The facility aims to improve the student experience by bringing fitness, recreation, medical and counseling services into one central location, fostering a sense of well-being across campus.
Marquette University opened its new Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility, a 195,000-square-foot reimagining of health, wellness and recreation services on campus, on Jan. 13, the first day of the 2025 spring semester.
Located on the southwestern portion of campus near student housing, the state-of-the-art facility is home to Campus Recreation, the Medical Clinic, the Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion, and the Counseling Center, for the first time bringing these areas from varied corners of campus into one place, allowing Marquette to comprehensively serve students’ well-being.
The Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility provides a continuum of wellness services that are integrative, inclusive, accessible and responsive to the changing needs of the campus community.
“We were excited to unveil the new Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility to our students and campus community,” Marquette President Kimo Ah Yun says. “The facility provides a destination on campus that supports the physical and mental health needs of the Marquette community. Our goal is for this facility to foster community, inclusiveness and engagement, and break down stigmas and barriers to get the care our students need.”
The reimagined facility features a 25% increase in recreational space and nearly doubles the wellness and medical space previously offered on campus. A new, 30,000-square-foot, centralized three-story wellness tower integrates the university’s student health, wellness and recreation services. The third and fourth floors of the new facility’s wellness tower are named the LOVELLSTRONG Center for Student Well-Being in recognition of the late Dr. Michael Lovell’s and Amy Lovell’s tremendous leadership and commitment to address mental health across Milwaukee and the region.
Luis de Zengotita, Marquette’s newly named chief wellness officer, says the integration of the university’s student health, wellness and recreation services in one location helps normalize mental health care.
“By placing mental health services alongside medical, fitness and other wellness offerings, seeking mental health support becomes a natural part of overall well-being,” Zengotita explains. “This setup is especially powerful given that younger generations are already advocating for their mental health needs. Our role is to further normalize and encourage these supports so every student feels comfortable accessing them. Looking ahead, we hope to expand these integrated services and foster an environment where discussing and prioritizing mental health is as common as a routine physical exam.”
All enrolled Marquette undergraduate, graduate and professional students are eligible to receive services at the clinic.
“Every student has unique wellness needs, and we’re here to meet them exactly where they are,” Zengotita emphasizes. “Whether you’re a first-year student, a graduate student or part of the many communities that enrich our campus, we want you to feel comfortable walking through our doors and confident that our team is ready to support you on your individual wellness journey.”
Proven research shows demand, necessity for wellness facilities and programming
Mental and physical health is a major concern for students when choosing a university. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of U.S. college students who quit their studies did so because of mental health issues, and 50% of those who dropped out didn’t access mental health services. What’s at play? According to the most recent Student Voice survey on health and wellness from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse:
Mental health support was the No. 1 choice cited among students when asked which wellness services mattered most when deciding whether to enroll at a university — 29% selected it as the top wellness factor in choosing their institution.
The No. 2 most important listed service was dining, followed by fitness and physical health.
The link between student wellness and student success is strong — the same Inside Higher Ed survey shows that half of students say their physical health and wellness adversely affects their academic success. Among those survey respondents:
50% of college students say their physical health and wellness is negatively impacting their ability to succeed academically.
57% of students who experience chronic stress say their physical health is interfering with their academic success, as do 67% of those with an identifiable mental health condition.
Contributed by the Office of Marketing and Communication at Marquette University