Ellen Reynolds is the new assistant vice president of student health and wellness. Photo courtesy of Ellen Reynolds.
The University of Rhode Island’s Division of Student Affairs recently promoted Ellen Reynolds, the former director of Health Services, to the newly created position of assistant vice president for student health and wellness.
The new position is intended to bring a holistic approach to students’ health and wellbeing, both mentally and physically. This new role is also intended to provide strategic leadership and vision to Health Services, Student Counseling Services and Recreational Services.
Reynolds said she believes that the Vice President of the Division of Student Affairs, Kathy Collins, saw an opportunity for these three roles to collaborate on a holistic wellness approach to meeting the needs of URI students. Collins said she felt as though Reynolds was perfect for the role.
“Ellen Reynolds has been an employee [at] this institution for many years, including being an amazing alumna, so this gives her an expanded portfolio of additional responsibilities and oversight,” Collins said. “Bringing all of that together I think will truly benefit you, the students.”
Reynold’s duties and responsibilities now include: long term planning for facilities, space and events; advocating for resources across departments and evaluating wellness related to strategic policies, programs and services that address the needs of the University community.
“By pulling these three units together, our goal is increased collaboration, communication and a true focus on you as a whole person, your mind and your health,” Collins said.
Reynold’s said that she is thrilled to start work from her new role.
“I have loved every day that I have worked here,” she said. “I feel as though we work with amazing students and the exciting part of the new job is that it is much broader than the director of the health center due to the fact that is overseeing the Counseling Center and Campus Recreation.”
Although the position is still very new for URI and Reynolds, she is already looking towards her goals for the next 90 days and the next year, as well as what that may look like for the University.
“One thing I’m excited to work on in the spring semester is developing some type of student health and wellness committee that can really prioritize where our issues are and goals of working towards some of those strategic initiatives on behalf of the campus,” Reynolds said.
Another goal that both Reynolds and Collins are working on is completing the design phase of a new integrated health and counseling center.
“This position really leads us into the new building so we can start some of the transition, collaboration and enhanced communication,” Collins said. “We’re constantly as a University looking to evolve in order to continue to meet the needs of our students and this is one of those evolutions.”
For this new integrated health and wellness building, Collins and Reynolds are looking for students feedback on what they believe they need in a health and wellness space, as well as what would be the most beneficial to students for years to come.