Panther Be Well

Find what You Need for Your Well-being at UWM

Panther Be Well is how UWM demonstrates its commitment to the well-being of students, faculty, and staff across nine areas of wellness. Many of UWM’s departments and units offer resources to support students’ well-being in one or more dimensions of wellness. 

Well-being is a positive state linked to health, quality of life, and the ability to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose. An individual’s wellness and the community and environment around them — where they live, learn, work, and play — all shape well-being.

UWM prioritizes the well-being of its students, faculty and staff. Having a definition of well-being helps to create a common language, encourage dialogue, invite reflection, and facilitate growth at the individual and community level so that everyone can attain their highest level of well-being at UWM.  

A graphic logo for Panther Be Well, featuring 9 hexagon tiles on the right side of the text

Dimensions of Wellness

Individual Wellness Section_WBDef

A yellow hexagon with an illustration of a running shoe. Below it reads the word physical.
A green hexagon with an illustration of a half heart, half brain design. Below it reads the word emotional.
A blue hexagon with an illustration of a lunch box. Below it reads the word occupational.
A pink hexagon with an illustration of a piggy bank. Below it reads the word financial.
An orange hexagon with an illustration of six stick figures in a circle with their arms above their heads. Below it reads the word cultural.
A light green hexagon with an illustration of a tree. Below it reads the word environmental.
A teal hexagon with an illustration of a person presumably meditating. Below it reads the word spiritual.
A purple hexagon with an illustration of a light bulb. Below it reads the word intellectual.

Community and Environmental Conditions

Well-being is shaped by all that is around us. Below are community and environmental conditions that determine our well-being and examples of how UWM strives to create equitable conditions that support the well-being of all its community members.

Access to secure resources for healthy food and safe and affordable housing
  • UWM Dining & Retail Services offers a range of meal plans and dining options. 
  • University Housing creates safe, comfortable, and well-maintained living learning environments that inspire growth and development. 
  • UWM Food Center and Pantry partners with Feeding America and Milwaukee Diaper Mission to address food insecurity. 
  • The UWM Emergency Grant helps students who have financial hardship cover expenses related to unforeseen emergencies that significantly impact their ability to be successful during the semester. 
  • The Off Campus Resource Center assists students with securing affordable housing. 
Access to quality and affordable physical and mental health care
  • The Student Health and Wellness Center provides medical, counseling, health promotion and advocacy services to students. 
  • The Employee Assistance Program provides confidential resources to address personal and work-related concerns, assist with legal and financial situations, or help with work-life balance. 
  • Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Mental Health 
Access to leisure, recreation, arts and culture
  • University Recreation provides a wide array of fitness and recreation opportunities and programs. 
  • The Student Union offers entertainment, recreation and speakers, and houses the Union Art Gallery. 
  • Performances can be enjoyed by all community members at the Peck School of the Arts. 
  • Students get in free to all UWM athletic events. 
  • The Centers for Advocacy and Student Engagement offer social, educational and cultural programs for students. 
Safe access to natural ‘green’ spaces, clean air and water, and buildings and other infrastructure
  • Office of Sustainability 
  • Downer Woods walking trail 
  • Campus facilities are ADA-compliant 
  • Meditation Spaces across campus 
Opportunities for financial security and economic advancement
  • Office of Student Financial Aid 
  • Retirement savings and benefits packages for UWM employees 
  • Scholarships and Emergency Grants 
Opportunities to expand one’s knowledge and skills and pursue intellectual interests
  • UWM offers 198 majors across baccalaureate and graduate degrees 
  • Human Resources offers free professional development workshops 
  • School of Continuing Education professional certificate programs and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute  
  • University Recreation provides a wide array of fitness and recreation opportunities and programs. 
Opportunities for employment, career exploration, and a healthy work-life balance
  • Center for Student Experience and Talent helps students find on and off-campus employment, internships and engage with the community. 
Opportunities to build satisfying relationships and connect to communities
  • Student Involvement has over 300 student organizations, fraternities and sororities, sociocultural programs. 
  • The Centers for Advocacy and Student Engagement offer social, educational and cultural programs for students. 
  • University Housing offers events and social activities for residential students. 
  • The Student Health and Wellness Center provides educational programming on healthy relationships and hosts a weekly social for students in recovery from alcohol/drug use. 
  • University Recreation provides Intramural, Sports Clubs and Outdoor Pursuits programs. 
Policies, practices and programs that foster an inclusive climate where one can embrace their own and others’ cultural backgrounds
  • The Division of Student Affairs prioritizes fostering and sustaining an inclusive campus community, embracing new people and diverse perspectives, and authentic expression of the self, as evidenced in its operational, employee and student goal statements. 
Opportunities for discerning one’s purpose and direction
  • Center for Student Experience and Talent’s Career Communities helps students explore areas of interest and career paths.  
  • Student Involvement provides spiritual and religious resources for students.  
Opportunities to contribute to a greater good (service/volunteer/civic engagement)
  • Center for Student Experience & Talent provides students opportunities for volunteering, service-learning and service trips. 
  • Athletics provides service opportunities for all student-athletes. 
  • Student organizations provide service and giving opportunities for their members. 
Protection of human rights such as freedom of speech, civic participation and access
  • UWM is a polling place where students, employees and community members can vote 
  • UWM’s Free Speech, Rights and Responsibilities website includes the basics on free speech, students’ rights, support resources and FAQs around the First Amendment and more. 
  • The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Accessibility assists the university in continuing to develop a campus that is universally accessible while also overseeing ongoing compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and amendments. A central resource for information about accessibility is at uwm.edu/accessibility/ 
  • The Division of Community Empowerment and Institutional Inclusivity coordinates efforts that contribute to a healthy campus culture for all students, employees and visitors. 
  • Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for LGBTQ+ Advocacy 
Policies and expectations that denounce violence, racism, discrimination and marginalization
  • The Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights is dedicated to preventing discrimination and guiding institutional compliance with applicable federal and state laws.  
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month raises awareness, demonstrates support of survivors, and engages people in prevention efforts 
  • The First Generation+ Resource Center coordinates support and information for undocumented students 
  • Anti-discrimination policy inclusive of gender identity (not mandated by state law) 
  • Student and Employee Conduct Policies 

The Process and Feedback

Students outside on a college campus

UWM’s definition of well-being was shaped over many months by members of the UWM Campus Cares group and adopted in September 2024. The process of defining well-being at UWM was informed by existing definitions by other organizations* and feedback from 40+ students and dozens of UWM employees. UWM’s definition will be reviewed every 3 years by Campus Cares members. We invite you to give your feedback on the definition by completing this form. 

*Sources

UWM’s well-being definition was informed in part by the following sources: