2 days Ago By Eric Wood, Contributor
Purdue Welcome Center at Purdue University. A 2025 report on Inside Higher Ed described the incoming class of 2029 as being highly diverse and including many students with significant mental health concerns . As indicated in a 2023 study in the journal of Educational Psychology & Counseling , national increases of mental health concerns have resulted in many colleges and universities emphasizing the importance of student well-being .
However, as the study indicates, there’s little consensus on how student well-being should be defined. There’s also not a uniform way to promote student well-being throughout an entire campus. In recent years, Purdue University has developed ways to institutionalize student well-being, and this work exemplifies important aspects of a community approach on campus.
These aspects include visible campuswide outreach events, fostering student advocacy, developing a shared language to discuss well-being, faculty and staff involvement, and investment from the upper administration. A hallmark campuswide event at Purdue is called Mental Health Action Week (MHAW). Dr.
Yingkei Hui, the first Lady of Purdue University, stated, “This week allows students to take a step back from their busy schedules, focus on their well-being, and explore the valuable resources available on campus.” MHAW is a week of programming that is sponsored by the Office for the Vice Provost of Student Life, Purdue Student Government, and the Purdue Graduate Student Government. However, individual academic colleges and other campus departments host unique events as part of the week.
The theme for 2025 was “Every Day Together” and some of the events included food trucks on campus, a resource fair, and highlighting mental health concerns around the world. MHAW is also an official student organization at Purdue. One of the co-presidents, Sunishka Deshpande, a junior student in Honors Biomedical Engineering, described the passion for the event by stating, “I would like for MHAW to be so big that students point to it as a key experience during their time at Purdue.
" Dr. Hui also commented on Purdue’s work to foster student advocacy on campus. “This year also marked the launch of a pilot Student Ambassador Program, empowering students to take an active role in advocating for mental health resources and peer support.
” A 2024 report on the counseling center’s website highlighted the student ambassador program for mental health, known as CAPS Ambassadors . The mission for this program is to utilize students in efforts to destigmatize mental health challenges while fostering a culture of holistic well-being on campus. Dr.
Christopher Hanes is the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Well-Being and Senior Director for Counseling and Psychological Services at Purdue. He stated, "Purdue truly embodies the concept of promoting a community of care. The entire campus uses a shared language around its importance and works collectively to support well-being as integral to the student experience and success.
" This shared language is called Steps to Leaps, and Dr. Hanes described this program as including, “common language, strategies, and tools for promoting holistic well-being and student success in and outside the classroom and beyond.” Steps to Leaps was originally created by students but is now utilized throughout the institution.
A 2025 report on Purdue.edu indicated that the Steps to Leaps program has been awarded the Bronze Excellence Award by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Dr.
Hanes also reported that the school hosted a Steps to Leaps Summitt, in which over 250 faculty and staff attended. According to Dr. Hanes, the goal is to teach faculty and staff how to incorporate the principles of the Steps to Leaps program into their work, and the Steps to Leaps Summitt occurs every year.
Research suggests that there’s a high need to train faculty and staff in ways to promote student well-being. For example, a 2025 report by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health indicates that 74% of faculty didn’t know if their institution had a written policy for how to respond to student mental health issues, and 60% of staff reported not being informed enough to support student mental health. Purdue’s upper administration has displayed a significant investment in student well-being.
In 2024, the school developed a Well-Being Unit which includes Student Health, Recreation and Wellness, and Counseling and Psychological Services. Dr Hanes was promoted into the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Well-being role during this time. A 2023 report by Purdue Today described how the school recently increased funding and expanded health and wellness services on campus.
A 2024 report by this publication also described mental health, well-being, and safety as top priority for the school. Another indicator of the investment into student well-being is the actions of the Dr. Hui in promoting the campuswide outreach events.
She commented, “It was inspiring to see such strong participation and the culture of care that Mental Health Action Week continues to cultivate for our students." Purdue University has recently increased the national spotlight on campus. Forbes.
com recently placed Purdue on the 2025 list of New Ivies . Though many schools would take pride in receiving such attention, as Dr. Hanes explained, “ It’s all about the student experience of being on campus.
Academics are important, but it’s vital to help students grow and thrive. We are here to support their overall well-being.”.
