UGM demonstrates a robust commitment to advancing the well-being and inclusivity of its academic community through strategic policies and initiatives. By prioritizing access to affordable and nutritious food options and fostering a safe, inclusive, and equitable campus environment, UGM aligns with national and global imperatives to support sustainable development and social justice. These efforts are institutionalized through well-defined regulations, practical guidelines, training programs, and collaborative discussions, reinforcing UGM’s dedication to holistic community empowerment and sustainable governance. The university’s approach highlights its role as a leader in promoting health, inclusivity, and equity within higher education.
Existence of a committee, office, or officer
Rector’s Regulation Number 21 Year 2021
Source: https://hukor.ugm.ac.id/download/peraturan-rektor-ugm-nomor-21-tahun-2021/
The University Honors Council (DKU) is an instrument of the Academic Senate (SA) which has the authority to independently conduct examinations and make decisions on alleged violations of the code of ethics. (pg. 2; Article 15 pg. 7). The code of ethics is related to the Tri Dharma of higher education which includes education, research and community service activities. Violators will be subject to sanctions referring to the Rector’s Regulation related to DKU (Article 16).
Existence of anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies
UGM is committed to anti-discrimination as directed by Trustee Board’s Regulations Number 1 Year 2023 about University Strategic Plan 2022-2027 (pg. 14, UGM guarantees that the campus environment is a safe and comfortable ecosystem, free from sexual violence, other violence, bullying, mental health problems, discrimination, and friendly to people with disabilities). The regulation in 2023 is the continuation of the Trustee Board’s Regulations Number 1 Year 2020 about University Strategic Plan 2017-2022 which also regulates discrimination (pg. 20, inclusive campus development with an anti-discrimination spirit based on race, ethnicity, ethnicity, gender, marital status, disability, age, religion, minority group, etc.). UGM guarantees the rights of all women including staff and students to be treated equally. Based on the Trustee Board’s Regulations Number 1 Year 2021 concerning Campus Master Plans (pg. 13, pg. 25), UGM is fighting for universal principles, namely social justice, equality, inclusivism, and sustainability in all aspects of university administration policies.
Specifically related to sexual violence, UGM is committed to maintaining standards of human values and dignity at UGM, as well as protecting the entire UGM community from all forms of sexual violence as stated in the Rector’s Regulation Number 1 Year 2020 Rector’s Regulation Number 1 Year 2020 (Article 2) and updated in Rector’s Regulation Number 1 Year 2023 (Article 2). UGM also provides prospective students from all pathways a fair admissions process and will not discriminate against ethnicity, religion, race and intergroup, etc. as clearly stated in the Rector’s Regulation Number 3 Year 2023 Article 2 Verse e.
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Provision of healthy and affordable food choices for all on-campus
UGM has implemented a structured approach to ensure that canteens across its campus are managed effectively and safely. The Practical Guidelines for Healthy Canteens, which was introduced in 2022 to be implemented across all faculty canteens at UGM, offers key resources to help canteen managers and staff prioritize healthy, nutritious, and safe food choices while maintaining a welcoming environment for everyone on campus. These guidelines emphasize hygiene and sanitation based on best practices and the authors’ backgrounds in food safety. With an easy-to-follow format, the guidelines are crafted to be accessible for canteen staff, encouraging them to align their food services with broader food safety standards, such as those promoted by the National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).
Practical Guideline for Healthy Canteens from HPU UGM
Expanding on the foundational guidelines, the 2023 Practical Guidelines for Healthy Canteens was created by students from UGM’s Public Health Master’s program. Developed in response to the changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, this guide assists canteens in adapting to updated health protocols and operational standards. It provides practical guidance on areas like food service, staff conduct, facilities, and visitor health protocols, all aimed at ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for the campus community.
Further supporting these guidelines, Rector’s Regulation Number 6 Year 2016 about Canteen Management, along with an update in Rector’s Regulation Number 14 Year 2019, establishes additional responsibilities and standards for campus canteen management at UGM. These policies emphasize the importance of providing a variety of food choices, including options that cater to diverse dietary needs, while also ensuring that the campus remains a clean and safe space for students and staff. By encouraging high standards in food quality and environmental responsibility, these regulations reflect UGM’s commitment to fostering the health and wellness of its campus community.
