Humanitas
Humanitas logo
The Humanitas Student Well-Being Collective
Humanitas is Latin noun meaning “human nature, civilization, and kindness,” and it expresses the sense of belonging, community, and collaboration that we hope to inspire among Liberal Arts students, staff, and faculty. We know college can be a stressful, anxious time and Humanitas embodies our commitment to meet those challenges and ensure Liberal Arts supports all aspects of the college student experience.
👉🏼 Click here to be added to our email list!
You'll receive weekly updates on our well-being events and activities, as well as information on campus resources.
Spring 2024 Event Schedule
We've got a ton of well-being-supportive offerings planned for you this spring!
Click here for full schedule!
Spring 2024 Poetry on the Pond
This semester's Poetry on the Pond event will be held on Wednesday, March 20 at 6pm at the UT Turtle Pond on the north side of the Tower. The theme will be climate change and the environment in honor of our Common Read book, All We Can Save. For more information about the Common Read project, register for the Canvas course here.
Light refreshments will be served, and we’ll be handing out limited-edition stickers for the occasion. Please continue to RSVP for this free event presented by the Humanitas Student Well-Being Collective and the College of Liberal Arts.
Photo Credit.
Weekly Wellness Lab
Join us for the weekly Wellness Lab, hosted by COLA Student Wellness Coordinator Maggie Wilhite! In Spring 2024 it will be held on Wednesdays from 4-5pm in RLP 1.106 from January 24 through April 24.
Each week we’ll explore a different aspect of well-being as it relates your experience as college students, whether it’s coping with test anxiety, making social connections, or mindfulness and self-compassion. We’ll bring in guest speakers, and we’ll also learn about the many incredible wellness resources on campus. We'll also regularly engage our creativity with crafts and therapeutic art activities! You can drop in for one session or come to all of them – whatever works for your schedule. Snacks will always be provided, and on occasion we may offer cookies, tacos, or COLA swag! Join us and help build a culture of well-being, kindness, and empathy in the College of Liberal Arts.
Questions? Suggestions for topics or activities? Email Maggie at maggie.wilhite@austin.utexas.edu.
Introduction to Humanitas
Check out this Instagram Reel for an overview of the Humanitas Well-Being Collective, and meet our Student Wellness Coordinator Maggie Wilhite. Don't forget to follow us at @liberalartsut!
Click to watch!
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2023-2024 COLA Common Read
The Common Read provides a shared experience of intellectual and community engagement by bringing students in the college community together to read and discuss one text and its themes. This year the selected text is All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Program development is in progress, with plans to distribute books in January 2024. Spring will be full of events, discussions, and other offerings around the subjects explored in this powerful, inspiring collection of works by women writers.
Interested in reading along with us? Want more details? Click below to sign up!
Campus Resources for Student Well-Being
New Resource Alert: TimelyCare
Have you heard about TimelyCare, UT's new resource for 24/7 virtual mental health support? This service is FREE to UT students, and it includes:
• Talk Now: 24/7 on-demand emotional support (unlimited sessions)
• Scheduled counseling: Select the day, time, and provider of your choice (9 visits per year)
• Psychiatry: Evaluation and medication management (CMHC referral required)
• Health coaching: Support for developing healthy behaviors
• Self-care content: Yoga and meditation sessions and group conversations on a variety of health and well-being topics.
Wellness Workshops and Events from CMHC
CMHC has a ton of great offerings to support your mental health, such as Coping Through Art, Trauma Informed Yoga, and Nutrition Workshops, Check out the full list on their website.
Learn more
Mindful UT
Did you know that UT has a Campus Mindfulness Coordinator? Visit the website to learn more and see a weekly calendar of opportunities to mindfulness as you navigate your college experience.
Learn more
Longhorn SHARE Project
SHARE Support Specialists are UT Austin students who have “been there” and are motivated by the desire to connect, reduce stigma, and support peers navigating similar challenges. SHARE peers facilitate private conversations, community circles, and SHARE communities around a variety of topics by co-creating intentional, judgment-free spaces for peers and facilitators alike to share validation, coping strategies, growth, and authentic connection.
