Well-Being

The ability to thrive and succeed as students, employees, organizations, and in life, directly correlates to one’s sense of well-being. Mason has committed to being a “Well-Being University” focused on helping students, faculty and staff build lives with vitality, purpose, and resilience. The Engagement Series in Well-Being identifies offerings that contribute significantly to students’ understanding and practice of well-being. These offerings include both well-being-focused and well-being-related courses that are designated in the catalog and in the schedule of classes.

Students who complete the Engagement Series in Well-Being will be able to:

1. Describe and apply methods to enhance interpersonal communication and empathy.  This will help the student to create sustainable, quality  relationships and social support networks, at a one-on-one and small group level.
2. Demonstrate skills for communication (written, oral, and/or somatic) about well-being.
3. Demonstrate the ability to practice methods to enhance well-being, self-care, self-awareness, and awareness of others.
4. Articulate societal factors impacting community and global well-being, and/or to engage in practices which build greater sensitivity to the needs of others and the inter-dependent nature of life on the earth.
5. Describe the science of stress  and its effects – both constructive and destructive – as well as the methodologies used to respond to stress,  promote resilience, and enhance well-being.

The following courses have been identified as meeting the criteria for inclusion in the Engagement Series in Well-Being curriculum. To complete the certification, students must select a minimum of 18 credits across the categories offered below.  Please note, in several of these courses only specific sections will count for meeting the requirement. No substitutions will be made. Information on courses that count at the section level will be included in the Schedule of Classes, found on Patriot Web.

To declare the ENCORE Engagement Series in Well-Being, please fill out the  ENCORE Declaration form pdf and take it to the Well-Being coordinator, listed on the form.

The co-curricular section of the certificate is completed through the Patriot Experience, located at http://patriotexperience.gmu.edu.

 Required: 18 credits