Health Archives -Page 1 of 7 - ��سԹ�-Webb University

Healthy Relationships and Boundaries in College: When No Can Be the End of the Sentence

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Come on. Everybody else is going.

Why won’t you tell me?

You know you can trust me.

What’s the big deal?

Why can’t you just do this for me?

College can introduce you to some of the most meaningful relationships of your life. New friendships form. Roommates become confidants. Teammates become family. Classmates, coworkers and people you meet through campus organizations begin occupying places in your story that didn’t exist before coming to campus.

Some of those relationships may last decades.

But building healthy relationships isn’t only about finding people you enjoy being around.

It’s also about finding people who allow you to be yourself in a season when you’re searching for what’s next.

College Changes Your Relationship Landscape

Relationships matter at every stage of life, but college can dramatically change the people surrounding you.

You may arrive without the family members, longtime friends, teachers and communities that previously formed your support system. Suddenly, you’re meeting people with different backgrounds, personalities, expectations, languages, cultures, and experiences.

Kim Retherford, director of Counseling Services at ��سԹ�-Webb University, says people are naturally wired for connection.

"We were created for community and we have this innate need for connection."

That desire to belong can make the relationships we form in college especially meaningful.

It can also make it tempting to ignore something that makes us uncomfortable because we don’t want to risk losing a new friendship or social interaction.

A healthy relationship should leave room for both connection and boundaries.

Healthy People Make Room for Your No

A boundary can sound like a complicated psychological concept.

In everyday life, it can be remarkably simple.

I’m not comfortable with that.

I don’t want to do that.

I’d rather not talk about that.

That’s not something I want to share.

Retherford describes healthy relationships in terms that are equally straightforward:

"It is so important that we find healthy people that get us, that understand us, that validate us, that are going to understand if we say, no, I'm not comfortable with that. I don't want to do that. That doesn't match my values. And then it gets to just be end of sentence."

That last idea matters.

End of sentence.

A boundary isn’t automatically an invitation to negotiate.

The people around you don’t have to agree with every choice you make. They don’t have to share all your values or understand every reason behind a decision.

But healthy relationships make room for respect.

You Don't Always Owe Someone a Longer Explanation

Sometimes explaining a boundary makes sense.

Maybe a roommate doesn’t realize something bothers you. A friend may misunderstand why you don’t want to participate in something. A conversation can help two people understand each other better.

Communication is part of building relationships.

But there’s a difference between choosing to explain yourself and feeling as though you must repeatedly defend a boundary before someone will respect it.

Consider the difference between:

“No, I’m not comfortable with that.”

and:

“No, I’m not comfortable with that—but I need to give you five reasons, prove those reasons are legitimate and convince you that I’m entitled to feel that way.”

You can listen to another person’s perspective without surrendering your own.

Sometimes no gets to remain no.

Your Values Can Help You Recognize Your Boundaries

Of course, knowing where to draw a boundary assumes you have some sense of what matters to you.

What if you don’t?

That’s a particularly relevant question during college, when students may be examining beliefs, relationships, priorities and identities in new ways.

��سԹ�-Webb University counselor Bogdan Podgaisky says uncertainty about values isn’t necessarily a problem.

"I'll say that's okay. Values can change over the course of a lifetime. College is a big transitional period, so your values might change."

Instead of expecting students to arrive with everything figured out, Podgaisky suggests paying attention.

"So what's really significant to you? What do you prioritize? What things get you angry or get you ticked? Those can all point towards what you value, what's important to you."

Those questions can be useful beyond choosing a major or deciding how to spend your time.

They can help you think about relationships, too.

What qualities matter to you in a friendship?

How do you want people to speak to you?

What are you comfortable sharing?

What behaviors conflict with something important to you?

What do you need in order to trust someone?

College can be a place where you discover some of those answers.

Pay Attention to What Happens After You Set a Boundary

Setting a boundary tells someone something about you.

How that person responds can tell you something about the relationship.

That doesn’t mean every awkward reaction signals an unhealthy relationship. People misunderstand one another. Friends disagree. Roommates get irritated. Someone may even feel disappointed by your decision.

Healthy relationships aren’t relationships without conflict.

But there are useful questions you can ask yourself.

Does this person listen when I say I’m uncomfortable?

Can we disagree without the disagreement becoming a threat to the relationship?

Do they repeatedly pressure me after I’ve said no?

Can I express an opinion they don’t share?

Do I feel as though I have to become someone different to remain accepted?

Do my boundaries receive respect—or repeated negotiation?

These aren’t tests that automatically label another person as good or bad.

They’re opportunities to pay attention to the patterns within a relationship.

Boundaries Work Both Ways

There’s another side to this conversation that’s easy to overlook.

