Health Education & Promotion

Peers Advocating Wellness for Students

PAWS are passionate and responsible student leaders who extend health and wellness education beyond the walls of the SHS office. PAWS encourage students to develop the tools needed to lead a healthy lifestyle. They also encourage students to think critically about college health issues by raising questions, facilitating discussion and sharing information.

PAWS receive training and national certification so they can provide facts and resources on health-related topics such as social health, mental health, stress, sleep management, healthy relationships, sexual violence, physical activity, and nutrition. They do this in a positive, interactive, fun and non-judgmental manner.

PAWS Activities

• Provide one-on-one conversations with fellow students who have wellness-related questions.
• Lead and sponsor educational programming for students.
• Disseminate accurate health information on campus.
• Provide referrals to on- and off-campus services.

If you have questions about PAWS, please contact the group's advisor: 

Ted Zito
Dean of Students
jzito@assumption.edu

Alcohol and other drug use choices can have a significant impact on the academic, emotional, physical and spiritual life of students. A collaboration between the Offices of Student Affairs, Health Services and the Counseling Center strives to help all members of our community make safe, healthy choices regarding alcohol and other drugs.

The staff also provides support to students who are concerned about their own use, or are concerned about the use of a friend/relative. Consultation, information, assessment and referral are available for Assumption University students at no cost.

Research & Assessment
Research is a crucial part of the alcohol and drug education program at Assumption University. In order to determine the needs of the students and identify trends on campus, Assumption University conducts annual surveys.
First-year students participate in a survey administered when taking the AlcoholEdu class in the fall semester
All undergraduates are invited to participate in the Core Survey in the spring semester. The Core Survey is used by many institutions of higher education, and more than 70,000 college students participate.

Programming
The research findings enable the Alcohol & Drug Education program to develop programs that meet the specific needs of our community. The Office offers several groups for students, faculty and staff to participate in throughout the year including:

Peers Advocating Wellness for Students (PAWS)
PAWS is a passionate and responsible group of student leaders who extend health and wellness education beyond the walls of the classroom. PAWS provide students with facts and resources on health-related topics including alcohol and drug use. They do this in a positive, interactive, fun and non-judgmental manner.