What is the Student Wellness Advisory Council?
The Student Wellness Advisory Council, brings together undergraduate and graduate students from all five UT universities to strengthen wellness across the entire UT System. The council ensures that wellness work is done with students, not just for them, by elevating authentic student experiences and perspectives.
The council provides UT System leadership with insight into student experiences, helps normalize common challenges and reduces stigma around seeking help. Members also contribute to student-centered communications, social media content and creative outreach that reflect real student perspectives.
What to Expect
- Amplify Student Voices: Members share their experiences and perspectives with UT System leaders to help normalize common challenges and reduce stigma around seeking help. They also shape student centered communications by contributing ideas, social media content and creative outreach that reflect real student perspectives.
- Strengthen Understanding of Campus Wellness Needs: System and campus leaders talk with students to learn what issues feel most urgent and where gaps exist in wellness programs or information. When possible, they share this feedback with campus contacts to help improve support and resources.
- Map Wellness Resources Across Campuses: Members help identify wellness resources across the eight dimensions of wellness and figure out which are easy or hard to find. This information helps improve guides, programs and conversations and highlights resources that can be shared with other campuses.
- Support System-Level Wellness Work: Members work on initiatives that benefit all UT campuses, including projects led by UT Wellness. Ideas that mostly affect one campus are developed with that campus’s wellness staff to make sure they fit with existing programs.
Commitment and Benefits
- Monthly Meetings: Regular participation in discussions and planning sessions, with flexibility around holidays and vacations. The undergraduate and graduate councils will meet together.
- Attend Trainings: Participate in wellness-related trainings as they become available.
- Contribute to Communications Efforts: Students will have the opportunity to contribute to UT Wellness communications, including social media (@UT_Wellness) and the Finds You Well newsletter. Members can create short videos, share photos and suggest content ideas and support wellness campaigns. They may also write columns, event spotlights or wellness tips for the newsletter and collaborate on systemwide wellness projects and initiatives.
- Explore Your Campus and National Wellness Landscape: Council members will attend at least one wellness event per quarter, support systemwide pop-ups, identify gaps in student supports and help curate a collection of student-recommended wellness resources.
How to Apply
Interested students should complete the application form, which takes approximately eight to 10 minutes. Applications will be reviewed to ensure an equitable distribution of representatives across all universities (UT Knoxville, UT Chattanooga, UT Southern, UT Martin, and the UT Health Science Center). Selected students will be notified by our leadership team.