CSU Pueblo Becomes Fourth Colorado Institution to Adopt International Wellness Charter

By MCCR Staff, CSU Pueblo Office of Marketing, Communications & Community Relations

Pueblo, Colorado · August 24

Students gathered in the Occhiato Student Center (OSC) over lunch, visiting campus service tables and learning about the university’s health and well-being resources. By early afternoon, the event shifted to the reason for the gathering: CSU Pueblo’s adoption of the Okanagan Charter.

President Rhonda Epper signed the international charter during an Aug. 24 ceremony. CSU Pueblo is the fourth institution in Colorado to adopt it, following CU Boulder, Colorado College and the University of Denver.

Vice President of Student Affairs Marie Humphrey opened the ceremony and explained how the charter supports the university’s commitment to student success.

“This charter gives us a framework for something we already believe in: that a student’s wellbeing shapes everything, from their grades to their sense of belonging and even whether they will make it to graduation,” Humphrey said. “Signing it means Student Affairs is living its mission, which is deeply rooted in enhancing the continuous development and care for the whole person. We’re building wellbeing and health promotion into how this university operates,”

The international movement behind the charter dates to the 1970s, when health promotion began taking root on university campuses. The charter was developed in 2015 in Okanagan, British Columbia, building on decades of work in the field.

Precious Molina, wellbeing initiatives program coordinator in the Division of Student Affairs, explained that the charter centers on two commitments: embedding health into every aspect of campus culture and promoting health beyond campus through partnerships with local communities and institutions around the world.

“Their major slogan is people, place, planet, because that’s what they believe in,” Molina said. “Together we create harmony to have a better life and wellbeing.”

Nancy Nunez, a sophomore majoring in criminology, said she uses several campus wellness services and believes the charter could help more students discover the resources available to them. She learned about services, such as quiet rooms, acupuncture therapy, and spaces on campus for reflection from other students rather than through university communications.

The charter’s adoption is part of a broader CSU System initiative. Molina said the CSU System Board of Governors asked all three CSU campuses, Pueblo, Fort Collins and Global, to prioritize student mental health. The Okanagan Charter is one of six progress indicators tied to that initiative.

“Today is one of many,” Molina said, noting that additional well-being initiatives are expected to be introduced on campus in the coming years.

Before signing the charter on behalf of CSU Pueblo, Epper thanked Humphrey and Molina for their work leading to the adoption.

“It is my honor to sign this charter on behalf of CSU Pueblo,” Epper said.

After the charter was signed, faculty, staff and students were invited to add their names to a commitment wall inside the OSC. The wall will serve as a visible reminder that creating a healthier campus is a shared responsibility.

“You guys are making history,” Molina told the crowd as attendees moved toward the wall. “Give yourself a round of applause.”