The UWM Norris Health Center announced a new online platform, YOU@UWM, that connects students to resources for their academics and their overall well-being while they are away from campus due to COVID-19 in an email on April 3.
The UWM Norris Health Center originally planned to have the portal functional by summer orientation programs, with a launch during Fall Welcome 2020, but a team worked to push the launch up to meet the current needs of the students, according to Norris Health Center Emotional Health Promotion Coordinator Lori Bokowy.
On the portal, students are able to create a confidential account using their UWM 1Login credentials. The account gives UWM students a “space to check in with [themselves], set goals, and explore personalized resources created specifically for the students,” an email from Norris Health Center said.
Once students have created a profile, they are able to complete a confidential profile and take the “Reality Check” assessments that measures their well-being in three areas, according to the Norris Health Center website. The areas consist of:
- SUCCEED, dealing with academic- and career- related resources.
- THRIVE, evaluating strengths and room for growth in relation to physical and mental health.
- MATTER, related to students’ purpose, community and social well-being.
YOU@UWM also allows students to set goals in categories such as “Fitness & Nutrition,” “De-Stress,” “Career Path,” “Finances” and “Purpose & Meaning.” Within the categories, students can choose from ready-made goals or create their own, reflect on the importance of the goal, create steps to achieve the goal and track their progress.
“Whether it is being new to online learning, getting a better understanding of current public health guidance, or figuring out how to cope with feelings of uncertainty, isolation, and worry related to this pandemic, we hope YOU@UWM can be a useful resource at this time,” Bokowy said.
The portal is available now to students at UWM with access 24/7 to its resources. Resource content will continue to be added to the portal over the next few weeks and will become more customized so that students at each of the UWM campuses will have resources relevant to their needs.