This fall semester, Fordham University implemented the Academic Wellbeing website, created due to increased stress levels and mental health needs. (Courtesy of Frances Schnepff/The Fordham Ram)

This fall semester, the university implemented the Academic Wellbeing website. The platform serves as a hub of resources and available support for students aiming to ensure academic well-being. This student-driven page was created due to increased stress levels and mental health needs over time. Because these factors can affect academic performance, the Dean’s office began to think, “How can we help students optimize their academic performance?”

According to Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives Rachel Annunziato, the university conducts regular surveys to get information on students’ wellbeing; this summer, when upper-class students received this survey, their responses were taken into account in creating the webpage. Mostly, students expressed difficulty finding the resources Fordham offers.

Roxana Villanueva-Aquino, GSB ’27 said that “some resources, like tutoring, you wouldn’t know about unless you asked, and probably a lot of people are scared to ask.”

Simultaneously, the university implemented TerminalFour — a content management system that “empowers universities and colleges across the world to deliver innovative digital strategies and web solutions.

According to Annunziato, for this reason, a team of students decided to “put the wheels in motion” to make “the most accessible” platform for all well-being necessities.

Kristina Stevanovic, FCRH ’22, and Kyle Blake, FCRH ’22, worked with Annunziato as an intern and research assistant respectively during their time at Fordham and said they began to consider academic wellness “holistically.”

This includes individual techniques to use, places to go for support outside the classroom and Wellness Wednesday tips on social media. “[The Academic Wellbeing website] offers a gamut of strategies that students may find useful for them,” said Annunziato.

Ultimately, the project launched once Fordham switched to TerminalFour. Before the beginning of the 2023 fall semester, Fordham psychology graduate student, Mikela Murphy, and academic counselor, Alexander DiFiore, rendered content creation for the webpage that is relevant to student life this fall semester — for example, an upcoming workshop on “How Not to Study for Midterms.”

Students can expect a scope of information surrounding stress and time management, academic coaching, as well as student tutoring through Knack. Some available resources are the Managing Test Anxiety and Time Management Strategies.

While this webpage is new, it consolidates other resources that were previously available by Campus Ministry, Student Life, Office of Disability Services (ODS), Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) and Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) on their respective websites. These partnerships on the Academic Wellbeing website aim to allow for a more holistic perspective on wellbeing, taking all aspects of student life into account.
This page is meant to “streamline” the information and resources from these departments under one hub. The Academic Wellbeing website can be found at the Student Resources tab, specifically under the Dean’s Office Resources.

Annunziato said she hopes it “helps students connect with what they need by offering the correct information and resources.”

Some of these resources include the CPS weekly drop-in sessions. These are 30-minute workshops on a variety of topics related to wellbeing — for example, “Take Stock Tuesdays,” which offers weekly mindful journaling sessions from 12:00 to 12:30, and guided meditations on “Thoughtful Thursdays” from 12:00 to 12:30.
Annunziato said the website centers on “a culture of wellness.” The goal is to “meet students’ needs and pacify their concerns.”

“Fordham does a lot to make students feel supported, however many do not know where to go when it comes to academic wellbeing,” said Beatriz Costa, GSB ’27.

For this reason, Annunziato said, “This platform is still developing itself and is open to student input.”
The Student Connection & Feedback Form is available for students to submit any questions, concerns or suggestions.