If you want people to respect your boundaries, you have a responsibility to respect theirs.

A friend doesn’t owe you every detail of what’s happening in their life.

A roommate can need time alone.

Someone can decline an invitation without rejecting your friendship.

A person can tell you they’re uncomfortable with something even if you don’t understand why.

Sometimes being a good friend means hearing someone else’s no without requiring them to turn it into a paragraph.

Healthy relationships make room for two whole people—not one person’s needs constantly overriding the other’s.

Relationships Can Change—and That's Okay

Not every relationship you begin in college will remain the same.

People change. Priorities shift. Roommates move. Students graduate. Friend groups evolve.

Sometimes a relationship simply becomes less central to your life.

That doesn’t automatically mean something went wrong.

College is a period of significant growth, and Podgaisky’s observation about changing values applies here, too. As you learn more about yourself, you may also develop a clearer understanding of the relationships that help you become the person you want to be.

The goal isn’t to surround yourself only with people who agree with you.

It’s to build relationships where disagreement, individuality and boundaries can exist alongside connection.

Find People Who Let You Be You

Some of the people you meet in college may become lifelong friends.

They’ll celebrate victories with you, sit beside you through difficult seasons and someday remind you of stories you’ve completely forgotten.

Those relationships are worth investing in.

And part of that investment is learning that closeness doesn’t require giving another person unlimited access to your time, choices, thoughts or comfort.

You can care deeply about someone and still have boundaries.

You can value a relationship and still disagree.

You can listen to another person’s perspective and still decide something isn’t right for you.

And when you’ve communicated a reasonable boundary clearly and respectfully, you don’t always need another explanation.

Sometimes:

No, I’m not comfortable with that.

Gets to be the end of the sentence.

Need Support? Connect With the GWU Counseling Center

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

To schedule an appointment please call or email us at:
�ʳ�ǲԱ�:��(704) 406-2729
��:��counselingservices@gardner-webb.edu

Additional Support Links:

The Counseling Center

Campus Life

The post Healthy Relationships and Boundaries in College: When No Can Be the End of the Sentence appeared first on ��سԹ�-Webb University.

Learning to Say No in College: Why Every Yes Comes With a No

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Can you help with this?

Want to join us?

Are you free tonight?

Would you take this on?

College can bring a remarkable number of opportunities. New friendships. Organizations. Leadership roles. Creative projects. Athletics. Campus events. Jobs. Internships.

Being asked to participate can feel good, too. Someone noticed something in you. Someone believes you’re capable. Someone wants you on the team.

So you say yes.

Then you say yes again.

Eventually, you may discover one of the more difficult lessons of college: You can’t say yes to everything.

Learning to say no isn’t necessarily about doing less. It’s about becoming more intentional about what deserves your yes.

Why Saying Yes Feels So Good in College

College offers students opportunities to discover abilities they may not have recognized—or to have talents they’ve always had noticed by new people.

Imagine a student who’s good at photography and video. Before long, a professor notices. Then a campus organization asks for help. A staff member has a project. Another club needs someone to create a video.

Each invitation feels affirming: Someone noticed what I can do.

So the student says yes.

And yes again.

"I would say that a lot of your yeses and noes will be based on what you value. And that value might change depending on what season of life you're in. But having an understanding of what are your values in your current season of life will help you say yes and no to things."

That creates a useful filter when another opportunity arrives.

Before automatically answering, consider:

Why do I want to say yes?
Does this connect with something that's important to me?
What will this require from me?
What might receive less attention if I take this on?
Do I realistically have the time and energy to do it well?

Notice that none of those questions asks whether the opportunity is good.

Two opportunities can both be good.

You still may not have room for both.

It's Okay to Disappoint Someone

This may be the hardest part of saying no.

Sometimes students aren’t saying yes because they genuinely want another responsibility. They’re saying yes because they’re worried about what will happen if they decline.

Will they be disappointed?

Maybe.

Podgaisky says that’s something we sometimes have to accept.

"Sometimes you will disappoint people. And that's okay, because it's based on that value and that priority. And so it's okay if you do disappoint someone, you won't be able to go through life and not disappoint some people at some times."

That isn’t permission to be dismissive of someone else’s feelings.

Podgaisky emphasizes doing it gracefully—recognizing that disappointment can be frustrating while still remaining firm in your yes or no.

Megan Peek, ��سԹ�-Webb University counselor, acknowledges another part of that experience: guilt. Students who don’t want to let people down may feel guilty after declining something.

But she points to something we can’t always control—how another person interprets our decision.

"If we go about it in a respectful, gracious, and kind way, without the intent to cause harm or to hurt someone, we can't necessarily control what their perspective is going to be on it."

