Healthy Campus Bonn
The Healthy Campus Bonn team implements the University health management strategy, working together with a range of stakeholders to produce conditions conducive to healthy studying, researching, teaching and working practices.
In the first half of this page, you will find the various steps of our development at the University of Bonn as well as selected milestones on our path to a UGM. In the second half, we describe the numerous stakeholders and our diverse network, which is essential for us to be successful.
Collaboration for a healthy campus
The Rectorate commissioned the Healthy Campus Bonn team to develop and implement a University health management strategy. All the relevant internal experts and stakeholders are networked within a participative approach and involved in the development of the strategy concept and process. Two Healthy Campus Bonn steering groups were set up to focus on the different needs of staff and students; scientific and external cooperations add further expertise.
The Healthy Campus Bonn initiative is dedicated to the sustainable promotion of individual health skills amongst all University members, and the provision of support to wider efforts to establish an efficient learning and working environment across the University. To this end, it works towards the establishment and extension of structures and conditions which support the health and well-being of staff and students alike. The team also seeks to anchor good health as a value in the institutional culture of the University of Bonn.
An essential feature of the University health management strategy is the scientific evaluation of its measures to ensure continual quality assurance and its needs-driven adaptation and development. A number of independent studies are also conducted within the scope of the strategy, the outcome of which represent a contribution to the literature of this area.
Development and milestones in the University Health Management
Since 2020: Healthy Campus Bonn in dynamic times
10 years of Healthy Campus Bonn
Healthy Campus Bonn was founded 10 years ago. Since then, University Health Management has developed further and established itself at the University of Bonn. We would therefore like to celebrate our 10th anniversary this year with a number of accompanying activities.
Podcast on the importance of health management
To mark the anniversary, Dr Manuela Preuß recalls the origins of HCBN and provides insights into current and future projects.
Birthday greetings for our anniversary
During the Healthy Campus Bonn week in the Campo Mensa in Poppelsdorf, the team celebrated with students and staff. There were customised birthday mugs and lots of activities and hands-on offers on the topics of health, nutrition, exercise and relaxing breaks. Healthy Campus Bonn Week is a campaign organised and implemented by Healthy Campus Bonn together with other stakeholders.
Healthy Campus Bonn - 10 years of university health management
Bild © Universität Bonn / YouTube
Pilot survey ‘Mental Health’ of students
In the winter semester 2021/22, Healthy Campus Bonn conducted a pilot survey on the topic of student mental health at the University of Bonn on the initiative of the Student Parliament in cooperation with the Central Student Advisory Service and the Institute of Psychology. The initial aim was to take stock of students' mental health and to analyse influencing factors such as study requirements and resources.
Following the survey, the results were presented to the faculties and further analysed using focus groups and a series of workshops with employees and students. In addition to increased awareness of the topic, concrete actions were also derived from this. Some of these are listed below. There are also plans to conduct a full survey on the topic in 2025.
Uni Bonn: Healthy & Physically Active
Since 2023
Although sitting for long periods is unhealthy, it is our norm in everyday life. With the concept for a healthy, active University of Bonn, we want to create more opportunities to integrate movement into everyday life.
Network meeting NGH & AGH in Bonn
November 2023
In November 2023, two network meetings of health-promoting universities took place at the University of Bonn.
Evaluation of mental strategies for doctoral candidates
2022
The stress management seminar ‘Power through your Doctoral Studies’ was accompanied by a randomised intervention study.
Development of digital platforms
Since 2020
We expanded our digital offering at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
2019 - 2022: Employee survey
In several phases of the survey, we asked university employees how they are doing at their workplace and how satisfied they are with their working situation. We are in the process of using the results of the survey to determine your needs and develop measures together with the employees to improve their day-to-day work and make it (even) healthier.
2014 - 2019: Further development of Healthy Campus Bonn as University Health Management
Cooperation with Techniker Krankenkasse
2019
The University of Bonn and Techniker Krankenkasse have launched a five-year cooperation project on UGM. The aim is to strengthen the individual health literacy of university members so that they can learn, teach and work successfully in the long term.
Curricular integration of TK mental strategies for students in the LWF
2018
Healthy Campus Bonn offers the module ‘Stress-free through your studies’ every semester. Students on the Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences and Bachelor of Food Science programmes can strengthen their stress management skills through their curriculum.
Conference ‘Student health management: how does it work?’
June 21, 2018
The conference at the Bonn University Club included presentations on the concept development of an SGM and specialist contributions on topics such as the development and implementation of structures, analysis methods, measures and evaluation within the framework of an SGM.
The Student Health Management seminar with the title “Student health management - how does that work?”, organized jointly by the University of Bonn, the Landesvereinigung für Gesundheit & Akademie für Sozialmedizin Niedersachsen e. V., the bundesweiter Arbeitskreis Gesundheitsfördernde Hochschulen (AGH) and Techniker Krankenkasse, was held in the Bonn University Club on June 21, 2018.
The some 90 participants included health managers, representatives from university sports organizations, students and experts from a range of universities, universities of applied science and student representative bodies from across Germany.
The event program included lectures focusing on the development of student health management concepts and the establishment and implementation of structures, analyses, measures and evaluations conducted within the framework of a student health management strategy. A range of experts from various universities presented and discussed the first successfully-implemented elements of such strategies such as the student break time express and student health management strategies.
