Today, Georgetown will launch a new website, be.georgetown.edu, which consolidates all University health resources into one website for students. Collectively called the “Safety Net,” these resources address physical and mental health issues ranging from travel medicine to tips for boosting your immunity. The new site is modeled after my.georgetown.edu and provides students with an efficient, easy and attractive way to seek important health information.
Be.georgetown.edu succeeds first and foremost because it directly appeals to its intended audience-Georgetown University students. Although some of the content includes more general health information, the majority is geared specifically towards college students, including information about alcohol abuse, sexual assault, nutrition, relationships and LGBTQ issues. By including such specific resources geared towards students, the website goes beyond serving as a simple health reference and proves that it was worth the wait. A group of Georgetown representatives, including students from the FRIENDS initiative, worked on developing the site for over a year, and it shows.
The website is clearly focused on the Jesuit ideal of “cura personalis”-care of the whole person. Reflecting the University’s commitment to educating the whole person, the website creates a “tool for the entire body,” according to an overview of be.georgetown.edu. The site combines attractive aesthetics with interesting content, including quizzes, debunked myths, health “tidbits,” tips from other students and a calendar of upcoming events. This holistic approach appeals to students, who deal with many health issues beyond physical problems.
Be.georgetown.edu is clearly divided into five sections-”body,” “mind,” “soul,” “practicalities” and “emergency.” The layout of the site allows students the flexibility of quickly finding important health-related resources if they need information fast while at the same time including a variety of links for leisurely browsing.
Thanks to hard work and careful planning by a team of students and educators, be.georgetown.edu will provide students with a useful tool for gaining necessary health information.
