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Task Force on Student Well-Being

The Task Force is charged with developing a robust understanding of the current state of student well-being at Northwestern's Evanston and Chicago campuses, identifying present gaps, and forming recommendations to broadly improve student well-being, as it relates to mental and physical health.

How We Start

Initial work will involve developing a robust understanding of existing programs, policies, activities, and resources that support the mental and physical health of students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, and identifying any unmet needs in University practices and policies. The Task Force may choose to use available data and reports and to engage directly with stakeholders (e.g., Northwestern students, key administrators, etc.) to understand what is working well and where there are opportunities for improvement and action.

Listening to and learning from students – and the faculty and staff who support them – are critical parts of this Task Force’s charge.


The Task Force is asked to prepare a summary of findings of the current state by the end of spring quarter as part of an overall update to project sponsors. The update should include some ideas of opportunities for action, but formal recommendations are not expected at that time.

Next Steps

It is anticipated that the Task Force will reconvene in the fall quarter to develop recommendations. The sponsors seek actionable short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations, including immediately actionable ones, which will enable direct and positive impact on Northwestern students’ well-being across all programs on the Evanston and Chicago campuses. Recommendations should also include a prioritization of identified issues and measures for assessing the success of the actions we take to address them.

About the Task Force

The Task Force has been formed to broadly represent the many stakeholders in student well-being that cut across populations and organizational structures. It will be well-served to extend this expansive engagement across student, faculty, and staff populations; academic and student affairs; and central administration, school, and units when developing an understanding of current state and recommendations.

This Task Force has the opportunity to inform the University’s understanding of and mold a structured approach towards enhanced student well-being, particularly mental and physical health. It's work will bolster Northwestern students’ support network within a caring community and position them to thrive in their personal, academic, and professional lives.

 

Task Force

 

Jennifer Tackett, Ph.D. | Professor, Psychology

tackett-imx.jpgJennifer Tackett received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Minnesota with minors in statistics, personality and behavior genetics. She is a graduate of the Texas Academy of Math and Science and Texas A&M University, and she has held previous faculty appointments at the University of Toronto and the University of Houston. She is a senior editor at Collabra: Clinical Psychology and an associate editor at Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. She is also a former associate editor at the Journal of Personality, Perspectives in Psychological Science, the Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, the Journal of Personality Disorders, Assessment, and the Journal of Research in Personality. Her research interests are the externalizing and disinhibitory psychopathology in youth, genetic and hormonal influences on externalizing problems, youth personality and gender and racial/ethnic disparities in externalizing problems.

Comments?

The Steering committee invites input and ideas from all campus constituents on both the Evanston and Chicago campuses.  You can share your thoughts confidentially with us at our comment form.

Please be aware that, should you disclose any instances of potential discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct, that information will be shared with the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance.

Steering Committee

Steering Committee
Task Force Member Title Department
Task Force Co-Chair: Jennifer Tackett

Professor

Psychology

Mona Dugo Senior Associate Dean of Students Student Assistance and Support Services (SASS)
Joe Holtgreive

Assistant Dean

Undergraduate Engineering, McCormick
Angela Mitchell

Director

Health Promotion and Wellness (HPaW)
Miriam Sherin Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education

Office of the Provost

Facilitator: Marianna Kepka

Associate Vice President

Organizational Strategy and Change
Facilitator: Natali Petkova Senior Project Coordinator Organizational Strategy and Change

Structure & Fall 2019 Timeline

f2020-timeline.png
committee members
2019 Monthly Meetings Meeting Participants
September Steering Committee
October Full Task Force
October Subcommittee A
November Steering Committee
November Subcommittee A
December Full Task Force

 

spring-2019-wellbeing-timeline-imx.jpg

Subcommittee A

Task

Hold listening sessions to hear student, faculty, and key administrator perspectives to understand current state of support for well-being at Northwestern. Use this information to further inform the initiative.

Subcommittee A Co-Chairs
  • Joe Holtgreive - Asst Dean for Undergraduate Engineering, McCormick
  • Jennifer Tackett- Professor, Psychology
Subcommittee A
Subcommittee A Member Title Department

Lori Baptista

Associate Dean/Advising Senior Lecturer, Performance Studies

SOC

Eric Chin Deputy Chief of Police NUPD

Izzy Dobbel

Undergraduate Senior and ASG Student Body President

SESP

Dara Gaines Graduate Student Political Science
Christine Hwang Undergraduate Junior SESP

Kate Harrington-Rosen

Specialist

Title IX/Equity Outreach & Education

Michelle Hoy-Watkins

Director of Threat Assessment, Safety, & Security

NUPD

Jamal Julien (Spring 2019 only)

Undergraduate Senior

WCAS

Vijay Mittal Associate Professor Psychology

Amanda Mueller

Assistant Director

Residential Life, Student Affairs
Fay Rosner Assistant Professor/Academic Advisor WCAS

Revika Singh

Undergraduate Junior and ASG VP of Health and Wellness

Weinberg

Daviree L. Velázquez Phillip

Director

Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA)

Subcommittee B

Task

Compile and synthesize University-specific data and reports to understand programs, policies, and structures currently supporting well-being at Northwestern. Use this information to further inform the initiative.

Subcommittee B Co-Chairs
  • Mona Dugo - Senior Associate Dean of Students, SASS
  • Angela Mitchell, Director, HPaW
Subcommittee B
Subcommittee B Member Title Department

Lauren-Ashley Buchanan

Associate Director

Student Life, The Graduate School

Eric Budzynski

Associate for Religious Life & Chapel Music

Religious and Spiritual Life

Cindy Conlon Adjunct Lecturer Undergraduate Program, SESP

Amy Huntington

Associate Director

Student Affairs Assessment and Planning
Candy Lee Professor Clinical Journalism, Medill

Fabiola Montiel

Director of Clinical Services

Chicago CAPS

Kim Seipel Carrow Medical Director NUHS, Student Affairs

Jonathan Yates

Director of Media Relations

Global Marketing & Communications