2011 - 2015: Student survey
Student Survey – Results (in German)
- Most important results of the seventh survey wave (winter semester 2014/2015): To the results
- Most important results of the sixth survey wave (summer semester 2014): To the results
- Most important results of the fifth survey wave (winter semester 2013/2014): To the results
- Most important results of the forth survey wave (summer semester 2013): To the results
- Most important results of the third survey wave (winter semester 2012/2013): To the results
- Most important results of the second survey wave (summer semester 2012): To the results
- Most important results of the first survey wave (winter semester 2011/2012): To the results
Summary sleep and health: To the results
Summary Yoga Plus: To the results
Establishment of the steering groups
2017
On behalf of the Rectorate, Healthy Campus Bonn steering groups were set up for employees and students to provide information about the activities of Healthy Campus Bonn, to discuss and promote the topics.
Healthy Campus Bonn Conferenz
2016
Information will follow shortly
Implementation of Pausenexpress
2016
Implementation of Pausenexpress for employees and students with scientific evaluation - further information will follow shortly
Establishment of the Healthy Campus Bonn Team
2014
Development and implementation of a holistic University Health Management system for all university target groups for technical and administrative staff, academics, professors and students.
2007 - 2013: The beginnings of Health Management
Scientific monitoring of the walking competition for employees
2013
Under the leadership of Healthy Campus, a 60-day walking competition was organised to raise awareness of physical activity among employees at the University of Bonn and motivate them to take part in sporting activities.
Cooperation with German Sportuniversity Cologne
2012
Information on the cooperation and the integration of the health initiative for students will follow shortly.
Establishment of the Student Health Initiative
2011
Healthy Campus for Students was created in 2011 from an initiative at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and the German Sport University Cologne.
Healthy Campus for Students was developed in 2011 by the University of Bonn and German Sport University Cologne. A healthy lifestyle consisting of a balanced diet and regular exercise is universally accepted as the fundamental requirement for physical and mental health, from childhood into old age. Contrary to general expectation, many university students and staff exhibit unfavorable lifestyle characteristics. Studies show that students in particular exhibit considerable scope for improvement in terms of exercise and diet, and suffer from a variety of psychovegetative and orthopedic complaints. The considerable time spent by students at university during a formative period in their life makes their university years key to the development of health skills. Universities have considerable scope to deploy a range of targeted health-related services provided within their existing infrastructure to achieve a lasting and positive impact. The University of Bonn Healthy Campus initiative has developed a range of measures to exploit this potential. Experts from various disciplines (including medicine, sports science, nutrition and psychology) have assembled a range of provision to be deployed within the Healthy Campus Bonn initiative that should enable students and staff to achieve a healthy lifestyle, and enable them to develop lasting health skills.
In addition to a variety of measures designed to promote and strengthen the individual health skills of students and employees at the University of Bonn, Healthy Campus Bonn also conducts a number of scientifically-supervised projects. Working on the basis of many years of research, the primary goal of the research-based initiative is to raise health awareness and promote exercise-rich lifestyles. In so doing, it hopes to anchor health as a value in the wider University culture, thereby fostering a culture of lifelong individual responsibility for health amongst its members. This approach requires continuous quality control and scientific evaluation of the measures and offers provided and implemented within the scope of the strategy. In this way, the University of Bonn hopes to raise its profile as the “Healthy Campus Bonn” and thus make it an even more attractive location at which to study and work. We are currently seeking to recruit further cooperation partners amongst statutory health insurance companies, healthcare providers and a range of regional businesses.
Introduction of a workplace health promotion scheme
2007
Information on this will follow shortly.
Our network surrounding the UGM
Steering groups Healthy Campus Bonn
Healthy Campus Bonn aims to enable students and employees at the University of Bonn to enjoy a healthy study and work environment. In order to incorporate different perspectives, the steering groups meet twice a year to provide information about the activities of Healthy Campus Bonn, to discuss and further develop the topics.
Steering Group Employees
- Head: Chancellor
- Occupational health and safety
- Counselling centre for employees
for psycho-social issues and conflict resolution - occupational health care
- Family Office
- Equal Opportunities Officer
- University Communications
- University Sports
- Youth and trainee representation
- Organisational Development
- Human Resources Development
- Staff Council, Departement & Develompent
- Council of Employees with Disabilities
- Spokesperson of the Faculty Conference
Student Steering Group
- Head: Vice-Rector for Studies, Teaching and University Development
- General Student Committee (AStA)
- Representative for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses
- Department 9 - Studies, Teaching, Planning
- Family Office
- Equal Opportunities Officer
- University Communications
- University Sports
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences
- Spokesperson of the Faculty Conference
- Guidance and Counselling Centre
Further stakeholders
In addition to the steering groups, we also cooperate with various experts inside and outside the university on different topics:
- Bonn Graduate Centre: including cooperation on the stress management seminar for doctoral students
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Developmental & Educational Psychology: cooperation on the Ü50 programme and Master's theses
- Faculty of Agriculture: cooperation on ‘Mental strategies - stress-free through your studies’
- Studierendenwerk Bonn: cooperation on the Healthy Campus Bonn Week, among other things
- Techniker Krankenkasse: cooperation on university health management
Cooperation in networks
We are active members of various networks and regularly take part in working meetings and events.
- Network Healthy Universities NRW: Association of health managers at universities in North Rhine-Westphalia to intensify networking processes and opportunities to share experiences
Further information (German website) - German Network Health Promoting Universities: nationwide association of representatives from universities and university-related organisations
Further information - Competence Centre for Health-Promoting Universities: nationwide association of universities and university-related institutions for the development of a health-promoting university setting
Further information (German website)