You can care about someone’s feelings without allowing their possible reaction to make every decision for you.

When Too Many Yeses Start Costing You

Eventually, overcommitment can have a cost.

When you say yes to everything, you may discover that you can’t give everything the attention you intended.

And there’s another consequence: saying yes to everyone else can become a way of repeatedly saying no to yourself.

Kim Retherford, director of ��سԹ�-Webb Counseling Services, puts it plainly:

"You're saying no to yourself, and you're saying no to self-care, no to rest, no to balance, no to boundaries."

Sometimes your own life begins telling you that you’ve taken on too much.

Peek encourages students to notice the physical consequences. Maybe you’re tired all the time. You’re no longer able to show up fully for organizations or activities. Perhaps you’re struggling to stay engaged—or even awake—in class.

Those aren’t necessarily instructions to quit everything.

They’re reasons to stop and take inventory.

Something may need your no so that something more important can receive your yes.

How Do You Actually Say No?

Knowing that you should decline something doesn’t necessarily make the conversation easy.

And not every no carries the same weight.

Retherford points out that turning down an invitation from a friend isn’t necessarily the same as telling a professor you can’t accept an opportunity they’ve offered.

Although, sometimes a simple no really is enough.

Other situations may call for a little more context:

“Thank you for thinking of me. I’d really like to help, but I don’t have the time right now to give this the attention it deserves.”

Or:

“I appreciate the opportunity, but I’ve already made commitments that I need to honor.”

Being respectful doesn’t require pretending you have unlimited capacity.

You can appreciate being asked and still decline.

Your Yeses Can Change

What deserves your yes today may not deserve it forever.

College itself is a season of change. Your priorities during your first semester may look different by senior year. An organization that’s important to you now may eventually make room for an internship, leadership opportunity or another commitment.

Podgaisky says values themselves can shift depending on the season of life.

That’s worth remembering because learning to say no isn’t a skill you master once and never revisit.

New seasons bring new responsibilities.

New opportunities create new choices.

And sometimes something you once enthusiastically said yes to has simply reached the point where it’s okay to say, not anymore.

You Can't Do It All—and You Don't Have To

College is filled with opportunities worth saying yes to.

Take some chances. Try something unfamiliar. Meet new people. Explore interests you didn’t know you had.

Some of those yeses may become defining parts of your college experience.

But you don’t have to do everything. In fact, you can’t do it all … no one can.

Learning to say no isn’t about closing yourself off from opportunity. It’s about creating enough space to give your best yes to the people, responsibilities and experiences that matter most.

Because every yes comes with a no.

The trick is learning to choose both intentionally.

Need Support? Connect With the GWU Counseling Center

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

To schedule an appointment please call or email us at:
�ʳ�ǲԱ�:��(704) 406-2729
��:��counselingservices@gardner-webb.edu

Additional Support Links:

The Counseling Center

Campus Life

The post Learning to Say No in College: Why Every Yes Comes With a No appeared first on ��سԹ�-Webb University.

Why Rest Matters for College Students: When More Work Isn’t Better Work

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

You’ve been studying for hours.

You’re still reading, but at some point you realize you don’t remember the last three pages. So you go back. Read them again. Nothing.

What’s the solution?

For many college students, the instinct is obvious: keep going.

Kim Retherford, director of Counseling Services at ��سԹ�-Webb University, hears versions of that experience from students.

"I read for hours and I can't remember anything that I read, or I'm just not understanding it."

Her response challenges an assumption many students make about productivity: sometimes working longer isn’t helping you work better.

There comes a point when the productive thing may actually be to stop.

More Time Doesn't Always Mean Better Work

College students learn quickly how to measure work in time.

I studied for four hours.

I was up until 2 a.m. finishing the paper.

I worked on that project all weekend.

But hours spent working and quality of work aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Retherford describes students becoming so stressed and overwhelmed that they continue studying without retaining what they’re reading.

Her advice in those moments can sound counterintuitive:

"That's because I need to walk away and give myself a break and calm down, do something else."

Stopping can feel like losing valuable study time. But continuing to stare at material you’re no longer processing isn’t necessarily gaining you anything either.

Rest Isn't the Prize at the Finish Line

University counselor Bogdan Podgaisky sees another problem with the way we sometimes think about rest: we treat it as something we’ve earned.

Finish everything first.

Then you can sleep.

Then you can take a break.

Then you can stop.

There’s just one problem with that strategy in college: the work is rarely completely finished.

There’s always something else you could read, revise, study or start.

Podgaisky suggests flipping the equation.

"It can be rewarding, but we don't really work so that we can rest. We rest so that we can work well."

That’s a significant distinction.

Rest isn’t necessarily what comes after productivity.

Rest can help make productivity possible.

