The Integrative Wellbeing Initiative for Sustainable Excellence (IWISE) debuted last week with the first meeting of its associated P.E. class. Integrative Wellbeing Services (IWS), the Athletics Department, and other campus partners jointly launched the program to teach students wellbeing practices and improve their mental health. The program consists of a semester-long PE class, monthly community gatherings, and one-on-one mentorship with a trained wellbeing advisor.
In the PE class, students will participate in practices geared toward stress management like tai chi, yoga, and mindful walking, earning two PE credits.
For IWS and IWISE Director Wendy Adam, the program’s group environment is essential to its success. “Over the years, it became increasingly clear to me that students would benefit from more than additional therapy sessions,” she wrote in an email to the Record on behalf of the IWISE team. “Burnout is real for them in such a high-performance environment, and the consequences to their wellbeing, learning, and relationships are profound.”
To facilitate those relationships, the program includes monthly events like shared meals, hikes, and discussions open to all students currently or formerly enrolled in an IWISE class. Adam emphasized that these events are designed to build a sense of belonging and sustain connection beyond the classroom. “Students will first and foremost experience intentional belonging — becoming part of a community committed to learning and practicing together,” she wrote. “I envision the IWISE community growing each semester as more students complete the class and stay engaged in the Wellbeing Advising and community events.”
Each student who participates in IWISE is also paired with one of nine trained wellbeing advisors — coaches and other staff members at the College — who also take part in the course. The pairs check in weekly and choose how to communicate, from quick text exchanges, coffee chats, or longer in-person meetings. “The mentorship is flexible by design,” Adam wrote. “It’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s driven by student needs and the strength of the advisor-student connection.”
Adam hopes that the wellbeing advisors can mirror the role of their academic counterparts. “Academic advisors guide students through their coursework and degree,” Adam wrote. “We wanted to create the same kind of steady support for wellbeing.”
The initiative is offering three class sections this fall and will continue in the spring. The program will expand its advising capacity and course offerings if student demand grows, Adam wrote.
According to Adam, the idea for IWISE has been forming since she began her role as Director of IWS 10 years ago. In her interview for the position, she said she described wellbeing as a competency that could be practiced and developed, much like any academic skill.
Over the years, Adam’s work with students only reinforced that belief. “I began sharing with anyone I could that performing well is dependent upon living well, and a more sustainable kind of excellence is possible,” she wrote. She pointed to what she sees as a damaging cultural narrative — that students must choose between high academic performance and prioritizing their wellbeing.
Adam said offering the program for PE credit was especially important. “By giving PE credit, we are declaring that this kind of learning is important enough to stand alongside traditional academics at Williams,” she explained.
Adam noted that the community gatherings will serve as a way to extend the IWISE experience beyond the semester when students are enrolled in it. The monthly gatherings will be open to both current and previous program participants. As each cohort graduates from the course, Adam hopes that they will continue showing up for events and contributing to the initiative. “We envision a growing community that doesn’t just end when the semester ends,” she wrote.
Adam’s goal is to give students a variety of tools they can carry well beyond their time at the College. “We want them to become adept at using these practices when they need them most,” she wrote. “And it’s not all serious. Play is just as important. We’re having fun together even after the first week.”
For Adam, however, the ultimate success of IWISE will be measured not just by enrollment numbers but by the culture it helps foster at the College. “The hope is that IWISE will become a lasting part of Williams, shaping not just individual lives but the culture of our campus as a whole,” she wrote.
