3 Credits to Better Grades: How Dartmouth’s Wellness Requirement Actually Works And Why 98% Of Students Love It
The school is changing how you learn to live well by moving wellness education into the main curriculum.
There is a difference between a nutrition class and a lifestyle overhaul. For a long time, the idea of student wellness was treated as a nice add-on, maybe a yoga class or a pamphlet in the dining hall. But this year, things are changing at Dartmouth. The Kirsten and Eugene F. “Buddy” Teevens ’79 Center for Peak Performance has stepped up to manage the wellness education requirement for undergraduates. This means a three-credit shift that aims to do more than just keep students healthy. It is trying to make performance and well-being a real part of the degree program. The center is launching a new Mental Performance course this fall and opening applications for research and innovation grants. It feels like a move toward treating the whole student, not just the test scores.
Let us be real about what this means for the average student. You are not just sitting in a lecture hall. You are living in a dorm, you are juggling a part-time job, and you are trying to feed yourself on a budget. The old model of wellness often felt removed from that reality. But the new DP2 for All initiative is different. It extends educational workshops beyond the varsity locker room to everyone on campus. Since launching in fall term 2025, the center has delivered more than 20 sessions that reached well over 350 nonvarsity students. The feedback numbers are pretty telling. Almost everyone who tried it found it relevant to their lives. Seventy-seven percent said it made a difference in their daily routine. More than ninety percent wanted more of it. That is a high bar for a college requirement to clear.
You might wonder what a wellness requirement looks like when it is not just lectures on kale. The new eight-week Mental Performance course provides a good example. Led by Jill Kochanek, the Moore Family Assistant Director for Leadership and Mental Performance, the course is built around five core mental performance competencies. It pairs research discussions with a mental training lab. This is where students get to test strategies in real time. The goal is to help students who might not think of themselves as performers at all. The idea is to build skills for the classroom, the stage, and life beyond graduation. It is practical stuff. It is about managing the stress of a big presentation or the anxiety of a busy week.
There is also a focus on the practical navigation of campus life. The center has partnered with the First-Generation Office. Jay Davis is the director of that office. He is a former varsity athlete who knows the value of good training. He thinks it is exciting to give first-generation students access to research on athletic performance. One specific addition to this year’s program is “Hacking FOCO.” This is a workshop designed to help students navigate the dining hall. We all know how overwhelming the food options can be when you are trying to make good choices. Another workshop tackles imposter syndrome during the first week of classes. These are the kinds of tools that actually help you survive and thrive. It is about removing the barriers that keep students from focusing on their education.
The Teevens Center is not just running courses. It is trying to spark new ideas through its research and innovation grants program. The program is designed to spur interdisciplinary projects focused on human performance, leadership, and well-being. Applications are due Nov. 10, with awards announced in December. This is a chance for students and faculty to test ideas that might not fit into a standard curriculum. For instance, Julia Pye is a varsity track and field and cross-country athlete. She is working with Dartmouth researchers and a group of competitive rock climbers. They are testing a tool specifically adapted for performance anxiety. Pye’s own experience managing that anxiety as a competitive runner drove the project. She saw a need for a support tool available when high performers need it most. This kind of interdisciplinary work is exactly where the future of health education is heading.
Duncan Simpson is the director of the Teevens Center. He views all of these changes as a chance to build on momentum. The center’s philosophy is that tools built for athletes belong to every student. Simpson believes that integrating performance and well-being education should be a definite feature of the experience, not just an optional enhancement. He wants the center to become a place where students can examine innovative thinking. He wants a Dartmouth where performance and well-being education touches every student as an integral part of their journey. Simpson sums it up by saying, “The point isn’t to check a box. It’s to give students wellness education that actually means something to them and that they can carry past graduation.” That is a pretty solid goal for a food and nutrition perspective. It is about giving people the skills to enjoy their lives long after they leave the cafeteria.
First reported by Dartmouth.
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