Student Senate hears from the Office of Health Promotion regarding services

Ohio University’s Student Senate heard from and spoke with a representative from the Office of Health Promotion on Wednesday. During the office’s presentation, the senate learned about new initiatives that would be available to Ohio U students in the spring semester.

“Our mission is to create safe and healthy communities that allow students to flourish,” said Taylor Outwork, the representative from the Office of Health Promotion. “So our main focus is on safety and campus wellbeing.” 

The Office of Health Promotion already offers a variety of programs that aim to provide students with information about topics including violence prevention, sexual assault, sexual health and mental health. They do this through education programs, both online and in person around campus. The Green Dot Initiative is one such program, and it aims to provide students and staff with valuable education regarding bystander intervention. Another example is the Bandana Project Initiative, which is a campaign focused on suicide prevention and combating mental health stigma. These are just a few of the variety of programs that the office provides to students on campus.

The Office of Health Promotion is launching several new initiatives that were also introduced to the Student Senate. One is a peer wellbeing network, which aims to amplify student voices. “We want to provide opportunities for us to start talking about issues that are impacting students,” Outwork said. “And we want it to have that community-level approach to it.”

The network itself has several cohort levels which have different amounts of engagement students can select through an application process. While the details of the application are not completely finalized, each available level is. At each level, students can also receive training that can help them better navigate campus life. The launch date for the program is Feb. 22, 2024. 

Student Senate also inquired as to how they can best assist the office in its initiatives and training. Outwork responded that the best thing the senate can do is outreach to students.

“The best thing anyone can do is to get students to know we are here,” Outwork said. “If you leave with nothing else today, at least know where we’re located, our email, how to contact us.” 

Outwork concluded her presentation with her own personal experience with the programs. “Being able to work with students and other members and supervisors has been huge for me,” Outwork said. “Being able to get on campus and talk about these issues has been my most rewarding experience so far.” 

The Office of Health Promotion’s contact information and location can be found here, along with details regarding the programs they offer.