You can expect that completing the application will require active engagement of and conversations with partners across your institution to make several foundational decisions this summer about who will be involved in co-leading the work, priority setting, and committing to use the Wellbeing Improvement Survey for Higher Education Settings (WISHES). If your institution is considering applying, we strongly encourage you to start the process as early as possible. The Collaborative Facilitators are here to help. If you have questions or get stuck, we encourage you to be in touch (thecollaborativeforwellbeing@nyu.edu).
The application process serves three primary purposes:
- Help the Collaborative Facilitators to learn more about your institution, including the challenges, strengths, and important contextual factors that influence your approach to supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing (there is no right or wrong here).
- Ensure alignment between what your institution expects from participation and the Collaborative’s intended goals, activities, and requirements.
- Build a critical foundation for successful participation in the Collaborative.
Costs and Funding
Thanks to generous support from the Trellis Foundation, there is no cost for institutions to participate. The funding covers all Collaborative activities and support for the Collaborative period of September 2024 – June 2026.
Institutions may receive up to $5,000 for their active participation in and contributions to THE Collaborative for Wellbeing community activities, submission of their brief monthly reflections, and good faith progress on the Collaborative Pathways milestones. Additionally, funding for hotel and transportation will be available for up to 5 team members to attend the in-person Learning Sessions.
Institutions can anticipate the following costs associated with participation:
- Institutions are expected to protect time for staff to fully participate in Collaborative activities and weekly team meetings.
- Institutions will receive funding support to send 5 team members to the in-person learning sessions; however, institutions that send more than 5 team members will be charged a registration fee and will be responsible for covering travel expenses for each additional participant.
- THE Collaborative is not prescriptive about what changes (e.g., policy, programs, services, infrastructure) institutions should make to improve student wellbeing and mental health. There may be costs to institutions associated with implementing the changes that they decide to advance.
Steps to Enroll
Enrollment includes the following components:
- Sign and return the Terms of Use for the Wellbeing Improvement Survey for Higher Education Settings (WISHES). Note: your institution will receive the questions after the Terms of Use is signed.
- Select a population of focus. Please review the Guidance on Selecting a Population of Focus.
- Form your multidisciplinary Core Team and designate Core Function Leads. Please review the Guidance on Building Your Core Team.
- Submit the application. You will be prompted to answer questions about your institution’s current approach to wellbeing and mental health, strengths, challenges, and readiness to participate.
Note: a completed application is NOT a binding agreement to participate or a guarantee of acceptance into the Collaborative
You may preview the application questions and make a copy of the template to facilitate a collaborative process of completing the application.
Once your institution is ready to submit the application, you will need to complete the form in one sitting. You will not be able to save your responses and come back at another time to finish. As such, we recommend that you gather any necessary input and write your responses in a text application such as Google Docs or MS Word before filling out the online application. You can copy and paste your responses from a text application into the online form.
