We are delighted to reflect on the remarkable success of the 2024 Iowa BEST Summit, Higher Education Track, 2024. We had a diverse gathering of attendees from all three Iowa higher education systems: Community colleges, regent universities, and private colleges/universities.
It was inspiring to witness a range of attendees from different professional backgrounds, illustrating how campus mental health and well-being intersect across various departments and roles. The job titles of attendees included: Instructor, Professor, Counselor, Dean of Students, Lecturer, Therapist, Benefits Specialist, Accommodations Coordinator, Provost, Dean, Human Resources Director, Interventionist, Program Specialist, and many more. This showcased how campus well-being is a collective endeavor, cutting across academia, human resources, student services, and other integral parts of our campuses.
Our 2024 theme was: “All in for Campus Mental Health.” This year’s Summit featured Chris Dawe and Rebecca Kennedy from the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network who spent 1.5 days engaging us in the foundations of the health-promoting campus and the central calls to action aligned with the Okanagan Charter. We engaged with campus colleagues from around the state to discuss the concepts, structures, and practices of health promoting campuses and to discuss how to build infrastructure on campus to support well-being of people, place, and planet.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our conference Mindfulness Coach, Sue Tew-Warming, and to the planning team who worked tirelessly to make this event a success:
- Heather DeWaard-Flickinger, North Iowa Area Community College
- Kelly Friesleben, Iowa Department of Education
- Barry Schreier, University of Iowa
- Becca Papian, Des Moines Area Community College
- Beth Perlman, Grinnell College
Thank you to everyone who participated, presented, and planned. Your contributions have significantly elevated the discourse on campus mental health and well-being in Iowa. Keep your eyes open for an announcement for next year’s Iowa Best Summit, Higher Education Track coming soon!