Know When You've Hit the Wall

So how do you know when another hour probably isn’t your best hour?

You may recognize some familiar signs:

You’re rereading without retaining.

You’re making mistakes you normally wouldn’t make.

A relatively simple task suddenly feels unusually difficult.

You’re physically present at the laptop, but your attention is somewhere else.

You’re spending more time worrying about everything you have to accomplish than actually accomplishing it.

None of those automatically means it’s time to abandon the assignment for the night.

They can, however, be useful signals to stop and ask a better question:

Is what I’m doing right now actually working?

That’s different from asking whether you’re working hard enough.

A Break Doesn't Have to Become the Rest of the Day

Here’s another trap: students sometimes imagine only two options.

Work or don’t work.

But taking a break doesn’t have to mean declaring the day over.

Retherford’s suggestion is much simpler: walk away for a while, calm down and do something else.

Maybe that’s 10 minutes outside.

Maybe it’s getting dinner without taking the laptop.

Megan Peek, university counselor at ��سԹ�-Webb, offers a wonderfully simple example: sometimes it could mean “just putting your face in the sunshine for today.”

Rest doesn’t have to be elaborate to count.

Maybe it’s talking with someone about something completely unrelated to tomorrow’s exam.

And sometimes, yes, what you need is sleep.

Podgaisky identifies sleep as “probably one of the most significant things” college students can pay attention to.

After a good night’s sleep, he says, he’s prepared to do what the next day requires.

"I don't work myself until I'm falling asleep and then say, now I'm allowed to get rest. The work that I'm doing when I need the rest is actually not that good."

That’s the tradeoff worth considering.

The question isn’t simply, Could I keep working?

It’s whether the work you’re producing at that point is worth the rest you’re giving up to produce it.

Try the Reset Test

The next time you’ve been working for a long stretch and nothing seems to be sticking, try a simple experiment.

Stop.

Not for the entire day. Not necessarily for an hour.

Just long enough to genuinely disengage from the task.

Get out of the chair. Change locations. Eat something. Walk outside. Close the screen. Let your attention go somewhere else.

Then come back.

Ask yourself:

Am I reading more clearly?

Can I remember what I just studied?

Am I solving the problem more effectively?

Is the sentence that made no sense 20 minutes ago suddenly easier to revise?

If the answer is yes, the break wasn’t time taken away from your work.

It was part of doing the work.

And if the answer continues to be no, it may be time to consider whether what you really need is a longer reset—or sleep.

You Don't Have to Win the All-Nighter

College culture has long had a strange relationship with exhaustion.

Being busy can become a badge of honor. Staying up all night can sound like evidence that you really cared about the exam. A packed calendar can feel like proof you’re making the most of college.

But exhaustion isn’t an academic achievement.

The better measure isn’t how long you managed to keep going.

It’s whether you were able to learn, think, create and perform well.

There will be times in college when deadlines pile up and sleep isn’t perfect. That’s real life.

The goal isn’t perfection.

It’s learning to recognize when pushing harder has stopped producing better work.

That’s a skill that matters well beyond college, too.

The assignment will eventually be submitted. The exam will eventually end. Another deadline will eventually take its place.

Learning how you work best—and when you need to stop—is something you get to take with you.

Podgaisky’s reminder is worth keeping nearby:

"We rest so that we can work well."

Need Support? Connect With the GWU Counseling Center

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

To schedule an appointment please call or email us at:
�ʳ�ǲԱ�:��(704) 406-2729
��:��counselingservices@gardner-webb.edu

Additional Support Links:

The Counseling Center

Campus Life

The post Why Rest Matters for College Students: When More Work Isn’t Better Work appeared first on ��سԹ�-Webb University.

College Mental Health and Wellness: Finding Balance That Works

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:37:48 +0000

College asks a lot of you. Classes. Relationships. Activities. Work. Athletics. Decisions about your future. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, taking care of yourself can begin to feel like one more thing you’re supposed to accomplish.

But college mental health and wellness isn’t another box to check. It’s part of being able to learn, connect, grow and handle the challenges that come with college life.

And wellness doesn’t mean getting everything right. It means paying attention to what you need, understanding what helps you function well and being willing to seek support when something feels off.

What Does Mental Health and Wellness Mean in College?

Mental health and wellness are related, but wellness encompasses more than how you’re feeling emotionally.

Kim Retherford, director of ��سԹ�-Webb University’s Counseling Services, describes wellness as an overall sense of well-being that can include mental, physical, spiritual, relational and even financial health.

Mental health is one part of that larger picture.

"Mental health is still part of health."

That simple idea can change how students think about caring for themselves. Eating, sleeping, exercising, maintaining healthy relationships and tending to emotional needs aren’t distractions from succeeding in college. They’re interconnected pieces of being well.

