UMatter at UMass

The ability to value a connection and to feel empathy is critical to any society, including our own campus community. When we collectively practice active caring, we create a more supportive living and learning environment for everyone. Make the most of your time here by asking for help when you need it, stepping up to help others, and using—or guiding friends to use—available support resources.

The 2024–25 Maroon Folder

Dear Colleagues:

Just over ten years ago, we sent faculty and staff the first Maroon Folder to address the need for an easy, quick-reference guide to emergency and crisis response. Since its inception, it has proven to be a worthwhile and trusted desk reference. This year, the Maroon Folder has been streamlined for easier in-the-moment guidance. 

In 2022, UMass became the 14th university in the nation to sign on to the Okanagan Charter, an international charter for health promoting universities and colleges, which calls on post-secondary schools to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally. The approach is grounded in a holistic vision that integrates physical, mental, spiritual, and social wellbeing. What we understand clearly in this time and place is that crisis response alone does not sustain a healthy and flourishing community. 

As a health promoting university, we are committed not only to supporting students in need, but also to strengthening social infrastructure in our communities and building a campus culture of connection and care. For more on the Surgeon General’s special report on loneliness and other wellbeing resources, visit SurgeonGeneral.gov/Connection. Additionally we're linking to the digital version of the Maroon Folder and other UMass wellbeing resources below and in a shared folder. We will continue to add new content to that page as the academic year progresses.

Together, we create the community we would wish for. The conversations you have in the classroom, in your workplaces, and in the programs and services you offer students, help cultivate community and build the social connections our students need to be successful and well. A safe and compassionate campus begins with the simple act of being present. And that presence—that connection—is prevention. 

Wishing you a safe and healthy academic year,

Elizabeth Cracco, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Campus Life and Wellbeing

Patricia Cardoso-Erase
Interim Dean of Students

Downloadable UMass Wellbeing Resources