Rice University’s employee-led Owl-Liance program is helping faculty and staff take ownership of their well-being while building connections across campus.
The initiative empowers employees to serve as peer leaders who promote well-being activities, connect colleagues with campus resources and help foster a culture of support and engagement. Owl-Liance leaders represent diverse departments and employee groups, working with the assistant director for Employee Well-Being and the Employee Health and Well-Being Oversight Council to expand participation in university programs.
“It’s really just taking agency into their own hands of what they can do for themselves and empowering others around them to understand what resources they have available to them at the university,” said Anatolia Vick-Kregel, co-creator of Owl-Liance. Vick-Kregel also serves as the senior assistant director of Health and Well-Being and the director of the Lifetime Physical Activity Program at Rice.
The program began last year in response to a desire for more employee-led opportunities to support health and well-being. Leaders can organize activities within their departments, collaborate with other groups and encourage colleagues to take advantage of resources offered through Employee Health and Well-Being.
Activities have included pickleball play-and-learn sessions, yoga and meditation, chair massages, walking challenges and monthly MicroBoost Mondays, a 15-minute virtual session focused on meditation and intention-setting.
The program recognizes that well-being extends beyond physical health to include behavioral, emotional, financial, social and professional wellness. Employees can participate at different levels, from individual activities such as taking a walk after lunch to organizing interdepartmental events, book clubs and lunch-and-learns.
“For me, it would actually be getting out of the little bubble that we tend to create within our areas and meeting new people to form these connections based on something that these people are passionate about,” Vick-Kregel said.
Owl-Liance leaders also serve as a bridge between employees and campus resources, helping increase awareness and participation in university well-being programs. Through specialized training and a one-year participation commitment, leaders are equipped to support colleagues while providing feedback and recommendations to the oversight council.
The program is continuing to expand its offerings, including plans to develop employee support groups in collaboration with student well-being staff. The goal is to create more opportunities for employees to connect, support one another and contribute to a healthier, more collaborative campus.
“I think for me, it’s really been a beautiful thing to see connections form that weren’t already there,” Vick-Kregel said.
Visit recreation.rice.edu/owl-liance to learn more about Owl-Liance. For more information on how to get involved, email Vick-Kregel directly at av82@rice.edu.