(direct upload) A circular chart divides personal development into seven areas: Intellectual, Career, Physical, Social, Spiritual, Emotional, and Environmental, centered around themes of Belonging, Equity, and Justice.

Wellbeing is the attentive and intentional care of the whole person.

It is the ability to accept what life brings forth, the ups and downs; sometimes solo and sometimes with support. Wellbeing is a steadiness in yourself, your worth, and your ability to persevere. 

Wellbeing matters because it is essential to a full life; one with waves both challenging to ride and beautiful to look at; it’s the appreciation for the ebbs and flows and the knowing that you’ve got this. 

It’s finding beauty and hope even when things seem dim. It is knowing that when life gets tough, it won’t stay that way forever. (It’s a when, not an if.) And when you’re well, the tough feels surmountable, the light feels like it’s shining for you, and the ability to flow through it all is your default. Wellbeing is a sense of belonging to yourself, and to a community. 

Belonging is a core part of the experience at NMU. Belonging goes hand-in-hand with wellbeing. You belong here, just as you are: unapologetically yourself. And it is here that you can fully realize your wellbeing. 

outstretched hand in front of the sunset

Help Lines

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
Call or text 988

Pathways Community Mental Health:
Call 888-728-4929

Marquette County Crisis Line:
Call 888-728-4929

Veteran’s Crisis Line:
Call 800-273-8255 and press 1. Text 838 255. Chat online at veteranscrisisline.net

The New NMU WellBeing Center

Northern Michigan University’s Wellbeing Center is newly constructed and now houses the NMU Health Center and the Counseling and Consultation Services Center under one roof. Dedicated to integrating health and wellness into the culture at Northern, and increasing accessibility to wellbeing for all, the new building is located near The Woods residential area and Northern Lights Dining Facility, includes dedicated parking off of Lincoln Avenue, and opened on June 26, 2023. 

WellBeing Center
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AW

Abigail Kauffman Wyche, PhD, MSW

Assistant Vice President for Campus WellBeing | she/her

awyche@nmu.edu
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EM

Emily Meier

Case Management Services Director | she/her

emeier@nmu.edu
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JG

José Garcia | He/Him

Case Manager

jogarcia@nmu.edu
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JC

Jessica Corkin, MS

Wellbeing Promotions Coordinator | she/her

jcoullar@nmu.edu
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CS

Chelsey Cebulski

Executive Administrative Specialist for People, Culture & Wellbeing | she/her

csundber@nmu.edu
A certificate of adoption for the Okanagan Charter, issued by Northern Michigan University. It includes a transformative vision and a statement emphasizing the commitment to health and well-being.

The Okanagan Charter

Okanagan Charter

Northern Michigan University is committed to embedding wellbeing into the culture at NMU, and to do that to the fullest extent, on April 26, 2023, President Brock Tessman signed the Okanagan Charter. 

The Okanagan Charter is a landmark document that serves as a guide for educational institutions worldwide to prioritize and enhance the health and well-being of their students, faculty, staff, and communities. It was first developed and endorsed at the International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges in 2015, held in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada. 

The Okanagan Charter recognizes that the pursuit of health and well-being is not just the absence of illness but a holistic approach encompassing physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions. It emphasizes the vital connection between individual well-being and the health of the broader community and environment. The charter encourages a collaborative approach, engaging multiple stakeholders within and beyond the academic community to create healthier and more sustainable environments.

Anishinaabe Ancestral Homelands Statement

ᑮᐧᐁᑎᓄᒃ  ᒥᒋᑲᓐ  ᑭᓄᒫᑫ'ᑲᒥᑯᒃ  ᑮᐧᐁᑎᓄᒃ  ᒥᒋᑲᓐ  ᑭᓄᒫᑫ'ᑲᒥᑯᒃ  ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯ  ᐧᓯ  ᔥᑯᑌ  ᐊᑭᒃ᙮  ᑭᒋᓇᒣᐱᓂ  ᓰᐱᒃ  ᐁᔑᓂᑲᑌᒃ ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐧᐃᓂᒃ Marquette᙮ 

Giiwedinong Michigan Kinomaage'gamigong ayaa gete-anishinaabewaking Anishinaabe Swi Shkode Aking Gichi-namebini Ziibing ezhinikaadeg Anishinaabemowining Marquette.

Northern Michigan University is located on the ancestral homelands of the Anishinaabe Three Fires Confederacy.  Gichi-namebini Ziibing is the traditional name of Marquette. Translation and permission to use it courtesy of the Center for Native American Studies at NMU.