Expanded course offerings for wellness education credits offer undergraduate students broader opportunities to explore all facets of wellness while building community in the classroom and beyond. The growing program integrates various dimensions of well-being and provides options for students to explore topics that foster personal growth and a sense of belonging.
The wellness education requirement for undergraduate students, which was launched in 2022, replaced the physical education requirement and may be fulfilled through various formats, including full-term courses, full-term participation in approved clubs and activities, mini-courses and workshops, and a combination of single-session classes.
Each wellness education course is designed to teach students to integrate practices into their day-to-day lives that optimize their well-being and elevate their quality of life. The program provides a wide range of flexible and varied options for students’ learning and engagement, reflecting Dartmouth’s commitment to accessibility and holistic well-being.
Caitlin Barthelmes, director of the Student Wellness Center, underscores the holistic benefits.
“The multidimensional approach of wellness education credit offerings helps students explore their wellness from different angles—spiritual, emotional, social, and more. Many credits offer intersectional benefits, such as skill-building and self-reflection, while also fostering connection and strengthening the community,” she says.
Carmen Rodriguez, associate director of the Academic Skills Center, teaches a course offered for wellness education credit called The Mindful Academic. As part of the curriculum, students create a mindfulness toolkit that is part of their wellness journey. Rodriguez says that these toolkits include techniques to explore thoughts and feelings that arise around task initiation and feeling “stuck,” strategies to reframe fixed mindsets, and mental practices to apply compassionate accountability.
“The course tools help reduce stress and enhance holistic wellness,” Rodriguez says.
Student feedback and post-course surveys support this statement. Of students who have recently taken The Mindful Academic, 90% reported extending more compassion to themselves inside and outside the classroom, while 100% reported extending more patience in both settings. Zahara Safiq ’28, who was enrolled in the course during winter term, says, “This course fostered an environment of openness and vulnerability, which helped build trust and a sense of community among us. The discussions during class and the group activities encouraged deeper connections that went beyond just being classmates.”
Mindfulness activities are at the core of many offerings at the Student Wellness Center, and students will soon be able to explore the spiritual roots of those practices in a new Introduction to Buddhist Practice for Wellbeing course offered through The WIlliam Jewett Tucker Center during spring term.
The Rev. Nancy Vogele ’85, chaplain and director of the Tucker Center, developed the new course to coordinate with the Zen and the Art of Mindful Living event, which takes place April 1 to 6 and is open to all community members.
Vogele says Laura Beth (LB) White, assistant director for well-being, “told me how beneficial mindfulness courses are for our students. And now, students will be able to dig deeper and learn about the spiritual roots and origins of those practices.”
Also debuting in spring term is a course called Facilitating Dialogue at Dartmouth, which will be taught by Kristi Clemens, executive director of the Dialogue Project and Cole Johnston, who have teamed up in the past to offer Dialogue Project workshops. The course, aligned with the One Small Step initiative, will guide students in engaging in meaningful conversation across differences, fostering interpersonal connection, and strengthening the Dartmouth community.
“I know that students will learn so much from this course and use their new skills in their classrooms, student organizations, and difficult conversations with peers and loved ones,” Clemens says. She also noted that the course supports both emotional and social well-being and helps students reflect on how they cultivate strong communities.
Community is especially important when considering individual and institutional health and well-being. Estevan Garcia, chief health and wellness officer, recently reflected on the eight dimensions of wellness—intellectual/academic, emotional, social, physical, occupational, financial, environmental, and spiritual, and the importance of finding balance and connection among these dimensions.
“Students want and need community. It’s our responsibility to create options for them to develop communities and build a network of support,” Garcia says.
Undergraduate students can view and register for wellness education credits via DartHub.
