Inspiration & Culture
At Indiana University, there's inspiration at every turn.
IU is home to countless individuals who show us what it means to "live your best you." Read their stories at our Your Journey page, watch Healthy IU videos to inspire your best, and submit your own inspirational story here.
Live YOUR best YOU. Find support and resources on your campus.
The well-being of employees is the foundation of a productive, thriving university.
From IU’s Bicentennial Strategic Plan (Responsible Stewardship section):
“The Principle of an excellent education, above, emphasized the importance of the mental and physical health and wellness of students to their growth and their ability to benefit fully from the intellectual, cultural, and social life of the university. This applies with equal force to IU’s staff and faculty. IU in its role as an employer of thousands will continue to provide information, programs, and resources to foster the wellbeing and health of its employees. The benefits of this investment are great: a better working and learning environment for students, staff, and faculty; higher levels of satisfaction amongst employees; and greater productivity and fewer days lost to illness.”
What is this thing called culture? Culture is a combination of an organization’s:
- Attitudes
- Behaviors
- Beliefs
- Values
- Ways of doing things
- Other shared characteristics of a particular group of people
Culture can:
- Socialize newcomers
- Define influence
- Determine values
A strong wellness culture is the result of:
- Positive workplace attitudes—from the president to the newest hire
- Involvement and buy-in of all members of the workforce
- Mutual, meaningful, and measurable improvement goals
- Policies and procedures that serve as reference tools, rather than obscure rules
- Personnel training at all levels within the organization
- Responsibility and accountability throughout the organization
What are the basic elements of safety and health culture?
- All individuals within the organization believe they have a right to a safe and healthy workplace.
- Each person accepts personal responsibility for ensuring his or her own safety, health, and well-being.
- Everyone believes he or she has a duty to protect the safety and health of others.
To that end, IU is creating a culture of well-being. It’s about making the healthy choice the easy choice.
Join the Healthy IU movement! Take a look at how you can bring a culture of well-being to your corner of IU.