By Kelly Cox and Robert Tirso, Ph.D.
Enhancing Student Life with WISHES: The Importance of Data-Driven Wellbeing Strategies
In today’s fast-paced and challenging academic environment, the Wellbeing Improvement Survey for Higher Education Settings (WISHES) has played a pivotal role in understanding and enhancing student wellbeing at Texas A&M University. For us, WISHES is not just implementing a survey; it’s implementing a comprehensive approach that collects, analyzes, and leverages data to create actionable insights, fostering a supportive and thriving community within higher education institutions.
The Importance of WISHES
WISHES has provided an essential platform for our students to share (and reflect on) their experiences related to their wellbeing. Unlike most other instruments, we administer WISHES multiple times throughout the year. This frequent data collection is crucial for us to create an environment where students can thrive. By understanding the specific needs and challenges students face, we can tailor our resources and programs to support student wellbeing better. This proactive approach not only helps mitigate issues before they escalate but also enhances the overall student experience, promoting a more engaged and productive campus community.
Community and Approach
The WISHES framework has helped us galvanize community engagement and collaboration in two ways. First, by involving students, faculty, staff, and administration on our campus in the process, we have been able to foster a sense of collective responsibility and ownership for wellbeing across Texas A&M, rather than a single department’s responsibility. This collaborative approach ensures that the insights gained are reflective of our diverse student body and that the subsequent actions taken are well-rounded, innovative, and inclusive. Second, by doing this work with other institutions, we have grown in our learning and gained valuable insights for ideas to implement on our campus as we learn what has (and has not) worked well at other institutions.
Actionable Insights and Institutional Benefits
The data derived from WISHES has provided actionable insights that have been instrumental in driving positive changes that have led to tangible improvements in student support and wellbeing. Different programs, departments, and areas leveraged WISHES data to identify the needs of their specific students and made changes to enhance student support, engagement, and improve the living and learning environment. Some of these data-driven initiatives have included:
- Implemented changes to Fish Camp, our extended orientation program, ensuring that new students are supported from the start of their university journey. We enhanced programming by adding a new wellbeing session to the curriculum. Additionally, we were able to increase scholarships to make participation in Fish Camp more accessible by presenting data on the positive impact extended orientation has on student wellbeing and success to sponsors and donors.
- Improved training by enhancing education and training programs within the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to address critical issues such as hazing and alcohol consumption, promoting a safer and more supportive environment for all members.
- Created a robust dashboard to easily share summary data with various audiences such as:
- Deans and academic advisors for all academic colleges to focus on the wellbeing of their students
- Hullabaloo U (first-year seminar) instructors to incorporate wellbeing within their course curriculum
- Residence hall staff to better meet programmatic needs for students living on-campus
- Academic Peer Mentors to provide better academic services
- Student leaders to share resources and how to support their peers
- Developed cross-departmental collaborations by crossing WISHES data with Residence Life and Rec Center card swipe data to identify trends for students living on campus and how both departments can collaborate to improve student wellbeing and success.
In conclusion, for Texas A&M, WISHES is more than a survey; it’s a dynamic tool that empowers our institution to make informed decisions that directly enhance student wellbeing. By prioritizing student voices, timely data collection and decision-making, and fostering a collaborative community, WISHES ensures that our campus environment is supportive, inclusive, and conducive to both personal and academic success.