The Week of Wellbeing starts our semester off with a host of opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to return to campus and relax, connect, and recharge. Highlights include Chapel Unplugged, a peaceful evening of acoustic music and mindfulness, and the enchanting Pondfire by the campus pond. You're also invited to participate in yoga and meditation activities, alongside other engaging events designed to nurture mind, body, and spirit. The Week of Wellbeing is a cross-campus collaboration, involving the Okanagan Wellbeing Collective, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Student Affairs and Campus Life, and many others.
Week of Wellbeing Symposium with Allison Pugh
Working Toward Connection: Finding Our Way to Each Other and Why It Matters
February 11, 2026, 9:00AM-12:30PM | Student Union Ballroom
Join us for 7-minute lightning presentations with topics covering wellbeing initiatives, research, and programming at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, followed by lunch and a talk by Allison Pugh. Pugh is Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. Her book The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World is based on a study of the standardization of work that relies on relationship. All are welcome for this Week of Wellbeing program!
Events Open to All Students, Faculty, and Staff
The Week of Wellbeing features events and opportunities throughout campus for all UMass community members. Please visit our events calendar for a full list of events, and to filter by events catered to students, staff, faculty, or all.
Upcoming Events
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Moving at the Pace of Presence with Rolf Gates
February 07, 2026, 9:00AM-4:00PM | UMass Old Chapel
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to this restorative event designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and recharge. Through movement, breath, and stillness, you’ll cultivate balance, clarity, and a renewed sense of ease for the semester ahead. The day will involve resettling our nervous systems with meditation practice and gentle yoga. Please wear layers and comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. A blanket and meditation props are recommended. Limited props will be available.
This is a free Week of Wellbeing (WoW) event. Registration is now closed.
Featured Event: Chapel Unplugged
February 9, 2026, 4:00-7:00PM | Old Chapel Great Hall
Chapel Unplugged at UMass is a series of events held in the Old Chapel that provides a relaxed, screen-free environment for the campus community to de-stress and connect during the Week of Wellbeing. Activities and refreshments to be provided!
WoW Faculty Event Highlight: From Ambiguity to Action: Finding Meaning in Your Course Evals
In this guided and reflective discussion, we will explore the course evaluation process, reflect on our responses to evaluations, think about how evaluations relate to our teaching values and overall teaching narrative, ponder ways to remove ambiguity from the process, and make the experience more constructive for you and your students.
Hosted by: Center for Teaching & Learning partnering with The Office of Faculty Development