Health and Well-being: An Institutional Committment

Kansas State University continues positioning health and well-being as foundational components of student success, employee engagement, institutional effectiveness, and community impact. This work aligns with Next-Gen K-State priorities, Health Promoting University principles, and the University’s broader land-grant mission.

Institutional efforts increasingly recognize that student success and employee well-being are deeply interconnected with campus culture, systems, environments, and access to supportive resources and relationships.

Expanding Institutional Alignment

During the reporting year, K-State expanded its institutional commitment to health and well-being through the launch of the Institute for Community Health and Well-being The institute creates new opportunities to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and align campus well-being efforts with broader community engagement, research, and statewide impact priorities.

What We Found

Institutional Listening and Strategic Insight

Throughout 2025-2026, Health Promoting University engagement sessions provided important insight into the experiences of students, faculty, and staff across Kansas State University. These conversations helped identify institutional strengths, emerging challenges, and strategic opportunities to strengthen health and well-being through coordinated institutional action.

Student Experience Findings

Sessions highlighted ongoing concerns related to stress, isolation, health literacy, and balance. While 78% of students reported a sense of belonging, many also described feelings of isolation or lack of companionship. Anxiety, depression, procrastination, financial stress, and academic pressure emerged as common concerns. There is uncertainty regarding available resources and how to access support services, reinforcing the need for clearer communication, navigation support, and health literacy initiatives.

Faculty and Staff Experience Findings

Faculty and staff engagement findings emphasized concerns related to workload, burnout, workplace culture, psychological safety, and inconsistent policy implementation across units. Participants identified the need for healthier workplace norms, stronger onboarding practices, and increased institutional support for employee well-being.

Institution-Wide Themes

Across engagement sessions, participants emphasized the importance of aligning institutional values around well-being with daily campus experiences and operational practices. Themes related to communication gaps, accountability, and systems-level infrastructure reinforced the need for coordinated institutional approaches moving forward.

Assessment, Data and Accountability

K-State continues strengthening a coordinated assessment infrastructure designed to better understand student and employee experiences, identify emerging needs, and connect well-being efforts to institutional outcomes.

 

In Their Words

Institutional Stories of Impact

Potential stories and highlights include:

Campus Services and Student Orgs

Oakley the Therapy Dog and the WellCAT Ambassadors

Events and Opportunities

Wildcat Walk for Health, Refuel and Refocus Hours, Finals Refresh

Wildcat Testimonials

Student and faculty reflections reinforced the importance of intentional rest, belonging and care