The University of New Mexico (UNM) has announced the establishment of the Garnett Stokes Health and Wellbeing Endowed Fund and the Student Affairs Health and Wellbeing Fund. These funds, earmarked for student well-being and wellness initiatives, were generously provided through a private gift from UNM President Garnett Stokes and her husband.
According to a press release by UNM, these funds will be utilized by the vice president for student affairs, dean of students office, and student health and counseling health promotions to foster increased collaboration and offer wellness programming and resources. The primary aim is to enhance wellness outreach to students, promoting campus-wide engagement.
Dr. Eric Scott, vice president for student affairs at UNM, emphasized the importance of such initiatives: "Investing in programming that makes student wellness-related resources more visible and forefronts wellbeing as an intentional part of the campus culture has the potential to pay dividends in student retention, graduation, and satisfaction while decreasing the acuity of more broad mental health and wellness concerns."
Dr. Stephanie McIver, executive director for Student Health and Counseling at UNM expressed gratitude for this support: "We are grateful and tremendously excited about this gift and ready to extend wellness beyond the walls of SHAC," she said. McIver further added that this new funding will help bring their vision for a comprehensive wellness presence across campus into reality. "And we are looking forward to this ongoing collaboration with the associate dean of Student Wellness. This is a partnership focused on improving the wellbeing and quality of life for UNM students, and this funding will certainly help us achieve that goal."
According to information available on its webpage provided by UNM, the division of student affairs at UNM is primarily responsible for providing diverse support services such as healthcare, housing, academic support, career services among others. Their mission includes establishing inclusive partnerships and programs that foster leadership while enriching academic and career goals in order to enhance the overall quality of life for students and alumni.
