Including a Wellness Statement in Your Syllabus

Putting a statement in your syllabus acknowledges the importance of the student’s well-being and may also help a student reach out for help if needed. When overviewing course expectations, specifically mention that students should prioritize their well-being to be most effective in class. Here is an example of the language you could use.

Success in this course depends heavily on your health and well-being. Recognize that stress is an expected part of the college experience, and it often can be compounded by unexpected setbacks or life changes outside the classroom. Your other instructors and I strongly encourage you to reframe challenges as an unavoidable pathway to success. Reflect on your role in taking care of yourself throughout the semester before the demands of classes reach their peak. Please feel free to reach out to me about any difficulty you may be having that may affect your performance in this course as soon as it occurs and before it becomes unmanageable. In addition to your academic advisor, I strongly encourage you to contact the many other support services on campus that stand ready to assist you, such as Student Care & Assistance (https://dos.uiowa.edu/assistance), University Counseling Service (https://counseling.uiowa.edu) or Student Wellness (https://studentwellness.uiowa.edu) or other campus mental health resources (https://mentalhealth.uiowa.edu). If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now you can call or text 844-461-5420 for a 24/7 support line. Remember, you are a human before you are a student.