CSUB launches new student wellness platform

YOU at CSUB website focused on well-being, academic success

By California State University, Bakersfield

February 2^nd, 2022

California State University, Bakersfield students looking for ways to improve their mental and physical health now have a new resource available to them.

The university has launched a new online wellness platform called YOU at CSUB for students, faculty and staff. The free and confidential website connects users with campus resources and online tools such as articles, goal-setting and self-assessments.

The platform has three areas of focus: succeed, thrive and matter. Through these three areas, students can explore academics, career paths, physical and mental health, relationships, identity and other topics.

“With YOU at CSUB, the university provides a valuable resource that allows faculty, staff and students the flexibility to ascertain information at any time,” Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Thomas Wallace said. “Our university community will enjoy how easily accessible it is to gather data on an array of topics at their convenience.”

Students, faculty and staff can log into the site using their CSUB email and create a profile. The platform will then tailor itself to each user they begin interacting with it.

“The site starts to personalize the experience for our students,” said Nicole Halcomb, assistant to the vice president for student affairs. “It will change over time and will recommend things tailored to the user’s interests and needs.”

CSUB is one of 19 CSU campuses implementing the YOU platform, which began rolling out in spring 2020. It is part of the Graduation Initiative 2025 and Basic Needs Initiative to support student wellness.

“With all the challenges students have faced with the pandemic, it’s really important for us to get our students plugged into the resources that are available to them on campus and to have this additional resource that focuses on their well-being,” Halcomb said.

Halcomb is excited that students now have access to the website and said she hopes it will make a difference in both their personal lives as well as their academic journeys.

"Well-being is an important part of student success in the classroom.” she said. “Customized, evidence-based articles and videos on a variety of topics related to well-being and the college experience are available to students 24/7/365 on YOU at CSUB."

Fostering student success

Eren Salyer was one of a few CSUB students who were selected to try out the YOU at CSUB platform ahead of its official launch. After spending some time checking out the site, Salyer said he was impressed with what it offers students such as himself.

Salyer, who is looking for resources to help him improve his mental health, said he particularly appreciated the articles and self-assessments on the platform.

“I think the articles are incredibly useful, especially for those who don’t know where to go to for help or even what options are available to them,” he said. “A lot of them are written by students, which is much more relatable. Having them explaining their experiences makes me feel like I’m normal.”

Salyer said he believes a student wellness platform such as YOU at CSUB has been needed for a long time and is glad that students will be able to take advantage of it.

“I’m absolutely thankful for it and I’m using it often,” he said. “I think this resource will be useful for people to get the connections they need to better themselves. Having all of these tools and resources out there and having it in one place is really convenient.”

While YOU at CSUB will be useful for students, it will also help CSUB faculty and staff determine how best to help them. While students’ personal information and individual preferences on the site are private, Halcomb said the university can pull info of what all students are viewing to observe trends and patterns.

“We can see what students are interested in, what they’re struggling with most. That will help us shape our event planning and the programs we’re offering to better fit our students’ needs,” she said. “I think that’s one of the main things I’m excited about with this, just being able to plug into our students more and learn more about what they need to be successful at CSUB.”