The HEA National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, has launched a new self-study Open Course: Supporting a Whole Campus Approach to a Healthy Campus. This course has been developed with contributions from the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, University College Dublin, Technological University Dublin, Atlantic Technological University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and University College Cork. This course is designed for academic staff, professional and support staff, student ambassadors, and campus leaders interested in embedding health promotion into all aspects of campus life.
This Open Course builds on the Healthy Campus Framework and the Okanagan Charter, providing a practical and collaborative learning experience. It encourages participants to reflect on personal, institutional, and systemic approaches to well-being in higher education.
The course includes six thematic modules covering topics such as stakeholder engagement, evidence-based planning, and goal setting. Participants can complete the course at their own pace and are encouraged to collaborate through peer triads. Upon completion, they are eligible to apply for a digital badge.
Dr Cuisle Forde, course co-developer from Trinity College Dublin, noted:
‘The Healthy Campus Open Course has enabled our global community to reflect on and celebrate their efforts to date, and plan how to effectively progress the movement of health and wellbeing across institutions. It has supported people in understanding why student and staff wellbeing matters, what we mean by a whole campus approach and some tools to support implementation, including the HEA Healthy Campus Self-Evaluation Tool.’
Caroline Mahon, National Healthy Campus Coordinator at the HEA added:
‘The development of an open course that directly supports the implementation of the HEA Healthy Campus Charter and Framework is significant. We know that the best way to improve student and staff wellbeing is to take a whole campus approach, to work collectively at all levels. This course provides invaluable insights, tools, and experiences into the implementation of healthy campus initiatives. It is also another example of Ireland leading the global movement of health promoting campuses’
For more details and to access the self-study course, visit the Open Courses platform at OpenCourses.ie.
Open Courses is a flagship programme of the HEA National Forum, supporting professional development across the higher education sector. To date, over 7,000 participants have earned National Forum digital badges through these courses, recognising their commitment to ongoing teaching and learning enhancement. All materials for Supporting a Whole Campus Approach to a Healthy Campus are available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Share-Alike 4.0 International License.
