Are you interested in starting a new student organization focused on Health and Wellness topics?

Follow the steps below to begin the process for becoming a WRC-affiliated organization. You'll get approved to work with us first, then you'll complete CCSGA's new student organization recognition process.

1. Read the WRC Student Organization Policies and Protocols
2. Schedule a meeting with a member of the WRC staff to discuss your your student group ideas and any questions you have. Come to this initial meeting with the completed CCSGA Advisor Expectations Worksheet (Advisor Agreement) to guide our discussion and determine whether our office and our staff have the capacity to serve as your organizations' advisor, or if you need to seek an additional staff advisor outside of this office.
3. Revise your student organization idea based on feedback from the WRC staff.
4. Submit a completed Advisor Agreement which establishes the training and consultation required for your group, as well as any protocols that must be followed (such as in circumstances where a student might be at risk for suicide).
5. Work with your advisor to develop your student group constitution.
6. Complete CCSGA documentation to become a recognized student organization. See the CCSGA website for details.

Policies and Protocols

This content is also linked above in PDF format as WRC Student Organization Policies and Protocols.

The Wellness Resource Center is the umbrella advising office for any CCSGA Student Organization identified as doing work in Health & Wellness (see CCSGA's Student Organization Handbook). These student groups work hand-in-hand with the Wellness Resource Center to promote individual wellness which is embedded within an inclusive, healthy community. WRC-affiliated groups currently include:

• Student Trauma-Informed Advocacy Resource Team (START)
• Student Organization for Sexual Safety (SOSS)
• IfYoureReadingThis
• NAMI on CAMPUS
• Morgan's Message

See the WRC's student organization overview page for more specific information on each of these groups.

We have internal management policies and protocols in order to best support the student groups within our umbrella.

For groups that provide support and/or advocacy for students, our primary focus is ensuring that student facilitators are equipped with the appropriate training and ongoing support to facilitate conversations and support relating to topics like mental illness and suicide, substance abuse, and sexual and relationship violence. The well-being and safety of both the facilitators and those that the student organizations are striving to support are of the utmost importance. Student leaders agree to:

• annually complete the CCSGA Advisor Expectations Worksheet
• annually work with your advisor to establish Leader Goals & Objectives
• participate in training appropriate to the topics and mission of the group (i.e., trauma-informed care, basic mental health first aid or peer counseling skills, facilitating difficult conversations, suicide prevention); these basic trainings will be determined for each group in collaboration between the student groups and the WRC.
• meet regularly with their advisor to debrief meetings/sessions; a schedule of meetings will be established with leaders each year.
• abide by protocols established with their advisor for identifying and responding to students who may be at risk for suicide or homicide, or who may be at risk in other ways that present a danger to themselves or others.
• We also strongly encourage student leaders to participate in additional training opportunities to build their understanding of the content areas that their groups focus on, as well as of prevention education programming, etc. (these trainings are offered by the WRC, as well as by other campus offices like The Butler Center).

For groups that are conducting prevention education for the campus community, our primary focus is ensuring that student leaders are conducting educational programming that meets the evidence-based best practice standards for prevention education, and that all prevention programming on campus is coordinated. We strongly encourage student leaders to participate in training opportunities to build their understanding of the content areas that their groups focus on, as well as of prevention education programming, facilitating difficult conversations, etc. (these trainings are offered by the WRC, as well as by other campus offices like The Butler Center). Additionally, student leaders agree to:

• annually complete the CCSGA Advisor Expectations Worksheet
• annually work with your advisor to establish Leader Goals & Objectives
• plan programs in consultation (and preferably in collaboration) with the WRC.

Regardless of whether student group missions are support or education-focused, we ask that when planning events, all WRC umbrella groups fill out an Event Proposal Form one block prior to the proposed event date. This helps us ensure that we are not supporting programming that is in direct conflict with other health/wellness-related programming, and allows staff time to plan their schedules to support student programming.