campus Student Services, Electronic Student Services, Child Development Center, and Staff Development and Strategic Initiatives. Learn more at https://studentaffairs.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.