The LSU Student Health Center hosts events year-round meant to reduce students’ stress and bring awareness to wellness resources on campus.
These events serve to give the student body a break from classes, as well as to promote the various services the SHC offers.
The SHC is on the north side of campus, so hosting events is a way the center brings info to students who might not be nearby.
“We find that it’s really important to meet students where they are,” said Rachel Hoover, assistant director of health promotion.
Whether the topic is sexual health, stress relief or general well-being, the events serve to leave students with both an enjoyable experience and practical information.
“We try to pair education with fun and to do events that students will enjoy and want to engage with, but at the same time, take away some skill or knowledge, something that they can implement in their own life,” Hoover said.
Planning these events begins months in advance. Signature events, bigger events that often attract large numbers of students, are plotted out during the summer. The SHC uses student feedback to find out what events are the most favored by the campus community.
After that, the process involves finding campus partners and a place to hold the event. The SHC then promoted the event through email, social media, television advertisements in the Student Union and flyers across campus.
The preparation pays off, with signature events tending to have a turnout of 300 to 500 students, according to Hoover.
These events tend to be hostedin the LSU Library or on Tower Drive. Much of the attendance comes from foot traffic of students stopping by out of courtesy.
These events serve to give students a better understanding of self-care, nutrition and mental health. They also help students to get more familiar with the SHC.
“I think it creates an opportunity for students to interact with other students,” Hoover said. “It creates the opportunity for them to interact with Health Center staff and to feel more comfortable with coming to the Health Center.”
A sense of familiarity is important on such a large campus, where many students may be unaware of all the resources available to them. Hoover described student awareness as a “mixed bag,” with some students coming in for basic health concerns but many having never visited.
One of the most underutilized resources is wellness coaching, where students can receive help with their sleep, nutrition and time management among other things.
Hoover said a large contribution to students’ hesitation comes from worries about cost. But, mental health, wellness and student support services are all covered by tuition, with no additional cost for students whose the during the semester.
“They can also get free counseling or therapy and free wellness coaching,” Hoover added.
Success does not come without challenges, with space for events being one of the largest issues. The SHC does not have its own space for events, meaning that events must be held in other spots around campus.
The events are subject to the weather and must be scheduled around other events, so reaching students is often difficult.
Even so, partnerships across campus help expand what the SHC can offer. Collaborations with groups such as the LSU Library, Residential Life and the UREC allow for larger, more accessible events.
The SHC is hosting their Dimensions of Wellness Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tower Drive Friday, which will feature more than 20 campus partners representing different aspects of student well-being.