Sustainable Food Choices
UGM has introduced the Pasar Krempyeng Boge, hosted by the UGM Academic Hospital, a monthly food bazaar aimed at offering environmentally-friendly food choices on campus. Organized through collaborations between the UGM Academic Hospital, the UGM Agrotechnology Innovation Center (PIAT), and local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), this program began on August 16, 2023, and emphasizes community-centered food offerings that promote health and support local agriculture. The market, held every Wednesday Wage (a Javanese calendar day that recurs every 35 days), encourages the purchase of organic and locally sourced foods, including vegetables grown and cultivated at PIAT.
Pasar Krempyeng is more than just an event to buy food; it educates attendees on the importance of food security, healthy living, and reducing waste. The Director of Medical Services and Nursing at RSA UGM highlighted the initiative’s value in strengthening the relationship between the hospital and the community while encouraging healthy lifestyle practices. The bazaar prohibits plastic use, promoting reusable bags to minimize waste. This initiative both offers economic benefits to small-scale producers and enhances community engagement in sustainable practices.
Pasar Krempyeng food bazar
UGM’s canteen management and initiatives like Pasar Krempyeng Boge show its commitment to campus health and sustainability. By promoting nutritious food, sustainable practices, and local producers, UGM supports food security and a healthier university community.
Sources:
- Practical Guideline for Healthy Canteens
- Practical guidelines for Healthy Canteens 2023
- Rector’s Regulation Number 6 of 2016 about Canteen Management
- Rector’s Regulation Number 14 0f 2019 about Canteen Management
- Pasar Krempyeng offering environmentally-friendly food choices on campus
- Pasar Krempyeng food bazar
Access to physical healthcare services including information and education services
With a vast archipelago and diverse geography, further burdened by socioeconomic disparities, many rural and remote regions in Indonesia lack adequate and have unequal access to healthcare facilities and professionals. Outreach programs bridge this gap by bringing essential health services directly to underserved communities. These programs target vulnerable populations, ensuring they receive the support needed for better health outcomes. Outreach programs can help in the prevention, early detection, and education to reduce the prevalence and impact of diseases found in Indonesia. This is especially important since many health issues stem from a lack of awareness about hygiene, nutrition, and preventive care. Outreach programs serve to educate communities on these topics, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
The Comprehensive Community Health Care-Education Program (CCHC-EP), for instance, was introduced by the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Gadjah Mada in the 1990s as part of its commitment to community-based learning and healthcare. This program emphasised engaging students with community health issues through community service programs (KKN) and Community Health Service-Learning Program (K3M), fostering interprofessional collaboration among medical, nursing, and nutrition students. In 2013, a renewed effort led to the development of the Community and Family Health Care with Interprofessional Education (CFHC-IPE) program. This initiative aimed to integrate holistic healthcare education across disciplines, involving students in longitudinal learning experiences spanning seven semesters. Unlike its predecessor, CFHC-IPE focused on working with family partners and local health teams, ensuring comprehensive health interventions for individuals, families, and communities. Despite challenges in aligning the curricula of medicine, nursing, and nutrition programs, CFHC-IPE has evolved through continuous improvements and remains a cornerstone of UGM’s interprofessional education and community health initiatives.
Simply put, UGM delivers comprehensive outreach programs to promote health and well-being in local communities. These initiatives address key topics such as hygiene, nutrition, family planning, ageing well, and preventive care. Through collaborations with local governments, health cadres, and academic units, UGM implements projects that empower communities with knowledge and services to improve their health. Most of UGM’s community service and community outreach programs are carried out by student volunteers. There are various health programs being served, such as:
Health Services and Education for Local Residents
UGM provides free health check-ups, dental health education, and lifestyle counselling for elderly citizens and community health cadres from villages near and surrounding UGM, especially in Sinduadi and Caturtunggal Villages. UGM hosts programs on elderly health care and emergency preparedness through free health check-ups and emergency response education for elderly residents and their caregivers in these villages.
