Bucknell University Student Health Services: A Comprehensive Guide to Well-being

Bucknell University prioritizes the health and well-being of its students, offering a wide array of services and resources designed to support their physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial wellness. These services are readily accessible and aim to empower students to lead healthy and fulfilling lives during their academic journey.

Accessible and Confidential Care On Campus

Bucknell Student Health provides a comprehensive suite of on-site care to help students recover quickly from illnesses and injuries and achieve their health goals. Visits to Bucknell Student Health are available to all students on campus regardless of their health insurance type. Appointments should be scheduled by calling 570-577-1401.

Services include:

Treatment for routine illnesses and injuries
Sexual health services
Drug and alcohol education
Travel medicine
Nutritional education
Campus outreach

Preparing for a Healthy Start

As students begin their Bucknell experience, they are encouraged to prepare a self-care kit with essential items to maintain their health and well-being.

Comprehensive Health, Wellness, and Counseling Services

Bucknell Student Health serves the Bucknell community with a full suite of health, wellness, and counseling services, from routine check-ups to minor surgeries and physical therapy. Referrals to local health-care providers are also available.

Partnerships with Local Healthcare Organizations

Bucknell Student Health has established partnerships with WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg and Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, both highly respected healthcare organizations located near campus. These partnerships enable students to access specialists, emergency care, and other health resources through either provider.

Emotional and Psychological Wellness

Counseling & Student Development Center (CSDC)

The Counseling & Student Development Center (CSDC), located in the Graham Building next to Bucknell Student Health, offers free, confidential therapy services to students, both in person and via telehealth. The CSDC's team of counselors and psychologists includes specialists in alcohol and other drugs, as well as counselors who focus on supporting students with diverse concerns, identities, and styles.

Available options include:

One-on-one therapy appointments
Telehealth counseling
Same-day appointments for urgent mental health needs
24/7 emergency mental health support
Referrals to off-campus providers and drug intervention and recovery resources
Outreach programming, including campus visits from therapy dogs

Off-Site Telehealth Counseling: UWill

As an alternative to the CSDC, students can access telehealth counseling with off-campus therapists at no cost through Bucknell's partnership with UWill. Students can select a therapist based on their preferences (primary concern, gender, language, ethnicity) and schedule up to eight counseling sessions via video, phone, or chat.

Physical Wellness Resources

Bucknell Student Health Services

Located in the Graham Building, Bucknell Student Health offers a wide range of on-site, confidential, quality care to help students meet their health goals, including:

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Sexual health: Free barrier distribution, orders for and dispensing of some pharmaceutical birth control, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, consultation and ordering of PrEP, and pregnancy information, testing, and assistance.
Nutrition services: Access to an on-campus registered dietitian, support for student-athletes, medical nutrition therapy, and treatment of disordered eating.
Drug and alcohol education.
Vaping, smoking, or other nicotine cessation support.
Travel medicine.

Recreation Services

Recreation Services offers a variety of recreation- and fitness-based programming to educate the Bucknell community in establishing and maintaining healthier lifestyles. Based at the Kenneth Langone Athletics & Recreation Center (KLARC), which features an Olympic-size pool, a spacious fitness and weight-training center, and a fieldhouse, Recreation Services hosts daily student programming, including:

Club and club varsity sports
Intramurals
Group fitness classes
Fitness equipment orientations and consultations
Indoor climbing
Equipment rentals
Wellness programs

Outdoor Education & Leadership (OEL)

Outdoor Education & Leadership (OEL) provides a wide range of opportunities, services, and programs that facilitate encounters with the outdoors for individuals and groups. These include:

More than 40 guided excursions per semester, including day and overnight trips, as well as break outings.
The OEL Rental Center, offering free rentals for self-guided student excursions.
Bison Bikes, where students can borrow day bikes for transportation around Lewisburg and mountain bikes for off-road use, free of charge.
The CLIMBucknell Challenge Course at Cowan.
The five-day BuckWild Pre-Orientation program.

