Baylor Human Resources Launches Baylor Wellbeing Initiative

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WACO, Texas (June 1, 2017) – Baylor University’s Office of Human Resources, in partnership with a committee of faculty and staff, has launched the Baylor Wellbeing Initiative, a new employee-centered program aimed at educating and empowering Baylor faculty, staff and their families to prioritize, evaluate and improve personal wellbeing across five dimensions: physical, financial, spiritual, emotional/social and professional.

“A holistic approach to the health of Baylor’s employees is essential and sets this initiative apart from the employee wellness programming you see at other organizations,” said Randall Brown, manager of benefits and vendor management in the Office of Human Resources and co-chair of the Baylor Wellbeing Committee.

“Our emphasis on spiritual and professional wellbeing, in particular, alongside the other three dimensions is unique to Baylor,” Brown said. “These five critical dimensions of wellbeing are essential for our faculty, staff and families to truly thrive. Poor physical health can affect our financial peace or professional pursuits. Financial strain can affect our relationships, our spiritual health and in turn our physical health, and so forth. This new initiative creates a sustainable culture of wellbeing for our faculty and staff and their families.”

Developed through feedback from faculty and staff focus groups and surveys, the Baylor Wellbeing Initiative reflects an investment in meeting the diverse needs of faculty and staff. While some of the programming has been available for some time – like “GroupX” fitness classes at the Student Life Center or “Crucial Conversations” courses that equip people for more effective interpersonal communication – new and existing programming will be more visible and readily accessible on the initiative’s new website at www.baylor.edu/wellbeing.

“The Baylor Wellbeing Initiative will provide faculty, staff and their families with a ‘one-stop shop’ for access to programs, services and resources to help improve their work-life balance,” said Van Smith-Davis, assistant director of Baylor’s department of wellness, who also co-chairs the Wellbeing Committee.

The new initiative also seeks to ensure that faculty and staff are getting the most out of Baylor’s generous employee benefits package, which, as of April 1, 2017, includes up to four full weeks of paid parental leave for all employees as well as an adoption assistance benefit placing Baylor among the top adoption-friendly universities nationwide.

Baylor’s exceptional employee benefits are part of why the University has earned elite Honor Roll status as a “Great College to Work For” for six consecutive years, according to the annual survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Baylor Wellbeing initiative helps showcase these benefits and explain how faculty and staff may utilize them.

Some of the more popular benefits that support physical and emotional/social wellbeing include the Naturally Slim weight-loss program and Catapult Health check-ups, which are free to faculty, staff and dependent children over the age of 18 covered under the medical insurance plan. Seminars and webinars offered through the employee assistance program and through retirement plan vendors help address financial insecurity and promote retirement preparedness, which supports financial wellbeing.

A calendar of Baylor Wellbeing events, promotions, activities and training sessions taking place year-round will be updated frequently at www.baylor.edu/wellbeing. To learn more about the Baylor Wellbeing Initiative, email wellbeing@baylor.edu.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.