Wellness also isn’t identical for everyone. What restores one student may not work for another. Understanding your own needs is part of the process.

Why Connection and Belonging Matter

College often brings significant changes in relationships. Students may leave family and longtime friends, live with new people and begin building entirely new communities.

That makes connection particularly important.

Retherford explains that people are naturally driven toward relationships and need healthy connections throughout their lives. On a college campus, finding those relationships can become an important part of adjusting to a new environment.

Bogdan Podgaisky, a university counselor at ��سԹ�-Webb, says the uncertainty that accompanies college can heighten that desire for belonging.

Healthy connection doesn’t require having an enormous social circle. It may mean finding a few people who understand you, respect your boundaries and allow you to be yourself.

It also means recognizing the difference between being comfortable spending time alone and feeling genuinely isolated.

Wellness Is About Balance, Not Perfection

Trying to improve your wellness can ironically become another source of pressure.

Exercise every day. Eat perfectly. Get eight hours of sleep. Maintain friendships. Study. Work. Join organizations. Practice self-care.

That’s not the point.

"The goal is not to be perfect in every area. In fact, I would say that that is impossible to be perfect in every area." —Bogdan Podgaisky

Instead, Podgaisky encourages students to think about balance. Some areas of wellness may naturally be stronger than others. When something begins lagging, students can intentionally give it more attention.

That might mean taking a walk, reconnecting with a friend, protecting some quiet time or getting back to an activity you enjoy.

Small choices count. Wellness doesn’t require reinventing your entire life Monday morning.

Why Rest Is Part of Doing Your Best Work

Rest may be one of the easiest things for busy college students to sacrifice.

There’s always another chapter to read, assignment to finish or exam to prepare for. But pushing harder isn’t necessarily the same thing as working better.

Retherford notes that when students become highly stressed and overwhelmed, they may spend hours studying without retaining or understanding what they’re reading. Sometimes the productive choice is to step away, take a break and return when they’re better able to engage.

Podgaisky offers another way to think about it:

"We don't really work so that we can rest. We rest so that we can work well."

Rest isn’t simply a reward you earn after finishing everything. Sleep, breaks and recovery help prepare your mind and body for the work you’re asking them to do.

How Do You Know When It's Time to Ask for Help?

Sometimes you’ve slept, taken a break, connected with friends and tried to take better care of yourself—and something still doesn’t feel right.

That doesn’t mean you need to diagnose yourself.

It may simply mean it’s time to talk to someone.

Retherford encourages students who feel that something is off to find a trusted source of support. That might be a counselor, professor, friend, roommate, family member or another trusted person.

The important part is not assuming you have to figure everything out alone.

Counseling can also be one of those options. Students don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what’s wrong or what they need. ��سԹ�-Webb counselors work with students to identify what they would like to gain from the experience and build from there.

Small Ways to Support Your Mental Health in College

Wellness becomes more manageable when you stop treating it as one giant goal. Start by taking inventory of what’s happening in your life.

Consider asking yourself:

Where am I stretched too thin? Would saying "no" to something allow me to say "yes" to something I value more?
What restores me? Consider activities, movement, hobbies, faith practices, time outside or simply taking a break.
What feels different? If you've noticed a meaningful change in how you're feeling or functioning, consider talking with someone you trust.

Most importantly, don’t turn wellness into another competition.

Being intentional about your mental health isn’t about achieving a perfect balance. It’s about noticing what you need and responding to it.

Find Mental Health Support at ��سԹ�-Webb

��سԹ�-Webb students have access to Counseling Services for individual support as well as groups and wellness-focused opportunities. Services are available to eligible traditional undergraduate, graduate and online students, with options varying based on student location and need.

If something feels off—or you simply want someone to talk with—you don’t have to wait until you’re in crisis to reach out.

Explore ��سԹ�-Webb’s Counseling Center resources, services and appointment information to find the support that’s right for you.

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
To schedule an appointment please call or email us at:
�ʳ�ǲԱ�:��(704) 406-2729
��:��counselingservices@gardner-webb.edu

Additional Support Links:

The Counseling Center

Campus Life

The post College Mental Health and Wellness: Finding Balance That Works appeared first on ��سԹ�-Webb University.

Updated COVID Reporting and Testing for Fall 2022

��سԹ�-Webb University — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:06:56 +0000

Welcome back to campus Runnin’ Bulldogs! We are already off to a great start to the Fall 2022 semester!

As classes begin, we continue to keep your health as a top priority. Given COVID’s persistence locally as well as nationally, we recommend masks indoors in crowded situations, but they are not required. Free masks are available upon request at the Student Development Office in the Tucker Student Center.