Social Wellness Initiatives

Personal Wellness Coaching

Wellness coaching is a free resource for students that facilitates self-directed change with the guidance of a peer coach on topics of well-being. Sessions are one-on-one, virtual, conversational appointments with a certified peer wellness coach and are personalized to meet students' goals.

Social Programming

Bucknell provides ample opportunities and structures to help students find their place on campus. The Campus Activities & Programs Center offers new activities nearly every night of the week, along with more than 200 student clubs and organizations. The 7th Street Studio & MakerSpace offers late-night weekday and weekend hours and a variety of stress-relief "do it yourself" activities such as designing t-shirts, yoga mats, water bottles and much more.

Outdoor Activity Spaces

Bucknell's campus offers numerous opportunities for exploration and education through its outdoor amenities, including:

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A firepit at the Bucknell Farm
Disc golf course (rent discs at the KLARC)
Permanent ping-pong and cornhole equipment on Smith Quad
Outdoor basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts with lighting around campus
Pavilions near Rooke Science, Bertrand Library, and Academic West

Spiritual Wellness Support

The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life

The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life provides space for members of all faiths and religious traditions, including atheists, agnostics, and seekers. Bucknell offers chaplains and spaces for the Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant communities, as well as interfaith spaces and programming.

Spaces for worship and gathering on campus include:

Rooke Chapel, Bucknell's main venue for worship, weddings, and spiritual celebrations, includes the Office of Religious Life, the University Chaplain's office, a meditation chapel, and kitchen.
Fellowship House, for Protestant groups and ministries.
Newman House, home to the Catholic Campus Ministry.
The Berelson Center for Jewish Life, includes a certified-kosher kitchen and the office of Bucknell's Chaplain for the Jewish Community.
The Muslim Community Space in Davis Hall, featuring a prayer room.
A meditation labyrinth near the Bucknell Farm, providing a quiet place for reflection.

Financial Wellness Programs

B-Eats Food Pantry

Students in need of nutritious meal items can visit the B-Eats food pantry located in the Elaine Langone Center and choose from a variety of groceries, fresh produce, refrigerated items, and frozen meals from Bucknell Dining Services, no questions asked. Students with demonstrated financial need are eligible to apply for swipes during the fall and spring semesters.

Emergency Financial Aid

Students who experience an unexpected crisis or hardship and are in financial need may seek assistance from the Dean of Students Office.

The Fritz Family Commitment to Health and Wellness

Bucknell University has received a $1.75-million commitment from Lance '85 and Julie Crenson Fritz '85 to advance health and wellness through a comprehensive, student-centered approach. The gift will propel the University's new health and wellness vision, which embodies a proactive approach that encourages students to seek support and establishes a community of care across 10 interconnected dimensions of wellness: cultural, digital, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, occupational, social, and spiritual.

The Fritzes are long-time champions of health, wellness, and belonging efforts at Bucknell. This gift will enable the University to develop new initiatives for mental health and drug and alcohol education, and launch campus-wide and peer-led programs to empower students to care for themselves and each other.

The Fritzes also made an additional $750,000 commitment to Bucknell's club-varsity crew program, recognizing it as a natural extension of Bucknell's commitment to holistic well-being. Their gift will help grow the endowment that supports the program's head coaching position, ensuring its continued strength and impact for generations to come.

Ongoing Efforts to Enhance Student Well-being

Under the leadership of Moe McGuinness, Vice President for Student Affairs & Fritz Family Dean of Students, Bucknell has made meaningful strides in supporting student well-being. These include solving students' summer storage needs, expanding the collection of items for the B-Eats food pantry, ensuring students have unlimited access to washers and dryers, establishing a partnership with ClipDart (a mobile hair salon providing free, on-site, culturally competent haircare to all Bucknell students), and launching the Student Outreach and Support initiative to help students affected by barriers outside the classroom. McGuinness has also ignited spirit and traditions initiatives on campus and introduced a program designed to recognize students, faculty, and staff for their contributions to the campus community.

Togetherall Partnership

Bucknell University partners with Togetherall, an online peer-to-peer mental health support community, to provide students with a safe and anonymous space to connect with others, share their experiences, and access resources. Bucknell Student Government (BSG) was instrumental in bringing Togetherall to campus.

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