Faculty Wellness Week
Northwestern offers a variety of in-person and remote options to support the physical and mental health of its faculty. Many of these options are featured free of charge during Faculty Wellness Week. The next Faculty Wellness Week is planned for April 1-6, 2024. Faculty are encouraged to take advantage of the programs and discounts.
Faculty Wellness Week Schedule
Faculty Family Night at the Dearborn Observatory
Wednesday, April 3, 8 and 9 p.m.
Join fellow faculty members and their loved ones for Faculty Family Night at the Dearborn Observatory. Every participant will get the chance to look through the telescope, cultivating intellectual and social wellness. Register online for this exciting opportunity for faculty and their families.
Caring From Afar: An Eldercare Webinar
Wednesday, April 4, noon-1 p.m.
In today’s world many families are geographically spread out and are not always able to provide the hands-on care they would like. During this webinar, participants will learn what long-distance caregiving is and the challenges that go along with it. They will also learn ways to create both formal and informal support systems that can help mitigate caregiver stress. Facilitated for faculty participants by Katherine Albrecht, MSW, Senior Care Advisor with Care.com. Register online for this virtual session.
Other campus offerings to promote well-being:
Burnout Resilience Through Connection
Wednesday, April 3, 11 a.m.-noon
The last four years have been challenging, to say the very least. Many faculty and academic staff were on the edge of burnout before 2020, and the events since have tested our coping skills as individuals and as a higher education community. Understanding and creating conditions that prevent burnout are important steps to creating resilience. In this workshop, we will explore what burnout is, how to recognize it and how to approach your work through the lens of connection as a path to burnout resilience. Register online for this virtual session.
Supporting the Arts at Northwestern
Art can provide the opportunity to pause and reflect or to stimulate and surprise. Studies show that engaging in the arts has positive impacts on our mental health and overall well-being. Enjoy the following campus events in the arts:
- New Music Student Showcase
- Join the Northwestern community on Friday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. to support Bienen School of Music students while they perform contemporary music selections. No registration is required.
- Art Talks! Actions for the Earth
- Join Block Museum Student Associates (BMSAs), Northwestern undergraduates representing interdisciplinary fields of study from across the University, on Saturday, April 6 at 12:30 p.m. to engage in conversations about artworks that spark curiosity and ideas that are relevant to our lives today. Programs are open to all on a first-come first-served basis. RSVPs are not required but are appreciated.
Additional Faculty Wellness Week Offerings
Free access will be available to the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and all Group Exercise classes for all Northwestern faculty and their immediate family members during Faculty Wellness Week.
- Group Exercise: Facility members have free access to a wide variety of classes each week (yoga, Pilates, BodyPump, spin, aqua fitness and more).
- NU Faculty Memberships: If faculty decide to purchase a membership for themselves and their family members April 1-6 2024, the $100 initiation fee will be waived.
- Facilities and Hours
Steps to take if faculty and their family members are interested in accessing the facility (Note: Please allow five business days for processing):
Faculty:
- Send email to recreation@northwestern.edu with:
- Subject of email: Faculty Wellness Facility Access
- Body of email: faculty first name, last name, employee ID, complete address including zip code, DOB, email and phone number
- Faculty will receive an email once they are in the system and they can begin accessing the facility with their Wildcard.
Faculty family member(s):
- Send email to recreation@northwestern.edu with:
- Subject of email: Faculty Wellness Facility Access
- Body of email: first name, last name, complete address including zip code, DOB, email, phone number in body of email
- Family members will receive an email with instructions on where to pick up their trial access card once they are in the system.
Available All Year
Northwestern offers a variety of free resources throughout the year.- White Light Therapy: Faculty can take advantage of white light therapy in the Wellness Suite at any time. Light therapy—exposure to artificial light—can be a safe, effective way to treat symptoms of depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sleep disorders and mood disorders. For more information, call 847-467-2607 or visit the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion Wellness Suite.
- Virtual Well-Being Breaks: Join daily 15- or 30-minute well-being breaks from your office or home. Check the daily schedule for a variety of virtual offerings, including stretch, yoga, cardio kickboxing, Pilates, Latin dance and core conditioning.
- On-Demand Virtual Exercise Classes: Northwestern Recreation offers on-demand exercise classes, available any time that is convenient for you. Classes are 30 to 60 minutes and include Bodypump, yoga, Zumba and more.