Wellness Day information for staff

Please save the date for Wellness Day 2026, a GCSU signature experience, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. This university-wide event is designed for Georgia College & State University students, faculty and staff to take a pause in the semester to focus on wellbeing. We strongly encourage all members of our campus community to participate. Classes have been redirected on this day to allow undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to fully participate in Wellness Day 2026. There will be no loss of instructional time, as the academic calendar has been modified to accommodate this day, as well as GCSU Research Day on April 15, 2026.

While offices should remain open on this day, we encourage staff to work with supervisors to take part in Wellness Day either as a volunteer or participant. Volunteer opportunities can be found here.

Schedule of Events:

Morning (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.): The first half of the day will be dedicated to student assessments, which are required for all students. Students will be assigned to a classroom location and time slot where they will take two of three surveys based on their classification (the Healthy Minds Study, the National Survey of Student Engagement and the USG Core IMPACTS Survey). These assessments provide essential data for program evaluation and evidence-based decision making at GCSU.

Afternoon (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.): Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in a highly interactive wellness event on Front Campus focused on mental health, personal growth and belonging. Using the nationally recognized Fresh Check Day model, each booth has learning objectives and engaging activities that reinforce GCSU’s commitment to holistic wellbeing.

Since this is a new experience for GCSU, some anticipated questions and answers have been provided below:

Q: How does a day without classes affect the academic semester?
A: Classes have not been cancelled for this day and for Research Day on April 15. They have been redirected. As such, no instructional time is lost.

Q: Do faculty have to cancel classes for the day?
A: Classes will be redirected for Wellness Day so students can participate in both morning assessments and afternoon activities. While faculty may offer participation credit, they should not assign work that replaces the content or instruction that would have occurred during the scheduled class time.

Q: What about other campus services and operations that day?
A: All administrative offices and university services will remain open on March 3. Staff are encouraged to take shifts to participate in Wellness Day without disrupting regular operations. Sign up for a volunteer role here or just take part in the afternoon event! A faculty/staff zone will be set up on Atkinson Porch for you to also focus on your wellness.

Q: How will students know where to go for their assessments?
A: All students will receive an email the week of Feb. 23 with their assigned time, location and instructions for accessing their assessments.

Q: How can I encourage students to take their assessments?
A: We are marketing the morning as "required". Students will be expected to report to their assigned classroom. Students who do not check in will be sent an e-mail after March 3 to “make up” their assessments. You can help us by communicating the expectation to participate and the importance we place on collecting and utilizing student feedback to improve their experience. Faculty are encouraged to consider offering extra credit for proof of attendance at Assessment Morning and/or Fresh Check Day.

Q: How can I encourage students to attend the afternoon event, Fresh Check Day?
A: We hope you will highlight the value of attending by reminding students that incorporating wellness practices and learning about resources are productive for their mental health. This day is not being advertised as “a day off.” We hope students will spend at least one hour of their day engaging with us and use the rest of the afternoon to tend to their wellness however they choose. Faculty are encouraged to consider offering extra credit for proof of attendance at Assessment Morning and/or Fresh Check Day.

Q: May I participate too?
A: Absolutely! Employee wellness matters too! GCSU will administer the Healthy Minds Faculty and Staff Study on this day in alignment with the Empower pillar of the strategic plan. All faculty and staff are encouraged to take their survey in the morning while proctoring is underway. We will also have a Faculty/Staff Zone on the Atkinson Porch during Fresh Check Day for you to check in with colleagues and engage in wellness practices yourself.

Q: How can I volunteer to help?
A: Staff volunteers will be needed to help with check-in, distributing lunch and incentives, set-up, break-down and other general event tasks that day. Sign up for a volunteer role here. Everyone can help by promoting the day and encouraging students to attend!

Q: Where can I find more details?
A: Information is available online at https://www.gcsu.edu/wellbeing/gcsu-wellness-day, as well as through the MyGCSU Intranet at https://my.gcsu.edu/wellness-day/overview.

Thank you for supporting Wellness Day 2026 and helping to make it a meaningful, engaging and inclusive experience for all members of the GCSU community.

For additional questions, please contact emily.jarvis@gcsu.edu or cara.smith@gcsu.edu.