Rebecca Bean, Student Program Advisor at The WELL. Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — The WELL, Santa Barbara City College’s Student Health and Wellness Services Center, was honored by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors with an Exemplary Program Award for 2020-21, presented via a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The WELL offers holistic health and wellness workshops, skills building, group counseling and related services, and has had an interactive virtual presence since January 2019. That experience proved critical during a time that required transitioning to remote learning entirely in order to ensure students had equitable access to health and wellness education.
In their official announcement, the Board of Governors applauded The WELL for “seamlessly transitioning its in-person program to a virtual platform, resulting in approximately 6,000 students finding resources and services on its website from January to October of 2020.”
Sponsored by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Exemplary Program Award was established by the Board of Governors in 1991 to recognize outstanding community college programs. The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges selects a theme for each year. The theme for 2020-21 was “Equitable Practices in a Virtual Educational Environment,” appropriate considering how the global pandemic that emerged in early 2020 disrupted everyday life and caused higher education institutions to adapt quickly to the changing landscape.
SBCC Superintendent/President Utpal K. Goswami, Ph.D., commented, “At a time where connection and wellness are as important as ever, we are incredibly proud that The WELL has been recognized for its innovative programs and continued service and support of students.”
Student Program Advisor at The WELL Rebecca Bean, who accepted the honor, said “We are grateful to be a progressive wellness program that has become a beacon of support, healing and innovation for the diverse SBCC community. A huge thank-you goes out to the dynamic Student Health and Wellness Services team, SBCC departments and programs, and the external community partners that have worked passionately to empower SBCC students to become proactive around their health, create a wellness community and reduce stigma around mental health differences. The WELL’s goal moving forward is to be able to share its innovative health and wellness program model and online platform with interested California community colleges and for them to adapt the curriculum and resources to meet their specific student populations and programming needs.”