Learn more
Thrive at UT App
Thrive at UT is a free app designed to enhance UT student well-being and help students navigate through challenging times. Thrive helps you make small changes in your routine that have powerful long-term impacts. You will find short videos of UT students sharing their own stories and interact with activities designed to help you apply these concepts to your own unique experience.
Learn more
Liberal Arts CARE Counselors
The Counselors in Academic Residence (CARE) Program is here for you! CARE’s primary mission is to provide access to mental health support for students who are struggling emotionally and/or academically. We decrease barriers by assisting students in a location that is familiar and convenient for them. CARE counselors get to know the concerns that are unique to their college’s students.
Learn more
Sanger Learning Center
The Sanger Learning Center remains committed to helping students reach their academic potential, offering tutoring, peer academic coaching, math skills refreshers, workshops, learning specialists, and more.
Learn more
UT Outpost & Career Closet
The UT Outpost food pantry provides nutritious food for students so that they can focus on their education. UT Outpost also helps students identify and combat food insecurity on campus. The UT Outpost career closet offers every Longhorn access to professional clothes for job fairs, internships, and interviews. Students can choose their own outfits from the career closet, including shoes and accessories, that are theirs to keep. In addition to the flagship in SSB, the Outpost has several locations conveniently located around campus.
Learn more
Self-Care in the Moment Assessment
Developed by students, this handout serves as a self-care process guide for challenging moments. It's a great resource!
Learn more
Texas Financial Wellness
Texas Financial Wellness is here to help you improve your financial health and security so you can thrive in school and in life.
Learn moreLiberal Arts Career Services
Well-being is about staying in the moment, but also planning for the future. It's never too soon to start thinking about your career! Liberal Arts Career Services' goal is to help liberal arts student translate their liberal arts education into a world of opportunities. Sign up for their email list and schedule an appointment today!
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Bonus Content from Humanitas
Daily Texan feature: "Wellness Labs provides a safe space for student dialogue about mental health"
Thanks to the Daily Texan for the great article on our Wellness Labs!
Click to read the article!
Mindfulness Apps & Podcasts
If you're interested in learning more about how mindfulness and meditation can improve your well-being as a college student, check out this curated list from Student Wellness Coordinator Maggie Wilhite!
Click to see the list!
Guided Meditation
Please enjoy this guided meditation from the Wellness Lab, specially created to support you in challenging moments.
Click to play the recording!
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Poetry on the Pond Recap Videos
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Therapy Dog Visits from Divine Canines
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The Humanitas Origin Story
In 2021-2022 academic year, Humanitas received a seed grant from Actions that Promote Community Transformation (ACT) through UT's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Click the link below to see our final presentation, which explains the origin of the movement and how we are continuing to expand programming that supports holistic student well-being.
Click here to see the presentation!
More on the Humanitas Collective:
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Humanitas is committed to collaboration with students and values student perspective on campus culture and wellness. Our vision of student well-being and mental health on campus emphasizes a culture of mentorship through student-to-student and faculty/staff-to-student relationships. With this goal in mind, Humanitas is seeking out students who share our commitment to a healthy and inclusive campus for all Longhorns to participate in our student ambassador pilot program. Our current vision for the pilot program would create a cohort of student representatives who would meet bi-monthly to provide a student voice on the Humanitas initiative and help to plan events for promoting student engagement. We are seeking students who are responsible, creative, empathetic, and passionate about fostering a growth-mindset and promoting self-care.
Want to get involved? Email Maggie Wilhite at maggie.wilhite@austin.utexas.edu!
FACULTY ENGAGEMENT
We are working to recruit diverse, passionate, and mindful faculty members to join the Humanitas movement. We recognize that within academia wellness is not always at the forefront of the collective mindset, but we aim to change that through collaborative efforts between faculty, staff, and students.
What does that look like? Here are some possibilities for what faculty partners might bring to the table:
- Presentations on wellness and mindfulness practices within academia
- Mentorship of Humanitas student ambassadors
- Attendance at committee meetings
- Participation in Humantias community events
We recognize that faculty engagement takes many forms, so we are excited to explore other potential partnerships.
Want to get involved? Email Maggie Wilhite at maggie.wilhite@austin.utexas.edu!