Any student (residential undergraduate, commuter, or graduate) with COVID should isolate in their room, report their symptoms to covidsupport@gardner-webb.edu and make arrangements to be tested for COVID. Free test are available at the Atrium Student Health Clinic on campus.If the test is positive, you will then be required to isolate in one of the campus isolation spaces or, if possible, return home for the isolation period. Students with questions should contact Dean of Students Lesley Villarose immediately at lvillarose@gardner-webb.edu or at 704.406.2081.

Faculty will not be required to provide online classes for students in isolation, but they will allow classwork to be made up at a later date, per policy.

Faculty or staff members who develop COVID symptoms should contact Barry Lane at blane@gardner-webb.edu or at 704.297.6988.

The post Updated COVID Reporting and Testing for Fall 2022 appeared first on ��سԹ�-Webb University.

We’re Ready to Welcome You Back!

��سԹ�-Webb University — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 21:38:12 +0000

The fall 2022 semester will be here soon and we’re all set to welcome everyone back to campus! COVID cases were rare on campus over the summer, with less severe variants accounting for the few we have seen. Given these current conditions and in keeping with the recommendations of public health authorities, we are able to adjust our polices accordingly.

Here are the updates and changes you need to know right now:

Returning students will not need to provide recent test results or proof of a past case of COVID. No special preparations are required for return to campus or for move-in, which begins July 31^st and continues for various groups through August 15^th. We will continue to recommend masks indoors in crowded situations, but they are not required. Free masks are available upon request at the Student Development Office in the Tucker Student Center.

Take Symptoms Seriously

Any student (undergraduate, commuter, or graduate) with COVID symptoms or questions, should contact Dean of Students Lesley Villarose immediately at lvillarose@gardner-webb.edu or at 704.406.2081.

Residential students who test positive for COVID, regardless of symptoms, will be required to isolate on campus for the CDC-recommended time period; local students, however, may be sent home to isolate.

Any residential student who becomes will need to isolate in their room, report their symptoms, and make arrangements to be tested for COVID. If the test is positive, they will then be required to isolate in one of the campus isolation spaces or, if possible, return home for the isolation period.

Faculty will not be required to provide online classes for students in isolation, but they will allow classwork to be made up at a later date, per policy.

If you are faculty or staff and you develop COVID symptoms, you should contact Barry Lane at blane@gardner-webb.edu or at 704.297.6988.

Vaccinations and Boosters

��سԹ�-Webb University does not presently require a COVID vaccine (or subsequent booster) of its faculty, staff or students, but consistent with the recommendations from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services we are encouraging them.

There are several non-GWU locations nearby including drugstores, pharmacies and clinics where you can get vaccinated. If you want to get a vaccination off campus and need transportation, contact the Dean of Students, Lesley Villarose, at lvillarose@gardner-webb.edu. We’ll take you to get your vaccination or booster.

The Atrium Health Clinic on campus will continue to offer free testing for faculty, staff and students, subject to availability.

The University will continue to follow the recommendations of health care professionals as well as national, state and local health officials. We may alter our policy and practice accordingly in the future.

Let’s get ready for an awesome fall semester, Runnin’ Bulldogs!

The post We’re Ready to Welcome You Back! appeared first on ��سԹ�-Webb University.

COVID cases continue to decline!

��سԹ�-Webb University — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 21:01:24 +0000

COVID cases continue to decline among our campus community. Additionally, show statewide declines as well.

Here are the updates and changes you need to know right now:

Charlotte Center Masking Requirement Lifted

��سԹ�-Webb University will no longer require masks/face coverings indoors at the Charlotte Center beginning February 26. Mecklenburg County leaders voted to lift the mask requirement, and the change takes effect this coming Saturday, February 26.

��سԹ�-Webb University lifted the main campus masks/face coverings requirement on February 2.

Current Data

As of February 21, ��سԹ�-Webb is reporting one positive COVID case among our students, (one) staff, and faculty. We have 4 individuals in quarantine or isolation.

Vaccinations and Boosters

The Atrium Health Clinic on campus will continue to offer free testing for faculty, staff and students, subject to availability.

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

Any students (undergraduate, commuter, or graduate) with symptoms, or questions, remember to reach out immediately to Case Manager Madison Parker Mparker16@gardner-Webb.edu or call (704.406.2504).

If you are a faculty or staff and you develop COVID symptoms, you should contact Barry Lane at blane@gardner-webb.edu or (704.297.6988).

As a reminder to faculty and staff, individuals with actual or potential exposure to COVID-19 should notify their supervisor immediately, and their supervisor will then notify David Wacaster (704.406.3235), Barry Lane (704.406.2266) and Human Resources—Eric Plemmons (704.406.4259). Faculty may also use COVID-19notifications@gardner-webb.edu for any questions or concerns you may have regarding quarantine dates for your students.

