UMass Boston

Joins Other Health Promoting Universities in Pledge

UMass Boston today announced the adoption of the Okanagan Charter, affirming the university’s commitment to fostering health and well-being on campus. The adoption stems from the university’s Wellness Initiative launched last fall, intended to instill and support a broad understanding of health – physically, academically, environmentally, financially, socially, intellectually, and spiritually.

“The Wellness Initiative reflects UMass Boston’s interest in a growing movement across higher education to emphasize health and well-being as a core aspiration of campus life, human life, and the life of our planet,” said Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “Adopting the Okanagan Charter, a guiding framework of shared health and well-being values, formalizes our vision.

“In addition to designating UMass Boston as a Health Promoting University, adoption of the charter calls on us, going forward, to embed health into all aspects of our work, policies, and campus culture; and to lead health promotion action and collaboration, locally and globally.”

UMass Boston’s Strategic Planning Mission & Vision Committee recommended adopting the Okanagan Charter, as did the Beacon Wellness Commission. The official announcement was made at a celebration in the campus center ballroom.

The Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges was developed at the 2015 International Conference of Health Promoting Universities and Colleges held in the Okanagan Nation, British Columbia. It was developed to provide institutions with “a common language, principles, and framework to become health and wellbeing promoting campuses.” UMass Boston will be the 26th university to officially adopt the Charter as part of the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network, joining a global movement of campuses around the world.