RIT adopts Okanagan Charter to promote health and well-being on campus
University joins international movement with focus on people, place, and planet
Traci Westcott/RIT
RIT is joining an international group of campuses in adopting the Okanagan Charter, pledging to prioritize health and well-being across campus.
The Okanagan Charter, established in 2015, provides a framework for colleges and universities to transform their campuses into health-promoting environments. Recognizing that human and planetary health are interconnected, Health Promoting Campuses use a holistic approach that emphasizes improving individual and collective well-being, creating supportive physical and social environments, and advancing sustainability.
“Our adoption of the Okanagan Charter reflects our commitment to making RIT a place where everyone can thrive, not just academically or in the workplace, but more broadly,” said RIT President David Munson. “This is more than an opportunity—it’s a responsibility to think more holistically about the well-being of everyone on campus.”
In October 2024, representatives from RIT Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Human Resources, and Strategic Planning and Sustainability attended the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network Summit, hosted by the University at Albany, to learn how other schools have been working to realize the vision of the Charter.
RIT has outlined a phased approach to advance this vision. A community well-being working group has been established to support the Middle States accreditation process. The group’s focus is on understanding the current state of well-being at RIT and identifying gaps and opportunities to enhance holistic well-being at RIT. Their findings will inform RIT’s strategic plan 2025-2035. By embedding the principles of the Okanagan Charter into systems, structures, programs, and practices, the university aims to make holistic well-being a hallmark of the RIT experience.