In 2013 the Wellness Centre administered the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) for the very first time. Some of you might have completed it then (THANK YOU!) and some of you might not have even heard of it before. What I can tell you is that it is a very important student health survey and the more students who complete it, the louder your voices become!
All face-to-face TRU students from Kamloops and Williams Lake will receive and email invite to participate in the survey. It was SUPPOSED to be MONDAY, MARCH 7 but do to a re-writing error (don’t you love technology) they were received by TRU, but were not able to be delivered to your email addresses! IT services is working hard to fix the problem, and once it is resolved you will receive the email.
This survey is about your health as a student. It asks you some pretty personal questions about your health beliefs, practices and perceptions about issues such as sexual health, mental health, substance use, physical activity and nutrition etc. All responses are confidential, so we please ask that you are honest in your answers.
The survey also asks about what types of health information you want TRU to provide to students. This is really important information as it helps the Wellness Centre develop, design and deliver health and wellness programs that are pertinent and relate to students. Here is an example of what students in 2013 said, and how the Wellness Centre responded:
In 2013 Students said…
• Stress, sleep difficulties, and anxiety had the biggest negative impact on their academics (in that order)
• Within the 12 months previous to completing the survey, academics, finances and sleep difficulties were traumatic or very difficult to handle
• 97.9% take at least 1 safety measure most of the time or always when partying (i.e. having a designated driver, staying with same group of friends all night, not drinking alcohol)
• They wanted information about stress reduction, nutrition, physical activity, sleep difficulties and how to help someone in distress
What the Wellness Centre did to respond…
•Continued the weekly Therapy Dog Programme in partnership with St. John Ambulance
• Offered Mental Health Awareness and Stress Busters Weeks and programs throughout the year including FREE Relax Sax giveaways and hosting a FREE mini spa a few times a year
• Offer/ed FREE mindfulness classes 2x/week
• Sleep Fairies travelled around campus to promote good sleep hygiene
• Offered the Mental Health First Aid Certification program for peer leaders and mentors
• Started the S.W.A.T. program (Student Wellness Ambassador Team)
• Organized the WellnessFits Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Challenges
• Nutrition Awareness Weeks, Kix 4 Chix 6-week sessions Suicide Awareness Workshops, etc…
• FREE tea & Fat Boys at the Wellness Centre!!
We want you to know that your VOICE DOES MATTER…and WE ARE LISTENING!!
Participating in this survey is a chance for you to improve services for TRU students, but also help us to understand the health and wellness needs of Canadian students. Multiple other colleges and universities across the country are also participating in the NCHA this spring. Last time we heard from approximately 34,000 Canadian students, please help us hear from more in 2016!
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Chelsea Corsi, TRU Wellness Coordinator and Principal Investigator at ccorsi@tru.ca
Thank you!