Health Examination and Education for Residents Around UGM
Source: https://pengabdian.ugm.ac.id/2023/12/13/pererat-jalinan-kebersamaan-dan-tingkatkan-kesehatan-warga-sekitar-ugm-selenggarakan-bakti-sosial-pemeriksaan-dan-edukasi-kesehatan/
Health Education and Preventive Care
The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UGM’s Faculty of Pharmacy organised a program in Dukuh Soge Sanden, Bantul, educating residents about healthy lifestyles, and managing degenerative and chronic diseases. Topics included the importance of mental, physical, and social health, following the “GERMAS” movement’s seven steps, and specific prevention strategies for hypertension and diabetes. The program also offered health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and uric acid.
Counseling on healthy lifestyles and prevention of degenerative diseases by the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy
Source: https://farmasi.ugm.ac.id/departemen-kimia-farmasi-fakultas-farmasi-ugm-adakan-penyuluhan-kesehatan-di-dukuh-soge-sanden-bantul/
Women’s Reproductive Health Education
The session featured expert guidance from UGM’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The program covered essential topics on maintaining reproductive health from childhood to menopause, with practical advice on hygiene practices to prevent diseases. Participants showed high engagement, actively asking questions and consulting the expert. The initiative aims to equip local women with knowledge to promote healthier reproductive practices and well-being.
The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) UGM filled the reproductive health education.
https://hdss.fk.ugm.ac.id/2023/07/21/penyuluhan-kesehatan-reproduksi-sribit-2023/
Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
This program targeted improving the health of children and the elderly in Bantul Regency. The program included health education for local health cadres on managing hypertension, diabetes, stroke prevention, stunting, obesity, and vision care. Funded through UGM’s Integrated Community Engagement Grant, the initiative emphasised empowering cadres with knowledge to identify and address NCD risk factors and vision issues in their communities.
UGM Community Service Team Holds Empowerment of Cadres and Health Screening for Children and the Elderly
Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services including information and education services
Universitas Gadjah Mada provides students with access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including confidential counselling and medical check-ups. UGM also offers evidence-based sexual health education through workshops, seminars, and online resources, promoting informed decision-making and reducing stigma. These services must be inclusive, addressing the diverse needs of all students, including those with disabilities.
UGM, as a member and one of the founders of the Health Promoting University, pays special attention to reproductive health. Reproductive health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or disability, in all matters related to the reproductive system, its functions, and processes. Reproductive health should be a concern not only for women but also for men.
Information on reproductive health is accessible through UGM’s Health Promoting University webpage. This platform provides students, staff, faculty, and even the public with valuable resources on topics like cancer in women’s reproductive organs and guidance for new mothers on the safety of certain medications while breastfeeding.
UGM’s Health Promoting University team comprises working groups dedicated to providing health-related information and education to support a healthy campus life for students, the academic community, and the surrounding environment. Among their many efforts includes developing materials for UGM’s online courses, known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These courses can be accessed throug https://mooc.ugm.ac.id/. The course is open to the public, offering paid certificates or credentials and membership for the UGM Online community. Among the courses offered is a course on Sexual and Reproductive Health where students can learn about the concept of the human body’s reproductive systems, potential issues affecting reproductive organs, and the prevention and management of reproductive health problems.
The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) hosts an annual socialization for new students and offers comprehensive support services, including on sexual and reproductive health education. New students are introduced to these resources and encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles. The faculty also organizes seminars on reproductive health education, since reproductive health is not often understood by teenagers. These seminars help spread awareness of reproductive health information and common issues such as unplanned pregnancies, which can disrupt education, especially for girls.
Access to mental health support for both staff and students
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has implemented the Health Promoting University (HPU) initiative to enhance its academic community’s mental health and well-being. This initiative, launched in 2019, aims to create a supportive campus environment that fosters optimal mental health for students, faculty, and staff.
