President's Blog: From the Heart

By Eric F. Spina

If I were to choose one word to describe the now-under-construction Health and Wellbeing Center, it would be holistic.

The gleaming 34,200-square-foot expansion of the RecPlex will visibly proclaim our Marianist educational philosophy. At UD, we educate the whole person — mind, body, heart and spirit.

We’re designing the new space, which will feature dramatically expanded and resourced health and counseling centers, to inspire students to take a proactive approach to their wellbeing, which is critical for their success at UD. We chose to build onto the RecPlex, the most popular student gathering spot on campus, to send a powerful message to students: We are deeply committed to your wellbeing and success inside and outside the classroom.

That commitment will be reflected as soon as students step inside the center’s welcoming lobby: bright, open and furnished with comfortable seating. The new Student Health Center will measure twice as large as the one in Gosiger Hall. The new Counseling Center will feature more counseling and group therapy rooms. We’re adding more physicians, nurses, therapists and a clinical dietician. The lobby will offer students a peaceful space for quiet reflection or for coming together in community. As part of the project, we’re adding an expansive fitness studio and expanding the free weight space in the RecPlex.

Why all this attention to student wellbeing? We believe it’s one of the most pressing issues facing college campuses nationwide, including UD. According to the national Healthy Minds Survey, rates of depression and anxiety among college students doubled from 2010 to 2021 — from 20% to 44% for depression and 20% to 37% for anxiety. The survey, the most comprehensive of its kind, indicated that almost 40 percent of students nationally who screened positive for anxiety or depression are not receiving any kind of mental health services. The numbers have dropped slightly in the last two years, but the issue remains a concern.

The trustees and I view this project as a long-term investment in student wellbeing — as well as their retention at UD and their ultimate success. We’ve launched a fundraising campaign, helmed by trustee and parent Kristin Dailey ’98 and Mary Boosalis, former CEO of Premier Health and past chair of the board of trustees, to fund the RecPlex expansion. While future incoming students will pay a fee, they will no longer be charged for an array of services, including campus recreation memberships, intramural sports, group fitness classes, routine medical tests and flu shots.

The Health and Wellbeing Center, which is expected to open in fall 2026, is one initiative in a multi-pronged approach to enhancing student success. For instance, as part of our re-imagined undergraduate experience, we will provide each student with holistic academic advising to help guide them on their academic, personal and wellbeing journey — from day one through graduation.

As a parent of two recent college graduates, I understand that university life can be overwhelming at times. At UD, it’s our responsibility to make sure our students have the resources they need to thrive.

It’s about caring for the whole person.

(This piece appears in the spring issue of the University of Dayton Magazine.)