Undergraduate students at Union Commonwealth University (UCU) received firsthand experience in content creation when they strategized and drafted posters to bring awareness to the university’s upcoming Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Common Well. The name is both a reference to working toward a wellness campus and a nod to the university’s new name. Common Well addresses the six aspects of wellness: intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and occupational. 

[IMAGE: Student poster reminiscent of the classic board game, "Connect Four"]

All institutions belonging to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) education accreditor dedicate five years to each QEP, defining an area for growth in student success or institutional effectiveness, setting objectives, and implementing new programs and resources to make a substantial change. After surveying students, faculty, and staff, mental wellness stood out as a significant issue and was selected for the 2025 QEP. 

The search for wellness is not unique to Union. Rather, a 2024 U.S. News & World Report survey found 70% of students reported struggling with their mental health since starting college. 

Creating campus-wide buy-in is a crucial piece to the success of Common Well. Early conversations within the QEP committee discussed opportunities for students to get involved. Since the program doesn’t begin until next year, the current focus is on building knowledge of the topic and what it will mean for the UCU community. 

[IMAGE: Student poster reminiscent of chess]

The students in my COMM 232: Layout and Design course spent a week brainstorming and sketching poster ideas to hang up around campus and introduce Common Well to the community. Students spent one class session learning about Common Well and brainstorming campaign ideas. They quickly determined that bright colors, recognizable images, and nostalgic elements would attract viewers and readers. Several students agreed that using board/card games with the ideas of ‘leveling up’ and ‘winning at life’ were fitting themes. 

Creating campus-wide buy-in is a crucial piece to the success of Common Well. Early conversations within the QEP committee discussed opportunities for students to get involved. Since the program doesn’t begin until next year, the current focus is on building knowledge of the topic and what it will mean for the UCU community. 

[IMAGE: Student poster reminiscent of the classic board game, "Operation"]

The students in my COMM 232: Layout and Design course spent a week brainstorming and sketching poster ideas to hang up around campus and introduce Common Well to the community. Students spent one class session learning about Common Well and brainstorming campaign ideas. They quickly determined that bright colors, recognizable images, and nostalgic elements would attract viewers and readers. Several students agreed that using boarThen, the class listed as many games as possible with quippy headings related to wellness. Gabriel Carmona stated that the theme “kept things serious while thinking outside the box.” Another student, Jenny Reyes, said, “everyone knows board games, so it will stop people when they’re walking around campus.” Over a dozen game ideas were thrown around, but the list was eventually narrowed down to four: Uno, Connect Four, Chess, and Operation. 

The following class session, students broke into groups of two or three to begin sketching and developing the poster ideas. Samuel Parrish admitted sketching the ideas on paper was his favorite part of the whole project. Most students worked on Canva, a free design program, to put their posters together. By the end of the class, each group turned in their draft for revision. 

[IMAGE: Student poster reminiscent of the classic game, "Uno"]

Jean Vargas said, “If these were games, I would want to try them out. It turned the topic into something fun.” 

The course provides students with the skills and knowledge to create print and digital designs, and whenever we can, we incorporate real-world experiences like this. The students’ posters will be displayed around campus for at least the remainder of the academic year, setting the stage for important conversations and changes centered around wellness.