Physical and Emotional Health and Wellness

Integrating Health and Wellness

At Oberlin, hundreds of students participate in club or intramural sports, and more than one in 10 is a varsity athlete. Nearly all students and most faculty and staff use our athletics and recreation facilities — to lift weights, run on treadmills, swim, do yoga, or engage in some other physical activity out of sheer enjoyment, a desire to stay fit, or both.

Mental and emotional health is as important as physical health, though addressing it is an increasing challenge on college campuses. Students transitioning to college can experience anxiety and sometimes depression, and this phenomenon is becoming more common across institutions of higher learning. Meeting the challenges presented by mental and emotional health is one of our greatest obligations in order to ensure the academic success and personal growth of our students.

Key Points

• Recent success in recruiting student athletes and increased interest in intramural and fitness activities has put a strain on Oberlin’s facilities, causing the institution to fall behind its peers. Existing buildings and fields don’t adequately meet demand. The Jesse Philips Physical Education Center, built in 1971 as a men’s gym, has changed too little in the 40-plus years since. Spaces are cramped and ill-designed to meet the needs of today’s campus community.
• Existing administrative structures and support programs address a wide range of students’ mental and emotional health needs. But staffing and budget constraints limit our ability to be a national leader in these areas. There are opportunities to reach out more, to become more creative and more proactive, and to increase our emphasis on early identification and prevention.