Well-being at Columbia
Last reviewed: 3/31/2025
At Columbia, the World Health Organization definition of well-being is used as the basis of well-being on campus.
"Well-being is a positive state experienced by individuals and societies. Similar to health, it's a resource for daily life and is determined by social, economic and environmental conditions. Well-being encompasses quality of life and the ability to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose."
In all areas of the University, well-being is a priority that supports the advancement of knowledge and learning at the highest level and exists in a global context.
Well-being Dimensions

Career Well-being: encourages exploration of personal and professional growth throughout the ebbs and flows of one’s work
Emotional Well-being: encourages recognizing, expressing, and managing emotions; it also encourages the ability to adapt to changing environments
Financial Well-being: encourages managing and navigating monetary resources to support current and future needs
Intellectual Well-being: encourages lifelong learning and exploration of passions to engage the mind
Physical Well-being: encourages caring for your body
Relational Well-being: encourages developing social connections within your inner circles and broader communities to nurture a sense of belonging
Spiritual Well-being: encourages engaging in practices to connect to something beyond yourself
Acknowledgments
Through a broad community-based participatory process, the following groups made material contributions to the development and approval of a University-wide definition of well-being and the associated dimensions. We express our ongoing gratitude for past, present, and future leadership to advance well-being among all members of the Columbia Community.
- Live Well | Learn Well, Columbia’s JED Initiative
- Columbia Health
- Healthier Columbia Network
- Wellness Advisory Committee, Office of Work Life
- Computer Workstation Ergonomics Working Group, Office of Work Life
- General Studies Student Council
- Columbia College Student Council
Reference