To serve as the leading organization for advancing the health of college students and campus communities by advocating for, educating about, and researching college health and well-being. The American College Health Association (ACHA) commits to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA), supports healthy campus environments, shares knowledge across disciplines, and focuses on holistic, data-driven health and well-being approaches.
The Stephan D. Weiss, PhD, Mental Health Fund for Higher Education, managed by the American College Health Foundation, was established to boost the quality of mental health care for college students amidst increasing concerns around mental and behavioral health issues within higher education. This initiative underscores the impact of these disorders on student retention, learning, and the broader educational community's health and safety. Offering a $5000 award, matched by a $5000 commitment from the recipient's institution, the grant supports innovative programs that enhance mental health services and can be replicated elsewhere. Its directives include identifying student mental health needs, assessing environmental and institutional factors affecting mental health, evaluating resources for prevention and treatment, developing strategic initiatives for a healthier campus, increasing awareness and intervention for mental health issues, and strengthening the approach to mental and behavioral health challenges through evidence-based methods. This grant aims to retain students affected by mental health issues by enhancing the quality of mental health support services.