Further, we found that the members of the Penn community, includ- ing faculty, students, staff, parents, and families, care deeply about seeing
students flourish in all aspects of their lives. There is, however, a strong
need for the University to consistently and clearly communicate to stu- dents about the importance of caring for one’s psychological wellbeing to
the academic and future success. We applaud the increased efforts to con- vey messages of mindfulness, resilience, and self-care along with the need
to lean on others for support in times of stress or distress. We can do more
to ensure that everyone in the community understand the signs of distress
and where to turn for help—for themselves or others. All members of the
Penn community must focus on how best to contribute to the creation of
an environment that fosters mental wellbeing which is essential to suc- cess. That work, in which every member of the community has a stake and
a responsibility to carry forward, must continue until it is fully and inextri- cably imbedded in Penn’s culture.