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February Updates and Changes

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 19:27:14 +0000

Happy Groundhog Day, Runnin’ Bulldogs!

Good news as campus cases of COVID continue to decline. Additionally, NCDHHS data show statewide declines as well. We’ve all worked hard to protect our “bubble” here on campus and it’s clearly paying off!

Now it’s time to focus on a great campus experience for the rest of the semester.

Here are the updates and changes you need to know right now.

Indoor Masking Requirement Lifted

Effective immediately, ��سԹ�-Webb University will no longer require masks/face coverings indoors on campus. This requirement was put in place a month ago to help ease the return to campus after Winter Break. As our situation on campus has improved, and cases have continued to decrease, the requirement is now lifted. However, the University reserves the right to re-introduce the mask requirement, or other safety measures, as conditions warrant.

Face coverings remain a requirement in our Charlotte Center, per Mecklenburg County order.

Vaccinations and Boosters

The Atrium Health Clinic on campus will continue to offer free testing for faculty, staff and students, subject to availability.

We will continue to follow the recommendations of health care professionals as well as national, state and local health officials. For details on our isolation policy and quarantine guidance you can review the CDC recommendations

Booster Clinic

On Tuesday, February 15^th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, COVID booster vaccines will be given at the Atrium/Student Health Clinic on campus. The Moderna vaccine will be given, and the clinic will be open to faculty, staff and students by appointment. Family members of faculty and staff can also receive the vaccine at no charge.

To schedule an appointment please contact Madison Parker, COVID-19 Case Manager, at mparker16@gardner-webb.edu .

Current Data

As of February 2, ��سԹ�-Webb is reporting 16 positive COVID cases among our students (15), and staff and faculty (01). All of these individuals are all in isolation.

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

If you are a faculty or staff and you develop COVID symptoms, you should contact Barry Lane at blane@gardner-webb.edu or (704.297.6988).

Happy February, Runnin’ Bulldogs!

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Welcome Back Runnin’ Bulldogs!

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 22:34:00 +0000

We’re excited to start the Spring 2022 semester with you right here on campus!

Because positive COVID cases across the country have surged over the holidays with the new Omicron variant, we are taking some active measures that we hope will increase everyone’s health and safety during your return to ��سԹ�-Webb. We are taking action because our goals are to protect our campus community, to remain face-to-face on campus for the entirety of the semester, and to ensure a full and normal 15 weeks of college life. We believe that additional vigilance on the front end of the new semester will help minimize the pandemic’s impact on us.

Here are the updates and changes you need to know right now.

Pre-Return Health Screening

All students will receive a health screening form via e-mail 48 hours prior to their arrival date. For commuting students, you will receive the screening 48 hours prior to the first day of classes. Please make sure you check your email and complete this form, as failure to do so will impact your ability to check in or return to classes. If you test positive or start showing symptoms prior to your move-in time or the first day of classes, do not come to campus and contact Covidsupport@gardner-webb.edu or call (704) 406-2081.

Indoor Masking

Beginning tomorrow, January 6, 2022, ��سԹ�-Webb University will require masks indoors for a limited period of time for all persons in “areas of substantial or high community transmission.” This includes classrooms and other indoor public spaces where social distancing cannot be consistently maintained such as the Tucker Center. This requirement also applies to Dimensions, which involves numerous persons gathered indoors. This requirement will help us navigate an anticipated spike in positive cases caused by the return of so many people at one time to campus. We hope to be able to remove the indoor mask requirement just as soon as conditions improve and risk levels diminish. Face coverings remain a requirement in our Charlotte Center, per Mecklenburg County order. Students traveling together as part of University-sponsored activities, including student-athletes in buses, vans or other vehicles, will be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

Vaccinations and Boosters

There are several non-GWU locations nearby including drugstores, pharmacies and clinics where you can get vaccinated when you return from Christmas break. If you want to get a vaccination off campus and need transportation, contact the Dean of Students, Lesley Villarose, at lvillarose@gardner-webb.edu. We’ll take you to get your vaccination or booster. There will also be a booster shot clinic on campus the week of January 17^th, details to come on that event.

The Atrium Health Clinic on campus will continue to offer free testing for faculty, staff and students, subject to availability.

Current Data

As of January 4, ��سԹ�-Webb is reporting 14 positive COVID cases among our students (9), staff (5), and faculty (0). These individuals are all in isolation.

We continue to make campus health and safety our top priority. Our goal is fewer cases and quarantines. The formula is simple and by now very familiar: wear it (your mask), wash ’em (your hands), and keep it (a safe distance).

