Focus on wellness

Sana Imran (photo by Shayla Anderson)

A student perspective on new mental health initiatives at Innis

BY SHIVANI BALDEO (HBA ’23 INNIS)

University can be tough. And I’m not just talking academics. Add extra-curriculars, work, health, family—the stresses are multilayered and often unpredictable. The pandemic only heightened these tensions, leaving the mental health needs of students at an all-time high. In response, Innis College has developed programs and resources for students to better access supports and navigate their unique wellness journeys.

The new Community Wellness Portfolio, spearheaded by Sana Imran, Innis’s assistant dean, community wellness, in the Office of Student Life, offers educational campaigns and programs that destigmatize mental health, encourage students to find support, and create inclusive environments for them to learn about and practice self-care.

Sana also provides individual wellness advising appointments, supporting and referring Innis students as needed. As a recent member of Sana’s community wellness work-study team, I witnessed the positive effects of these initiatives on students: their needs were validated; they learned about mental health; and they made new friends.

Through another initiative, the Mental Health Skills Certificate program, which is offered annually, students learn how to recognize when they or others might be in distress, and how to make referrals and access supports and resources. They also discover how to practice self-compassion in academic, social, and personal environments.

Sana recently introduced two wellness-oriented groups. Students in the Student Wellness Advisory Group (SWAG) offered feedback on college events and programs, and a vision for future initiatives. In the Community Wellness Crew (CWC), student leaders developed and implemented programs and resources to support their peers’ holistic wellbeing across four streams: nutrition, media, academics, and community connection. These co-curricular initiatives are just some of the ways Innis is prioritizing wellness, accessibility, and community-building after a prolonged pandemic of disconnect.

Meanwhile, inside the classroom, an Innis alum and associate professor, teaching stream, Ashley Waggoner Denton, leads PSY194H1F: The Psychology of Student Success, a popular seminar she offers through Innis’s First-Year Foundations (FYF) program. Here, Ashley teaches students about wellness in a university context.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to perform well at school, focus, and improve memory,” Ashley tells me, “But students also learn how to navigate relationships and manage the emotional aspects of university.”

Capped at 25 students, the intimacy and safety of this FYF seminar enables participants to carefully explore topics, such as sense of belonging, imposter syndrome, stress, and anxiety. All the while, they are forming real friendships, sharing personal struggles, and collectively supporting one another. By learning about evidence-based coping strategies, and adopting a growth mindset to tackle the stressors of university life, students report feeling better-equipped to thrive—and not just survive—on campus.

“This course has been the most rewarding to teach because it has a great potential to have a lasting impact on students,” Ashley says.

Innis has a longstanding reputation for being a tight-knit community. Throughout my four years at the College, both living in residence, and as a commuter student, I found my home here. Sana and Ashley are exemplary illustrations of Innis’s deep commitment to students’ wellness, and helping everyone feel at home in their college.

Shivani Baldeo was a recent member of Innis’s communitywellness team and a student in Ashley Waggoner Denton’s FYF course.