In the Beginning
In the Spring of 2014, both the Association Students of the University of California (ASUC) and Graduate Assembly (GA) voted to establish a weekly Wellness Workgroup of student leaders to research best practices, make recommendations, and organize a campus-wide movement to improve servies related to student wellness. While UC Berkeley is home to numerous student groups and committees dedicated to wellness, mental health and health services, the weekly Wellness Workgroups offered new opportunities for collaboration across organizations.
Rocking the Vote
The successes of this workgroup eventually led to the development and ratification of the Wellness Initiative Fee Referendum in the Spring of 2015. This monumental result was made possible only through significant collaboration between students, faculty and university staff over the preceding year. The Wellness Initiative Fee aims to provide new fee revenues that will be used exclusively to support wellness services and programming for students. This includes but is not limited to:
- Extended Hours at Tang Center
- Increased Mental Health Services
- Fitness & Activity Spaces
- Sexual Violence Prevention & Support
- Diversity & Inclusion Wellness Programs
- Student Rest Zones