The concept of well-being is not new, but the body of research that links well-being to academic success, lifelong health, happiness and personal success continues to grow. 

“Health and well-being are determinants of learning, productivity and engagement.”(Okanagan Charter)

Well-being is not developed in isolation. The relationship between individuals and their environment is dynamic. Healthy individuals build healthy communities; healthy communities provide the supportive environment for individual well-being.

• Individual well-being is defined within three broad and interrelated categories: 1) the perceived assessment of one's own life as being generally happy and satisfying, 2) having one's needs met, and 3) one's contribution to the community. 
• Community well-being is defined by relationships and connectedness, perceived quality of life for all people in the community, and how well the community meets the needs of all members.
  (www.nirsa.org/hands-in) 

As such, health promotion is not just the responsibility of the health sector, but must engage all sectors to take an explicit stance in favor of health, equity, social justice and sustainability for all, while recognizing that the well-being of people, places and the planet are interdependent.

Opportunities for study, research and employment at NDSU extend throughout the world. Through these exchanges, NDSU has a global presence. We want to be welcoming to all who come to NDSU, and we want to carry the best of NDSU with us on our journeys. We want to prepare its members for lifelong well-being, and in doing so, to empower them to make positive contributions to their families, workplaces, communities and the world.

NDSU is a member of the United States Health Promoting Campuses Network (USHPCN) that is guided by the Okanagan Charter , an International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges (2015), that was created through collaboration of researchers, practitioners, administrators, students and policy makers from 45 countries. It provides institutions with a common language, principles and framework to become a “health and well-being promoting campus”. The Charter serves as a guide for the President’s Council for Well-Being and outlines two Calls to Action:

1. To embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates;
2. To lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.