- Student Life & Services
- Health and Wellness
- Education
Health and Wellness Education
Catamount Wellness Ambassadors
Catamount Wellness Ambassadors are students leaders who serve as liaisons between Health and Wellness Education and WCU students to promote health and wellbeing on campus. CWAs deepen their understanding of health and wellness topics while gaining important leadership skills such as public speaking and program planning.
- Assist the Assistant Director with planning, promoting, and implementing health and wellness programs, initiatives, and events
- Participate in outreach presentations and tabling events
- Promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage healthy behaviors on campus as peer health educators
- Develop leadership skills
- Gain widespread knowledge about health and wellness
- Develop skills in public speaking and program planning
- Opportunity to become a Certified Peer Health Educator
- Attend regular meetings
- 2.5 GPA (First-year students are welcome to apply)
Complete the online application!
Alcohol and Other Drugs
The Health and Wellness Education mission is to promote healthy choices emphasizing the elimination of high-risk behavior, illegal alcohol and drug use, harmful substance use and related issues in order to empower and retain successful, healthy and involved students.
In accordance with Western Carolina University’s Policy #38, which is consistent with the requirements of the Code of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina (the “Code”) and UNC Policy 1300.1, the University Board of Trustees adopts this Policy to address such threats to the integrity of the University community and to comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee (AODC) is responsible for developing and executing an annual plan to address alcohol and other drug issues. The AODC works collaboratively to promote other Health and Wellness initiatives on campus.
Alcohol Awareness Week is a fun, engaging, and meaningful way for students to learn about alcohol. The week focuses on safe drinking and busting the myths associated with college drinking. Alcohol Awareness Week is held the third full week of October.
Interested in exploring your relationship with alcohol? e-CHECKUP TO GO is a free and confidential online survey tool that will provide instant personalized feedback, including a custom BAC (blood alcohol content) chart, how much money you spend on drinks each month, and helpful strategies if you would like to change your drinking habits. It takes 20-30 minutes to complete and it's available to the entire WCU community.
BASICS is an evidence-based program that is designed to help college students assess their alcohol-related decisions.
The BASICS program uses a harm-reduction approach designed to:
- Help you explore your alcohol use in a non-judgmental setting
- Reduce risky behavior and harmful consequences of alcohol abuse
- Identify changes that could help you reduce your risk
- Provide important information and skills for risk reduction
LEARN MORE ABOUT BASICS AND E-CHECKUP TO GO
Please Note: This is not therapy or substance use treatment. Professionals facilitating these sessions are not substance-misuse professionals or licensed clinical therapists.
Presentations
An in-depth overview of the Health & Wellness Unit, including Campus Recreation and Wellness, Counseling & Psychological Services, Health and Wellness Education, and Health Services. Students will participate in an assessment based on the Elements of Wellness.
This interactive presentation will dicuss ways to ensure a healthy, happy, and successful experience at WCU through the seven elements of wellness (Emotional, Environmental, Intellectual, Occupational, Physical, Social, Spiritual). Students will explore and discover on-campus and local resources to support each area of wellness.
This presentation provides students with an overview of alcohol education focused on harm reduction and safer choices. Students will receive information on standard drinks, BAC, the positive and negative consequences of consuming alcohol, misconceptions related to alcohol, what to do if you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning, and resources for support related to substance misuse.
This interactive workshop focuses on what students need to be resilient. Students take an inventory of how ‘gritty’ they are. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual domains are addressed as well as the resources on campus students can utilize to increase their resilience.
This presentation is meant to provide insight on campus policies and procedures that relate to gameday tailgating. We also include harm-reduction tips and tricks to keep students healthy and happy.
