The undergraduate student senate held its 13th session on Tuesday, March 3. During this meeting, senators proposed a bill that could potentially expand student wellness resources.
First readings: wellness coaches
During the session, Bill 26-2, dubbed the Wellness Coaches Bill, was introduced. Sens. Paige Beattie and Jed Baso sponsored the bill alongside the Vols2Vols Peer Health Education program. The Vols2Vols Peer Health Education program exists under the Center for Health Education and Wellness and connects Vols with peers who have been trained in aspects of health and wellness education.
Bill 26-2 calls upon CHEW to create a wellness coaching program. If implemented, this program will allow for students to set up individual meetings with peer educators trained in wellness coaching. Sens. Baso and Beattie hope that through the creation of this program, the student body will feel more comfortable addressing wellness issues and concerns in a more personalized way. Additionally, the senators believe that the establishment of this program will help balance student demand across CHEW.
“For me personally, I felt that students needed a one-on-one aspect,” Beattie said. “I think it’s a great resource for students to have so they don’t have to go to a staff member if they don’t feel comfortable doing so.”
Bill 26-2 passed first readings with a vote of 100-0-0. The bill will be reviewed and amended by the Committee of Student Advancement before it proceeds to second readings.
