The HEA Higher Education Healthy Campus Charter and Framework was cocreated, through a consultative process, by Higher Education Institutions, the Department of Health, and the HSE. In 2022 the Framework was officially transferred to the Higher Education Authority, supported by Healthy Ireland.

The Framework offers guidelines to third-level institutions to build on existing wellbeing actions and assists with the integration of health and wellbeing across the whole campus including teaching and learning, student supports and services, staff development, policies.

It also assists in identifying opportunities in the college environment, whether social or academic, that can help foster an ethos of care, compassion and inclusion on campuses. The Framework was developed in partnership with the higher education institutions, the HSE and Healthy Ireland.

A whole campus approach includes:

• Leadership, Strategy and Governance
• Campus Environments (Facilities and Services)
• Campus Culture and Communications
• Personal and Professional Development

Healthy Campus Advisory Group 

A Health Campus Advisory Group has been established to oversee the implementation nationally and includes representatives from DFHERIS (Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science), the Department of Health, the HSE and the HEA, Union of Students Ireland, THEA (Technological Higher Education Association), IUA (Irish Universities Association).

The Healthy Campus Process

An inclusive, co-ordinated approach to improving health and wellbeing which includes 5 stages: Commit, Co-ordinate, Consult, Create and Celebrate and Continue. The process is cyclical and provides a ‘how to’ when implementing the Framework.

Definitions

Health

Health means everyone achieving his or her potential to enjoy complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. Healthy people contribute to the health and quality of the society in which they live, work and play. Health is much more than an absence of disease or disability, and individual health, and that of the country, affects the quality of everyone’s lived experience. Health is an essential resource for everyday life, a public good, and an asset for health and human development.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is an integral part of this definition of health. It reflects the quality of life and the various factors which can influence it over the course of a person’s life. Wellbeing also reflects the concept of positive mental health, in which a person can realise his or her own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and be able to make a contribution to his or her community. Consideration of health and wellbeing requires a shift in focus from what can go wrong in people’s lives, to focusing on what makes their lives go well.

Contact Us 

If you have any queries in relation to the Healthy Campus Charter and Framework please contact Caroline Mahon, National Healthy Campus Coordinator, healthycampus@hea.ie