How Do You Measure Good Will: Finals Week Activities, Student Well-Being, and Assessment

As academic libraries implement more well-being initiatives to support students in a stress-inducing environment, what assessment measures do we have in place to ensure that our goals are being met? The resources used for these initiatives - labor, funding, and non-biodegradable trinkets - are not infinite. What lengths are we willing to go to in the quest for stress relief for our students? And what return do we have on our investments in these initiatives?  

This presentation will present an overview of a finals week study conducted at an R1 institution library, showcase examples of finals week activities, and share student feedback. Additionally, we will explore how closely examining the library’s finals week initiatives has sparked a conversation about whole-person development initiatives that take place more frequently than once a semester.