Aloha Yellow Jackets,

Well, 2026 is certainly off to a brisk start!  I hope you successfully weathered the wintery event this past weekend. We still have frigid temperatures ahead of us for several days, so please continue to take care.

In this issue of our monthly newsletter, we will cover the following topics:

• Ensuring Social Connection – Antidote to Stress
• Basic Needs Support Services
• The Importance of Institutional Student Surveys

Ensuring Social Connection – Antidote to Stress
There is much happening in the world right now, both here in the US and abroad. Georgia Tech is a vibrant community with over 50,000 students, representing all 50 states and nearly 150 countries, situated across the globe. Yet we remain one Yellow Jacket “hive,” as we share classrooms, labs, residence halls, study spaces, clubs, traditions, and experiences.

The American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2025 report identifies a major national pattern: we are all experiencing a deep “crisis of connection,” driven largely by societal division, persistent stress, and widespread feelings of loneliness and isolation. We know that social connection can help alleviate stress, foster resilience, and reduce anxiety.

With this in mind, I want to remind all students – undergraduate and graduate – that Georgia Tech has many spaces where you can find community, including but not limited to:

• Athletic events
• Campus activities
• Commuter student engagement
• Dance, music, theater and other performances
• Leadership development workshops
• Recreational programs (including outdoor recreation and sports clubs)
• Volunteer opportunities
• Student organizations

Sometimes, just simply hanging out with friends – new or known - who remind you that you are not navigating things alone can be a way to promote social wellness. Be sure to leverage these options throughout the coming semester!

Basic Needs Support Services
At a Senior Leadership Team Sprint Retreat held earlier this week, Georgia Tech administrators heard from undergraduate and graduate students that they don’t always know about the valuable services available at Georgia Tech. At the top of this monthly newsletter, we always include the link to the Student Resource Guide. Highlighted below are some particularly salient services for students struggling to meet their basic needs:

• Students Temporary Assistance and Resources (STAR) is located on the first floor of the Smithgall Student Services Building. STAR offers services for students experiencing food or housing insecurity, including Klemis Kitchen, Campus Closet, and crisis housing in partnership with Housing & Residence Life on campus and with various non-profit organizations off-campus.
• The Dean Griffin Hip Pocket Fund provides 0% interest short-term loans to students experiencing financial emergencies. Undergraduate and graduate students can borrow up to $1,000 and have up to 14 weeks to repay the loan. Financial emergencies may include but are not limited to: unforeseen academic expenses, automotive repairs, emergency travel expenses, and unplanned medical expenses.
• Green Forks is a collaborative initiative involving Tech Dining, Office of Sustainability, Campus Kitchens, and Student Life. Whenever departments on campus host an event with catering and have leftover food, they can upload that information; food insecure students who are signed up for email alerts will then receive emails directly and be notified where they can go to create their own to-go plates from the surplus food. The program mitigates any stigma or shame as students don’t have to identify themselves when picking up their to-go box. Georgia Tech ensures all food safety precautions are followed.

The Importance of Institutional Student Surveys
Many of you have likely already received invitations to one or more surveys in your inbox this semester. These include both internal Georgia Tech surveys and several external ones conducted by trusted partners. I want to reassure you that these external surveys are legitimate and part of important research and benchmarking efforts. They help us understand your experiences more deeply and shape how we design programs, prioritize resource investments, and plan for student‑supportive initiatives in the future.

This semester, you may be invited to participate in one or more of three milestone surveys.

• The Healthy Minds Survey provides insight into the emotional, spiritual, and social health and well‑being needs of college students and allows us to compare our outcomes with national data so that we can understand where we need strengthen or sustain campus support systems.
• The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) helps us better understand how you spend your time as a student and how effectively Georgia Tech fosters your learning, development, and sense of belonging.
• The Campus Services Satisfaction Survey solicits feedback on your experiences with essential campus services — such as dining, housing, transportation, and other daily resources. Issues and themes we identify then guide improvements that directly affect your quality of life.

Each of these surveys plays an important role in informing decisions that enhance the student experience; as such, your responses meaningfully contribute to our efforts. In fact, responses from past surveys have already shaped several initiatives launched by Georgia Tech in recent years. The Cultivate Well-Being Roadmap for Students is one concrete example, but it is not the only one. Your participation is completely voluntary, but your voice truly makes a difference, so I hope you will choose to respond when these surveys land in your inbox. It is one way to contribute to the Yellow Jacket community, and your engagement with our assessment efforts is greatly appreciated!

Closing Thoughts
Thank you for all the ways you show up for one another — with curiosity, compassion, courage, and care. In times of uncertainty, community is one of our greatest strengths, and all of us across SEWB are grateful every day to be part of our Yellow Jacket community.

As always, Georgia Tech remains committed to your success; there are resources across campus to assist and support you with your curricular and cocurricular pursuits. Here's to a year filled with growth, reflection, old friends, and new beginnings.

Go Jackets!