A key initiative from the Mental Health Division in HPU UGM is the Kampus Sejahtera Program (Well-being Campus) system, which encourages mutual support, positive appreciation, and motivation among all campus members. This program aims to help individuals recognise their abilities, manage life pressures, work productively, and contribute to society. The Mental Health Division is also responsible for establishing mental health services across faculties, with trained first responders among students, faculty, and staff. To prepare for this, they organise workshops and training sessions to promote mental health awareness and equip individuals with skills to support others. For example, the university has conducted workshops on creating a well-being campus and training for mental health first aiders. In order to implement effective mental health strategies and guarantee that their programs are tailored to the needs of students and staff, the division initiates collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and international experts.
An important unit in UGM that promotes mental health and provides psychological support to individuals and organisations within and beyond the university community is the Psychology Consultation Unit. This Psychology Consultation Unit (UKP) was established in 1970 under the Faculty of Psychology. Its primary mission is to provide comprehensive, professional, and ethical psychological services to the community.
Services offered by UKP UGM include individual counselling, that is, personalised counselling sessions for adults and children, addressing various psychological concerns to promote mental well-being. They also offer educational and school assistance, which are unit assessments and interventions related to educational settings, such as cognitive testing and support for learning difficulties. Family and relationship counselling is also available for couples and families to navigate relational challenges, with the aim of improving communication and resolving conflicts. The unit extends its expertise to corporations and organisations by offering psychological assessments, employee assistance programs, and workshops to enhance workplace well-being.
Besides the UKP, the university also provides a Crises Center. Several UGM Faculties or Schools also provide career and mental health consultation services as part of their mental health system (see the Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Economics and Business, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, and Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing).
Of course, there are still many challenges in facing mental health. The university understands there remains stigma around seeking mental health support that discourages many individuals from reaching out to therapists. Subsequently, those that do wish to seek support are often unsure where to start. That is why UGM also provides a mental health platform known as ChatBot Lintang. Launched on July 26, 2023, by UGM’s Rector, Professor Ova Emilia, the chatbot serves as a communication channel for students, faculty, and staff to discuss mental health issues and incidents of violence.
Chatbot Lintang offers four main services to support mental health. Psychoeducation provides essential information about mental health, disorders, symptoms, and self-help strategies to raise awareness and educate users. Mental Health Tips delivers practical advice on relaxation, stress management, and emotional wellness to promote mental well-being. The chatbot also allows Self Assessment for users to conduct a self-assessment through initial screenings and receive recommendations based on their responses. Finally, the Service Directory connects users with mental health resources at UGM, including professional counselling, support groups, and emergency services. These services ensure accessible and comprehensive mental health support.
Sources:
- Optimal mental health for students, faculty, and staff
- Psychology Consultation Unit (UKP)
- Crises Center
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Economics and Business
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Psychology
- Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing
- ChatBot Lintang
Improving Access to Mental Health Care for Staff
In the dynamic work environment of a university, where teaching activities and research intertwine with the pressures of deadlines, responsibilities, and expectations, the mental health of staff often takes a backseat. University staff and faculty juggle multiple roles, from mentoring students to managing institutional demands, often under significant stress. Amid these challenges, the well-being of university staff is not just a personal concern but a cornerstone of institutional success. After all, a healthy, supported workforce fosters a positive environment for learning, collaboration, and innovation. By providing mental health support, Universitas Gadjah Mada can empower their faculty and staff to navigate challenges, enhance productivity, and maintain a harmonious work-life balance.
UGM initiated the UGM Crisis Center, a centre which aims to enhance the quality of services for its community by providing comprehensive support during emergencies and crises. The centre offers several key services, including immediate assistance for various emergencies, including medical issues, safety concerns, and psychological support (emergency response). Dedicated Hotline Services are available for specific areas such as academic affairs, human resources, finance, international cooperation, alumni relations, and IT support. The centre also provides specialised services to handle cases of sexual harassment (sexual harassment support) and assistance tailored to the needs of individuals with disabilities (individuals with disabilities support), promoting inclusivity within the campus and ensuring a safe and secure working environment.
The university understands the numerous challenges in addressing mental health and that the needs of each individual may vary. UGM aims to provide a variety of mental health support for its workforce. All the mental health support provided by UGM for its students is also available for staff. Detailed information on these services can be found here.