Faculty Wellness During the Coronavirus Emergency

We recognize that recent rapid changes and new demands on faculty members can create emotional as well as practical and physical challenges. Here are some resources available to all UMD faculty members (TTK and PTK) for finding emotional support during these difficult times:

  • Faculty Staff Assistance Program: Faculty members can schedule appointments by calling Tom Ruggieri at 301-314-8170 or Joan Bellsey at 301-314-8099. Alternatively, faculty members can email either Tom (ruggieri@umd.edu) or Joanne (jbellsey@umd.edu).
  • If your students are in distress, you can refer them to the UMD counseling center, which is currently offering phone and teletherapy sessions.
  • Faculty Ombuds: Ellin Scholnick is currently available by email; please contact her for an appointment: escholni@umd.edu.
  • The Campus Pantry will be open on the ground floor of the University Health Center on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am-3pm.
  • Office of Faculty Affairs: For other faculty issues around mentoring, development, and work-life balance, email Laura Rosenthal at lrosent1@umd.edu to set up an appointment by phone or Zoom. PTK faculty members may want to contact Heidi Bulich hbulich@umd.edu.

External Resources

Meditation

The University Health Center will be hosting three live-stream meditations each week, starting March 24. The schedule is:

  • Tuesdays from 10:30am-11:30am
  • Thursdays from 10:30am-11:30am
  • Fridays from 4pm-5pm

These meditations will be hosted on Zoom. [link forthcoming] The University Health Center also offers recorded meditation podcasts.

Fitness:

Exercise is crucial to wellness, but challenging during the current circumstances. RecWell is currently closed, but watch this site for any updates.

Other Fitness Options:

If you belong to a gym, check to see if they are offering online programming as many are doing this.

Here is a list of sites with links to online yoga. Most of them are free:

Parks

Prince George's County

Montgomery County

Other

Volunteer Opportunities

Expert Advice

You will be encountering a lot of wellness advice. Here are some recommendations from reputable sources.

American Psychology Association Recommendations

World Health Organization

Resources for Parents and Caregivers