UNC Greensboro is proud to announce its designation as a JED Campus, joining a distinguished network of higher education institutions committed to enhancing mental health awareness and resources available to students. UNCG leaders understand the direct impact that well-being has on student success and want to ensure all students have every opportunity to thrive as Spartans.
The JED Campus program, an initiative of the JED Foundation, is designed to support colleges and universities in creating a campus culture that promotes mental health and well-being. This designation underscores UNCG’s dedication to fostering a supportive environment that prioritizes the mental health of its student body.
“We are excited to collaborate with the JED Foundation to further strengthen our campus community and ensure that we have all of the support and safety nets available to our students,” said Cathy Akens, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “We know our students are managing so much and so mental health and well-being is a subject we talk about openly and prioritize in the student experience.”
“The college years are the age when many mental health issues first manifest, and it can be a time of significant stress and pressure,” said John MacPhee, Chief Executive Officer of JED. “JED Campus helps schools by working with them to evaluate what their college or university is doing to support student emotional health and well-being and find practical ways to augment these efforts in a comprehensive way. We believe that the implementation of a campus-wide approach to mental health will lead to safer, healthier communities, and likely greater student retention.”
UNCG’s membership in JED Campus begins with establishing an interdisciplinary, campus-wide team to assess, support and implement program, policy, and system improvements and completing a confidential, self-assessment survey on its mental health promotion, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts. Upon completion of the assessment, JED subject matter experts will provide UNCG with a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements. UNCG will collaborate with JED over the next four years to help implement these enhancements.
That committee will be chaired by Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Brett Carter and Sociology Professor Sarah Daynes.
