Student well-being isn’t just a matter of being physically healthy. Or having enough to eat. Or getting enough exercise and having a tested method for destressing when deadlines and responsibilities pile up.
Well-being isn’t any of those things; it’s all of them.
And addressing a multifaceted issue calls for a multifaceted approach. As part of that, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Student Affairs has created the new position of director of Recreation and Well-being.
Richard Miccio, who assumed the role May 1, said the details of his new responsibilities and the strategies employed to serve students are still being worked out. But as its name implies, the job will involve integrating the work of multiple departments, including the Health Center at Auraria, the MSU Denver Counseling Center and Campus Recreation, as well as multiple voices.
“Bringing together the three departments is the first step in bringing to life a more comprehensive vision of what health and well-being on campus can look like,” Miccio said.
“The idea is to bring a more integrated and holistic approach to our newly developed health-and-well-being team.” He said he will continue as the Health Center at Auraria’s associate director of Well-being, Inclusion and Behavioral Intervention for the foreseeable future.
The seeds for this collaboration were planted, somewhat ironically, by the Covid pandemic. When it was time to bring students back to campus, MSU Denver leaders searched for ways to help them reengage and recover from the feelings of isolation that remote learning and social distancing cultivated.
“I reached out to a dozen or so colleagues to really think about ‘How are we serving and engaging students?’” Miccio said. Students had a say in the effort too. Led by Student Affairs staff and students, work on a student-well-being strategic plan began in 2022.
One result was the creation in 2024 of the position of assistant vice president for Well-being, which Steve Zeeh now holds. Nearly a year in, Zeeh described his job as creating broad student engagement, partly by removing barriers and recognizing that overall well-being involves meeting basic needs such as food but also creating a sense of belonging across the University.
Recent national data, including the American College Health Association Well-Being Assessment, confirm that a sense of community and belonging is absent for many students, who report high levels of depression, anxiety and stress.
But in crafting efforts, activities and interventions for the University, Miccio said he and his team don’t intend to rely on national studies. Instead, they want to hear directly from MSU Denver students and plan to begin surveying them about their emotional health and well-being in fall, he said. The results will inform how he, Zeeh and other leaders shape programs and outreach to students. “We want to be strategic and intentional with what we’re doing with MSU Denver students,” Miccio said.
“Our job is to help keep them well so they can be successful,” he said.
