Jan. 23 video message from President Armacost
For this week’s video message, President Armacost is on location at the UND Student Government offices in the Memorial Union – a gathering place that embodies UND’s sense of community, he says.
And with him to talk about that are UND’s Student Body leaders, President Ella Nelson and Vice President Connor Ferguson.
The duo recently returned from the Third Global Peace Summit hosted in Bangkok, Thailand. Nelson and Ferguson say they heard from peace activists from around the world and took time to explore the city while making international connections at the conference.
Armacost asks Ferguson about the ways students can strike a healthy work-life balance, then asks Nelson about support services available to students.
Ferguson urges students to protect their time in the interest of their well-being, and that keeping work and leisure separate is something that works for him.
On campus, the University Counseling Center is the best place for students to seek out mental health services, Nelson says. Staff at the center are ready to help or direct students to more specific services, depending on students’ needs.
The Green Bandana Project, enacted campuswide by the previous student leadership team, has also equipped students to help their peers address mental health crises and provide support on an everyday basis. Students with green bandanas on their backpacks are happy and willing to help, Nelson says.
Students can call the University Counseling Center at 701.777.2127 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or 24/7 FIRSTLINK by dialing 211 or 701.235.7335.
Staff and faculty can connect with UND’s Employee Assistance Program at TheVillageFamily.org or by phone at 1.800.627.8220.
Not mentioned in the video, but also of note for the UND community:
President Armacost and UND administrators will be hosting two virtual Town Halls on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with the session for faculty and staff starting at noon and the session for students and family members starting at 6 p.m.
The campus community is invited to ask questions of UND’s leaders on a variety of topics.
Both events can be accessed via Zoom. The link can be used the day of the events to access each Zoom session.
