2021 Next Stop GW #3 - Student Well-Being at GW

Hello, GW families! 

Since April 2018, I’ve had the privilege of leading the Health Promotion and Education team in a manner that supports and empowers students to make informed and responsible health and well-being decisions. As your student prepares to settle into their “home away from home,” we want to assist you in learning about the various well-being resources that will aid your student’s success during their time at GW. 

Raise Up GW, highlights our campus services using the 8 dimensions of well-being: Physical, Social, Emotional, Intellectual, Financial, Environmental, Spiritual, and Cultural. This initiative seeks to promote resiliency by educating students about resources, encouraging engagement with campus activities, and by normalizing help seeking behaviors. Whether through our Raise Up GW Well-being Co-curricular Certificate Program or our GW Capital Peers program, your student will have the opportunity to make their personal well-being a top priority. Given the impacts that alcohol misuse has on college students nationwide, our team offers AlcoholEdu, an online alcohol prevention education module, for all first-year and transfer students. Through GW Late Night, we facilitate late-night weekend programming to mitigate high risk drinking behaviors and to provide an alternative to drinking.

Familiarize yourself with the services and programs that are available, so that you can aid your student on their well-being journey. I invite you to join us move-in weekend for our Raise Up GW Community Fair on Sunday, August 22!

Tasks Your Student Should Complete This Month:

• SUBMIT mandatory health forms to the Colonial Health Center patient portal (mychc.gwu.edu) by August 1. See this webpage for instructions on how to upload your COVID-19 vaccination records by the Aug. 1 deadline. Note: only your student can access their mychc portal.
• TAKE placement exams if your student plans to enroll in ECON, MATH, CHEM, or a language course.
• COMPLETE the Student Well-Being, Student Rights & Responsibilities, and Technology sections of the Online Orientation.
  • Your student should continue working on the previous sections if you have not yet completed them.
• REVIEW the Buff & Blue Book's Student Well-Being and GW Technology & Systems sections this month.
• REGISTER for a Co-Curricular program.
  • Note: students in SEAS, WLP, and UHP are not eligible.
• REVIEW the preliminary invoice issued by Student Accounts and emailed around 6/25. Discuss with a parent/family member who hass permission to access and make payments on their behalf. The student is the only one who can grant access.

Return to Campus Update 

This fall, we will be excited to offer a comprehensive on-campus experience for our community. Our residence halls, classrooms, libraries, offices and other spaces will be safe and ready for our community members to occupy at full capacity -- in-person. Within the last two weeks GW lifted the mask requirement for all indoor spaces for those who are fully vaccinated, so make sure your student makes a plan to get vaccinated before joining us in person and on campus this fall! August 1 is the deadline for students to upload their COVID-19 vaccination record to the student's medical portal.

A note about the recent packing list mailed to incoming families from OCM:

You may have noticed that you were sent a recommended packing list in communication regarding our OCM bedding sale that was inconsistent with our policy.  Unless supplied by GW Facilities, microwaves and refrigerators are prohibited items from residence halls, and students should not bring their own.  A full list of the university's prohibited items can be found here.      

Residence Hall Association (RHA) is excited to partner with OCM to assist students in making their residence hall feel more like home.  Check out their sale here! 

Family Orientation Updates

The Fall 2021 Buff & Blue Book for new families is your guide to GW. The Book has relevant and helpful information about academics, student support services, living on campus, campus resources, and more. 

An addedum*: The Office for Student Success partners with departments and offices across campus to ensure successful academic, personal and professional outcomes for all GW students. Learn more about services offered.

*This information is not currently reflected in the Book. An updated version will be posted to our website shortly.

UPDATE: Webinar links for Federal Work Study sessions are not accessible via the Book's Student Employment page. Please see this FWS Program online handout for the updated links. 

In-Person Family Orientation Options: Sunday, August 22

• Panel Discussion: The College Transition: How to Thrive at GW (a panel made up of faculty, staff, and current students) - offered twice - 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Registration required. 1,500 cap per session. Limit of 2 guests per family. More information & links to register will be available in early August.
• Raise Up GW Community Fair: 4 - 6 p.m. (for students & families), location TBA
• Care Package Send Off: 5 p.m.* - we'll provide the box, you provide the non-perishable food items, supplies, and clearly printed (or written) label. Then, we'll deliver it to your student 2-3 weeks into the semester. Details on box size & event location coming soon!

*We will have a self-pack & drop off location for those who cannot make the date & time!