USask's Commitments

The University of Saskatchewan has joined other institutions across Canada by adopting this charter. We have made the following commitments which align with our institutional strategy:

  1. Commit to create an environment at the University of Saskatchewan that promotes and supports the health and well-being for all who study or work at our campuses.
  2. Commit to planning and actions that are aligned with and live out the university’s principles and values.
  3. Commit to a robust wellness partnership that calls us to work collaboratively across our staff and student portfolios.
  4. Commit to create and implement an organizational wellness strategy that integrates leading edge wellness initiatives (i.e., CACUSS Framework for Postsecondary Student Mental Health).
  5. Commit to increase investment and focus on promotional and prevention resources in the following priority areas: 
    • Healthy Mind 
    • Healthy Body 
    • Healthy Life
  6. Commit to bring existing wellness programs and services into alignment to support the wellness strategy.
  7. Commit to include Indigenous world views in our approach to health and well-being.
  8. Commit to develop and implement a metric reporting system so that we can evaluate and report on outcomes of our wellness initiatives.
  9. Commit to collaborate and/or share our best practices wellness strategies, initiatives and learnings across Canadian and international campuses.

Purpose

Purpose of the Okanagan Charter

  1. Guide and inspire action by providing a framework that reflects the latest concepts, processes and principles relevant to the Health Promoting Universities and Colleges movement, building upon advances since the 2005 Edmonton Charter.
  2. Generate dialogue and research that expands local, regional, national and international networks and accelerates action on, off and between campuses.
  3. Mobilize international, cross-sector action for the integration of health in all policies and practices, thus advancing the continued development of health promoting universities and colleges.

Calls to Action

The Charter has two Calls to Action for higher education institutions:

  1. Embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates.
  2. Lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.