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

If you are a faculty or staff and you develop COVID symptoms, you should contact Barry Lane at blane@gardner-webb.edu or (704) 297-6988.

Welcome back, Runnin’ Bulldogs! See you in The Springs!

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Merry Christmas Runnin’ Bulldogs!

��سԹ�-Webb University — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 22:52:17 +0000

As the semester draws to a close, what a Fall we have had!

Back on campus we’ve grown and strengthened our community with campus traditions, celebrations, and service. More students are choosing ��سԹ�-Webb in person and online every semester, and as we grow the sense of community that defines us grows as well. We even welcomed our new mascot, Bo the Bulldog to our University family.

Now we are all ready for the joy and comfort that the holidays bring. We hope your exams went well and that you’ll travel safely over the coming few weeks.

What You Need To Know Now

Current Data

As of December 3, ��سԹ�-Webb is reporting only 1 positive COVID cases among our students (1), staff (0), and faculty (0). This individual is in isolation off campus.

Great job this fall semester with fewer cases and quarantines. But especially as we all travel over the holiday, masks on and remember to get your shot, Bulldogs!

Current Practices

Face coverings/masks are not presently mandated on campus in Boiling Springs, but we are again following NCDHSS in recommending their use indoors especially in small or crowded locations. Face coverings are required in our Charlotte Center, per Mecklenburg County order. So, get your mask on.

��سԹ�-Webb University does not presently require a COVID vaccine of its faculty, staff or students, but consistent with the recommendations from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services we are encouraging them very strongly.

There are several non-GWU locations nearby including drugstores and clinics where you can get vaccinated before you leave for the break. If you want to get a vaccination off campus and need transportation, contact the Dean of Students, Lesley Villarose, at lvillarose@gardner-webb.edu. We’ll take you to get your shot.

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

If you are a faculty or staff and you develop COVID symptoms, you should contact Barry Lane at blane@gardner-webb.edu or (704.297.6988).

Merry Christmas, Runnin’ Bulldogs! We’ll see you in January!

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Health Archives -Page 1 of 7 - ���سԹ�-Webb University

Healthy Relationships and Boundaries in College: When No Can Be the End of the Sentence

College Changes Your Relationship Landscape

Healthy People Make Room for Your No

You Don't Always Owe Someone a Longer Explanation

Your Values Can Help You Recognize Your Boundaries

Pay Attention to What Happens After You Set a Boundary

Boundaries Work Both Ways

Relationships Can Change—and That's Okay

Find People Who Let You Be You

Need Support? Connect With the GWU Counseling Center

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Additional Support Links:

Learning to Say No in College: Why Every Yes Comes With a No

Why Saying Yes Feels So Good in College

It's Okay to Disappoint Someone

When Too Many Yeses Start Costing You

How Do You Actually Say No?

Your Yeses Can Change

You Can't Do It All—and You Don't Have To

Need Support? Connect With the GWU Counseling Center

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Additional Support Links:

Why Rest Matters for College Students: When More Work Isn’t Better Work

More Time Doesn't Always Mean Better Work

Rest Isn't the Prize at the Finish Line

Know When You've Hit the Wall

A Break Doesn't Have to Become the Rest of the Day

Try the Reset Test

You Don't Have to Win the All-Nighter

Need Support? Connect With the GWU Counseling Center

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Additional Support Links:

College Mental Health and Wellness: Finding Balance That Works

What Does Mental Health and Wellness Mean in College?

Why Connection and Belonging Matter

Wellness Is About Balance, Not Perfection

Why Rest Is Part of Doing Your Best Work

How Do You Know When It's Time to Ask for Help?

Small Ways to Support Your Mental Health in College

Find Mental Health Support at ���سԹ�-Webb

The GWU Counseling Center is in the Tucker Student Center.

Additional Support Links:

Updated COVID Reporting and Testing for Fall 2022

We’re Ready to Welcome You Back!

Take Symptoms Seriously

Vaccinations and Boosters

COVID cases continue to decline!

Here are the updates and changes you need to know right now:

Charlotte Center Masking Requirement Lifted

Current Data

Vaccinations and Boosters

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

February Updates and Changes

Happy Groundhog Day, Runnin’ Bulldogs!

Indoor Masking Requirement Lifted

Vaccinations and Boosters

Booster Clinic

Current Data

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

Welcome Back Runnin’ Bulldogs!

Pre-Return Health Screening

Indoor Masking

Vaccinations and Boosters

Current Data

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

Merry Christmas Runnin’ Bulldogs!

What You Need To Know Now

Current Data

Current Practices

Please Take Your Symptoms Seriously

Health Archives -Page 1 of 7 - ��سԹ�-Webb University

Find Mental Health Support at ��سԹ�-Webb