CAMPUS PROGRAMMING

Well-being is an ongoing and dynamic process, not a one-time event or achievement. Villanova encourages and supports all members of our community to take part in campus programming and opportunities to focus on the six dimensions of well-being in order to build individual and community well-being.

Following a harm reduction approach, BASICS is designed to assist students in examining their own drinking behavior in a judgment-free environment. BASICS is not an abstinence-only program and is completely voluntary and confidential. This coaching appointment promotes responsible drinking, offers tips on making healthier choices, and provides important information and skills for risk reduction.

Centering Prayer is space for quiet, meditative prayer that cultivates a place of rest and attentive presence in the midst of our busy and distracted lives. We gather in a small group and sit quietly together. We invite you to join in person in Corr Chapel or virtually from 1-1:30 p.m. each Wednesday when classes are in session. All are welcome. 

Fella-ship is a space for Villanova's men to come together and have conversations about what it means to be a good man in today's world. This will be an opportunity for young men to examine their everyday lives, ask one another the tough questions we do not normally ask, and reflect on how they choose to live as men.

Get Real: Faith Sharing Communities are open, inviting spaces for students to come together near their residence halls to connect on a deeper level. Students meet in a small group setting to talk about the everyday challenges of student life, including relationships, decision making, faith and spirituality. These groups provide a trusted space for honest conversation.

Each September, Villanova faculty and staff visit new students in their residence halls or virtually to support positive developments, identify concerns and reinforce the sense of Villanova as a caring and welcoming community. 

The University Counseling Center (UCC) is available to help students with personal and emotional concerns. Throughout the academic year, UCC offers both individual counseling and group student discussion groups on a variety of topics, including bereavement, adjusting to college, senior-year concerns, anxiety, and much more.

Listening circles are opportunities for students to listen, understand and act. During a listening circle, students can expect to have one or more facilitators who ask and respond to the same set of questions prepared around a particular topic or issue. Listening circles are not conversations or debates–they are meant to give a platform to people to share their own experiences, without interruption, response or challenge.

We invite the Villanova community to join us for a taste of mindfulness meditation on Mondays. Mindfulness Mondays will offer a comfortable space where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the "here and now." Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well-being, which can be beneficial to all faculty, staff and students. In-person and virtual options will be offered this fall. 

This fall, Campus Ministry will host monthly opportunities to learn about and practice various contemplative experiences.  Each session will feature a practitioner sharing brief introduction and instruction, a time of practice and a question-and-answer period, followed by refreshments. Sessions include Mindfulness; Poetry and Nasheed in the Islamic Tradition; Centering Prayer; and a Multifaith Celebration of Light. 

The Office of Health Promotion’s registered dietitian provides personalized evidence-based nutrition education where students can meet to discuss a variety of nutrition-related issues such as sports nutrition, food allergies, weight management, and eating in the dining halls. Nutrition coaching consists of one initial session and up to three follow-up sessions. Each session is tailored to the student’s specific needs and will address strategies to make behavior changes in order to live a more balanced, well-nourished life.

Oasis is a confidential, small group opportunity where a safe zone is established to engage in an open dialogue about the issues relevant to queer or questioning individuals. Participants share their experiences and connect with one another during the biweekly meetings. Oasis is open to students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community and wish to connect with others through the topics of sexual orientation and gender identity. These meetings offer relief from feelings of isolation and an opportunity to find true friendship and the authentic Augustinian community that results from a common dedication to the truth and a shared vision of the dignity of the human person.

Villanova offers QPR Training—Question, Persuade, Refer, a suicide prevention tool that anyone can learn and use. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught gatekeeper training in the world and the University has many trainers available to provide 60 to 90-minute training for students.

Students often struggle with balancing their time, stress and sleep, and sleep is the first thing students will sacrifice in favor of social events or academic responsibilities. Sleep management coaching consists of up to three, 30-minute feedback sessions with a graduated series of steps to making small, but impactful, changes to sleep routine and environment.

Stress is the #1 reported reason for negative academic consequences among Villanova students. Students are often unfamiliar with the various resources and services available on campus to prevent and cope with stress. Stress management coaching consists of up to three, 30-minute feedback sessions based on The Stress Profiler and a graduated series of steps to evaluating and improving stress management strategies.

The Office of Health Promotion uses the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program. Because no single cessation technique is effective for all tobacco users, the program includes a comprehensive variety of evidence-based cessation techniques. The Freedom From Smoking program consists of eight sessions, and each session uses techniques based on pharmacological and psychological principles and methods designed to help smokers gain control over their behavior.