Resources: Health and Wellness

Accessibility Resources and Service

Accessibility Resources and Service (ARS) supports the University’s commitment to accessibility, and seeks to meet the individual needs of applicants and current students with disabilities and medical conditions as they relate to academics, residences, dining, and co- and extra-curricular campus activities. ARS coordinates and implements appropriate reasonable accommodations including academic adjustments and provides appropriate resources and services in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504). Individual needs are addressed on a case-by-case basis through the provision of reasonable accommodations, allowing the University to maintain the integrity of its programs and services.

ARS works with all students including undergraduate and graduate students, full-time and part-time students, students following continuing education courses or who may be auditing, and program applicants. Prospective and existing students are invited to connect with ARS through the submission of a self-identification form and supporting documentation.

ARS is located in the Student Academic Services Building North (Suite 2126) between the Rams Head Center and Morrison Residence Hall. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. ARS staff can be contacted by email at ars@unc.edu or telephone at (919) 962-8300 (V) (TTY-711 [NC RELAY]). More information is available on the ARS website.

Campus Health Services

Campus Health Services (CHS), located next to Kenan Stadium in the James A. Taylor Building, provides a broad range of health care services including primary care, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, nutrition services, dermatology, travel information and immunization, and allergy management. For convenience, in-house laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and physical therapy services also are available. CHS also provides counseling and psychological services; please see the Counseling and Psychological Services section for greater detail about services offered.

Eligibility

Any student or postdoctoral fellow who has paid the campus health fee for the current semester or summer session is eligible for health care at CHS. Spouses of full-time students and postdoctoral fellows can receive care at CHS.

Health Fee

Currently, the fee covers the cost of most professional services (there is no charge for office visits) provided by CHS physicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, nurses, physical therapists, and registered dieticians. The health fee also provides reduced charges for prescription drugs, miscellaneous supplies, laboratory tests, X-rays, medical procedures, and specialty services. Spouses of students are eligible to receive the same services as students by paying the campus health fee at CHS and demonstrating appropriate insurance coverage.

Hours

Hours of operation vary according to the academic calendar. Hours of operation during the academic year are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students are typically seen on an appointment basis from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Acute care services are provided between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday during the fall and spring semesters. Weekend acute care services are considered premium services and there is an associated visit charge. Hours of operation in the summer are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. If CHS is closed, students have access to a nurse advice line through UNC Healthlink, and there is always a CHS physician on call. Call (919) 966-2281 to verify hours of operation, schedule an appointment, or to speak with the Healthlink nurse when CHS is closed.

Immunizations

North Carolina law mandates that all new students at the University document the completion of immunization requirements. Failure to comply may result in cancellation of registration 30 days after classes begin. Vaccines are offered at Campus Health Services at reasonable rates for students who need to complete their immunization requirement.

Mandatory Health Insurance

The University requires proof of health insurance as a condition of enrollment. The University offers a group health insurance plan, including major medical benefits to single and married students, their spouses/partners, and children.

Campus Recreation

Campus Recreation offers amenities for all fitness and recreation wants, needs, and desires of the UNC population. It provides a diverse and intentional recreational program in a safe, inclusive, and accessible environment which enhances the social, mental, and physical well-being of the entire University community. Campus Recreation enjoys a unique dual reporting relationship with the Department of Exercise and Sport Science (EXSS) and its rich history and commitment to a healthy and active lifestyle, and with the Division of Student Affairs, which represents the Carolina spirit of student development and living outside the classroom.

Facilities

Campus Recreation offers a variety of facilities to satisfy the wants and needs of all UNC students, faculty members, and staff. The two fitness centers, the Student Recreation Center and Rams Head Recreation Center, offer cardiovascular and weight training equipment, as well as an indoor track, locker rooms, and group fitness studios. Basketball, squash, and racquetball courts, along with equipment for check-out, can be found throughout Fetzer Hall and Woollen Gym. These facilities also feature a cycle studio, climbing walls, and multipurpose rooms that can function for practice and instruction of a variety of fitness types. Both an indoor and an outdoor pool are located near the heart of campus. North and South Campus feature recreation complexes and fields for playing basketball, volleyball, tennis, and any other sport. The Outdoor Education Center, located off Country Club Road, is also a great facility for experiencing how recreation and the outdoors can go hand-in-hand.

Intramural Sports

Intramural Sports offers opportunities for students to compete against their peers in a friendly and structured environment.

Sport Clubs

A sport club is a University-recognized student organization formed by individuals with a common interest in a sport. Its primary goal is to promote and develop interest in a particular sport and recruit new members. Clubs may be instructional, recreational, and/or competitive.

Fitness and Wellness

Fitness and Wellness is housed in the Student Recreation Center (SRC) and Rams Head Recreation Center (RHRC). Both facilities offer a wide variety of cardiovascular equipment, including many stationary bikes, stair climbers, treadmills, and cross-trainers/elliptical machines.

Over the years, Fitness and Counseling and Wellness Services (of Campus Health Services) have teamed together to enhance student wellness through greater collaborative programming, such as Powerfully Pink (a breast cancer awareness program), Women’s Health and Fitness Day, the Farmer’s Market, Fit Wellness into Your Day, and the Get Fit from Head to Heel Challenge.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), a department of Campus Health Services, is located on the third floor of the James A. Taylor Building.

The CAPS staff is strongly committed to addressing the mental health needs of a diverse student body through timely access to consultation and connection to clinically appropriate services. CAPS affirms that people of every background are to be treated with respect and dignity. The professional ethics and standards of the multidisciplinary staff at CAPS set a framework for understanding how facets of identity (e.g., gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, physical and mental abilities, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic background) impact life experience. The CAPS approach to mental health integrates physical, emotional, academic, spiritual, social, and cultural well-being. Counseling and Psychological Services include individual, couples, and group therapy, urgent consultation and crisis intervention, and medication evaluation/management. The CAPS staff consists of licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, psychology practicum students, interns, and administrative support personnel.

Counseling and Psychological Services can be reached Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (919) 966-3658. CAPS invites initial evaluations without an appointment Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students who have a psychological crisis should call (919) 966-3658 immediately. If the crisis occurs after hours, call Campus Health Services at (919) 966-2281.

Student Wellness Services

Student Wellness Services seeks to enhance the individual and collective health of the community through a wide range of programs, services, and resources. Through partnerships with other campus departments, community agencies, student organizations, and peer mentors, we work to develop and advocate for a campus and community environment that creates, emphasizes, and supports healthy choices and positive decision making regarding health, safety, and wellness.

Student Wellness promotes wellness as a journey rather than an outcome and believes that students’ health choices, as well as the culture of the community around them, involve a dynamic and multifaceted integration of eight dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, cultural, environmental, intellectual, and financial. Using these dimensions, Student Wellness provides integrative programs and services related to a variety of health topic areas, including healthy relationships and sexual health; stress management; sleep hygiene; alcohol and other substance education, interventions, and recovery supports; and violence prevention.

Student Wellness provides these programs and services on an individual, group, and larger campus community level.

The office, located in Suite 1310 of the Student Academic Services Building (SASB) North, can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (919) 962-9355.