Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being
Mission
The mission of the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being at the University of Wisconsin-Superior is to promote and enhance the science and practice of mindfulness and well-being for students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities.
Vision
Our vision is to become nationally recognized for the integration and advancement of mindfulness and well-being in higher education. We believe education has a dual purpose: building intellectual growth and fostering the development of well-being. This provides individuals with the knowledge and skills for career preparation along with the abilities to live authentically with greater meaning and purpose. The University of Wisconsin-Superior has made a deliberate commitment to advancing mindfulness and well-being as a priority for all students, faculty, and staff to improve campus climate, reduce mental health concerns, and improve achievement and retention efforts.
Values
We believe that regardless of discipline or position, we all have the opportunity to be teachers and learners of well-being. UW-Superior’s commitment to well-being encourages all members of our campus and local community to learn what it means to be mindful, to improve relationships, to manage stress and adversity, to develop a range of interests and strengths, and to establish a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives and careers.
Activities and Engagement
The Pruitt Center will become a gathering hub, serving to provide mindfulness and well-being resources and expertise, learning projects, and personal/professional development activities. The Pruitt Center is committed to advancing the science and practice of mindfulness and well-being, utilizing a multidimensional framework that recognizes a diverse population within the UW-Superior campus and surrounding region. The Pruitt Center will also focus efforts on establishing partnerships and collaboration across campus and the greater community.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week course consisting of weekly sessions and one all-day retreat. It is based on the highly successful program established in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. This course if offered world-wide and is available for the first time at UW-Superior.
Weekly sessions include:
- Instruction in mindfulness meditation practices and mindful living
- Gentle stretching and mindful yoga
- Exercises to enhance awareness in everyday life
- Group discussion centering on specific topics related to mindful living
People who complete the course report one or more of the following:
- Lasting improvements in physical and psychological symptoms
- Increased ability to stay calm and to think more clearly
- Increased self-awareness
- Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
- Reduction in pain levels and/or enhanced ability to cope with pain
- Improved self-esteem and self-confidence
- Ability to cope more effectively with short and longterm stressful situations
The course fee is $50; Beginning September 10, 2018; Only 30 openings available
Courses available at UW-Superior in partnership with Essentia Health
For more information, please contact the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being.
Who We Are
Randy Barker MSE, LPC : Interim Director, Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being
Mindfulness and Well-Being Advisory Board:
Dr. Mary Lee-Nichols: Associate Professor, Teacher Education
Kristine Patterson: Director, Campus Recreation
Maureen Rappley-Larson: Assistant Professor, Social Work
Dr. Shevaun Stocker: Department Chair, Human Behavior, Justice and Diversity Department and Associate Professor, Psychology
Who We Serve
- UW-Superior students, faculty, staff, and alumni
- Regional community
- Research scholars, practitioners and lifelong learners