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Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL) will host two spring semester retreats on the Amherst campus and the newly renamed Charles River Campus in Newton, inviting all students, faculty and staff a variety of opportunities to step away from daily routines to focus on rest, reconnection and renewal.

The annual Week of Wellbeing (WoW), a cross-campus collaboration involving the Okanagan Wellbeing Collective, the Office of Equity and Inclusion and several other campus partners, will offer daily events for the Amherst campus community from Feb. 7-13. 

Betsy Cracco, associate vice chancellor of Campus Life and Wellbeing, said the Week of Wellbeing, now in its second year, will feature more programs and activities across campus.

“These events give us opportunities and reminders to come together as a community and reconnect with wellbeing practices,” Cracco said. “We’re excited to see the momentum and growing participation.”

The week will kick off with a daylong restorative event, “Moving at the Pace of Presence with Rolf Gates” on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Chapel. Gates, who is the director of the Kripalu School of Yoga, is a best-selling author and leading voice in contemporary yoga whose work is used as a resource for yoga students and teachers worldwide. Pre-registration is required for this free event that also includes lunch. 

Other highlights include Chapel Unplugged, a screen-free peaceful evening of acoustic music and mindfulness, Coffee in the (South College) Commons, and faculty sessions, such as “From Ambiguity to Action: Finding Meaning in Your Course Evals” at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library and “WoW Brunch: Cultivating Faculty Wellbeing for the Common Good” at Commonwealth Honors College Event Hall.

Featured keynote speaker Allison Pugh, research professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University and author, will host a symposium based on her 2024 book, “The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World.” The event will feature 7-minute lightning presentations on topics covering wellbeing initiatives, research and programming.

A full schedule of events and RSVP information can be found on the Week of Wellbeing website.

Midway through spring break, from March 18-21, “Safety, Dignity, and Belonging: A Mind-Body Retreat in Liberatory Practices” will offer undergraduate and graduate UMass Amherst and Charles River Campus students a four-day digital detox, featuring several immersive community-building and mind-body practices and experiences that aim to open pathways to freedom and connection.

Cracco said students and facilitators will all disconnect from their cell phones and reconnect with themselves through mediation, journaling, embodied learning and by engaging in community-building activities. Students will also enjoy award-winning UMass Dining throughout their stay at the Newton, Massachusetts campus, formerly the Mount Ida Campus.

Enrollment for the retreat is limited to 20-25 students. More details on the retreat, including information about the application process, orientation, travel, schedule and facilitator bios, can be found on the Student Affairs website.