Dalhousie’s new Be Well Bag of Ideas is bringing a fresh, practical approach to campus well-being — inspired by something many of us know well: the ease of adding items to an online shopping cart like you do with Amazon and other retailers.
Launched during this year’s Dal Engagement Days, the Bag of Ideas is a curated collection of wellness actions gathered through extensive consultations, surveys, and open submissions from Faculties, units, and departments across the university.
Designed as a living resource, it is reviewed and updated regularly by the Be Well Campus Well being Steering Committee and serves as a practical tool for faculty, staff, and student groups looking to champion positive change in their areas. Be Well, introduced in 2022, is Dalhousie’s campus-wide initiative focusing on improving the well-being of faculty, staff, and students.
“We’re so excited to finally launch the Bag of Ideas to the campus and hear how it works for faculty, staff, and students,” says Raghav Sampangi, member of the Steering Committee, developer of the site, and University Teaching Fellow in the Faculty of Computer Science.
We designed it to be easy to use for everyone in the community and share with others.
“There are so many great ideas captured in one place,” he added. “We designed it to be easy to use for everyone in the community and share with others, and we’re hoping to see wellness actions happening all around campus. Our goal was to create something like the ‘Amazon’ of well-being ideas, something that would allow people in our community to search for and find ideas to improve the sense of well-being in aspects related to their daily work.”
Informed by the campus community
The Bag of Ideas site features more than 100 wellness ideas across nine categories — from mental and physical health to financial well-being and campus community initiatives. Users can browse the full collection, add items to their “bag,” and download a customized PDF to share with their team or keep for personal use.
While some ideas are geared toward leaders — such as promoting flexible work options or strengthening employee recognition — many are designed for individuals and groups to explore and action within their communities.
“We are so proud of the work that has been done to date to help address well-being on campus, and to see the Bag of Ideas come to life — capturing years of feedback and consultation — has been a pivotal moment for us,” says Dr. David Pilon, director at Student Health and Wellness and Be Well co-lead. “The well-being Bag of Ideas will be a great resource for Dalhousie in the coming years.”
Fresh perspectives
The university’s commitment to well-being is reflected in its Strategic Framework, its adoption of the Okanagan Charter as a health-promoting university, and in the work underway now to develop a new workplace wellness strategy.
The Be Well initiative strengthens alignment between Student Affairs and People and Culture, supporting a coordinated, campus-wide approach to well-being for students, faculty, and staff.
Our hope is that the Bag of Ideas gets people thinking differently about wellness and taking some simple actions.
“We recognize that well-being is an integral part of the campus experience, regardless of who you are and what your role is at Dalhousie,” says Jen Davis, manager of wellness and accessibility, a unit within People and Culture. “It is at the core of what gives us potential to be our best and to do our best. And our hope is that the Bag of Ideas gets people thinking differently about wellness and taking some simple actions.”
If you have an idea to be considered for the Bag of Ideas, please email BeWell@dal.ca or connect with a member of the Be Well Steering Committee.