Elevating our Impact: Introducing the Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC)
ACHA is proud to announce its role as a Tier 1 founding member of the Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC), reaffirming our commitment to advancing systemic well-being across higher education.
The Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC) represents the next phase in a growing and unified movement to elevate well-being across higher education. This Collaborative builds upon the foundational work of the Health and Well-being in Higher Education: A Commitment to Student Success, first launched in 2018 and expanded to 15 signatory associations by 2020.
That Commitment affirmed:
“By focusing on the whole—the whole person, the whole educational experience, the whole institution, the whole community—well-being becomes a multifaceted goal and a shared responsibility for the entire campus.”
Much has changed across higher education since that original inter-association Commitment was authored; however, its vision endures.
From Commitment to Collaborative
Building off learnings from the original Commitment, over 20 organizations from across higher education have come together to formalize the next iteration of our shared work: the Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC).
In joining the Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC), associations, each of which has paid professional staff and serves dues-paying members, are committing to making well-being a priority within their association and to helping empower their members to do the same for their campus communities.
We believe it is time to transcend reactive, siloed, programmatic approaches to well-being and establish systemic, proactive, promising initiatives for campus communities. While students must receive appropriate and reactive care when needed, there are large-scale health benefits to systemic approaches that allow campus communities to flourish and thrive.
A Tiered Approach for Impact
Recognizing that associations bring diverse experiences and resources to this work, the IWC operates with a tiered structure that allows for inclusive participation while encouraging deeper collaboration over time:
Tier 1: Core Team leads strategic development and activation, committing significant staff and financial resources.
Tier 2: Activators co-create strategies, contribute financially, and integrate member feedback into IWC’s direction.
Tier 3: Partners amplify IWC efforts and engage in communication and foundational commitments.
Additionally, a Supporter tier is available for non-association nonprofit organizations wishing to engage and promote the work.
Each tier builds upon the one below it—ensuring alignment and opportunities for growth—and the tiers will be revisited annually to support evolving participation.
Calls to Action
Literacy
Foster a shared understanding of well-being that encompasses individuals and the systems they navigate, demonstrating how well-being is integral to every role in campus life.
Research
Support shared data collection, benchmarking, and continuous learning across institutions to strengthen the field and inform action.
Advocacy
Amplify promising practices across sectors and use these to advocate for well-being within and outside the higher education ecosystem.
Shared Commitment
Participating associations commit to:
- Model collaboration that breaks down traditional silos in higher education;
- Engage and invite new associations into the conversation;
- Provide feedback and involvement reflective of their membership;
- Disseminate updates and insights to empower their members and promote shared progress.
The IWC is excited to continue our shared journey—moving from a broad call to commitment toward a structured system of action and influence – whether your association is just beginning or is deeply immersed in this work.
Let us move, together, from promise to progress—and from silos to systems—toward a future where all members of campus communities can thrive.
We Need You
The IWC is actively collecting stories and examples of well-being work being done in higher education – examples can be work you’re doing or work you know others are doing. These examples will help the IWC in our future work.
We are particularly interested in learning about campuses that are using a systems-level approach (e.g. policies, procedures, collaborative relationships) to create an environment that improves and supports the well-being of the campus community broadly.
Tier 1
ACHA – American College Health Association
NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
NIRSA- Leaders in Collegiate Recreation
Tier 2
AACRO – American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
ACPA – College Student Education International
ACUHO-I – Association of College and University Housing Officers – International
ACUI – Association of College Unions International
ASCA – American School Counselor Association
BHAC – Building Healthy Academic Communities
CUPA-HR – College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
NACE – National Association of Colleges and Employers
NASFAA – National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
SCUP – Society for College and University Planning
URMIA – University Risk Management and Insurance Association
Tier 3
AASHE – Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
AHEAD – Association on Higher Education and Disability
CAS – Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education
NACAS – National Association of College Auxiliary Services
NACCU – National Association of Campus Card Users
NODA – Association for Orientation, Transition, Retention in Higher Education
Supporters
US Health Promoting Campuses Network
Post Type
News & Announcements
