Vision:
To facilitate the empowerment of students, staff, faculty, management, and the wider University community in recognizing, understanding, and managing stressors in their lives so as to foster health and wellness.  This vision complements the University‘s mission to promote social justice and a civil society, and specifically addresses the following transformations of the Plan for Excellence:  student success, human capital, responsiveness, and resourcefulness

Mission:
The Stress Reduction Center recognizes that the effective management of stress makes a positive contribution to human health and flourishing. The Center is dedicated to educating and empowering individuals to live in greater balance, to cultivate inner resources, and to play an active role in their health and well-being.

Purposes:

• To teach non-credit classes in a variety of stress management modalities, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

• To serve as a community clearing house for existing on- and off-campus stress management programs to assist individuals seeking opportunities to manage their own stress.

• To serve as a campus resource for students and other individuals seeking credit-bearing, continuing education, continuing medical education, and professional development workshops, conferences/symposia/lectures, courses, certificates, and/or degree programs at West Chester University.

• To support thoughtful exploration and use of contemplative and reflective practices to foster learning.

• To guide and support those individuals who wish to bring mindful evidence-based stress management approaches to other settings and groups by providing instruction and supervision.

• To become a resource for the community by providing stress reduction programs, courses, retreats and consultation.

Please note:  The intention of the Center is to complement existing services and programs within and without the University, not to compete with them.  It is not to be seen in any way as an added layer of bureaucracy, and would have no administrative control or programmatic influence over any existing programs on campus.  Where potential gaps exist, or where new initiatives would benefit its service area, the Center would serve as a catalyst for such initiatives.  Its housing within the Academic Affairs Division of the University is reflective of the role of faculty in its organization and leadership, and the academic nature of its role as a clearinghouse, its offering of credit/non-credit academic programs, and its capacity to support the Teacher/Scholar Model through teaching, scholarship and service.