Zags360 Expands Gonzaga’s Commitment to Caring for the Whole Person

For almost 140 years, Gonzaga University has embraced the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, caring for the whole person, by caring for students not simply as students, but for their social, emotional, and overall wellbeing. Today, that longstanding commitment is taking on a new form through Zags360, an initiative designed to help students navigate their college experience, connect with campus resources, and build habits that support lifelong well-being and flourishing.

At its core, Zags360 is both a philosophy and a wellness framework. Its mission is to cultivate students’ learning and growth by accompanying them in and out of the classroom. Rooted in Gonzaga’s Jesuit identity, the initiative provides a shared language for how the university supports students academically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally.

“Zags360 is a way for us to talk about and do the work of cura personalis,” said Father Tim Breen, S.J., director of Zags360 “It’s about caring for students holistically and individually, accompanying them in their experience now and preparing them for what comes next.”

Although many students are encountering the Zags360 name for the first time, the work behind it has been evolving for nearly a decade.

The initiative began within Gonzaga Athletics around 2016 as colleges and universities nationwide increased their focus on student-athlete well-being, particularly mental health. Gonzaga leaders recognized that athletics already embodied many elements of cura personalis, but they wanted a more intentional way to help more students understand and engage with the resources available to them.

To answer that question, athletics adopted a holistic wellness model, which organizes eight dimensions of flourishing: emotional, intellectual, physical, financial, environmental, social, occupational, and spiritual well-being. Together, those dimensions provide a comprehensive picture of student development and reflect Gonzaga’s belief that success involves much more than academic achievement.

The concept resonated.

What began as an athletics initiative gradually revealed broader possibilities. University leaders saw an opportunity to extend the same intentional, whole-person approach to all students, transforming Zags360 from an athletics program into a campuswide vision.

Today, Zags360 serves as a unifying framework that brings together programs, services, and support systems already operating across the university. Rather than creating entirely new resources, it helps students discover and engage with opportunities that exist throughout campus.

“It’s not unique to student-athletes,” Breen said. “This is what we want for all of our students.”

This academic year marks a significant step forward with a pilot involving approximately 500 first-year students living in Catherine Monica and Madonna residence halls. The pilot represents the largest expansion of Zags360 to date.

Through a dashboard integrated into Zagweb, participating students can track their engagement across the eight dimensions of flourishing and receive recommendations for experiences and resources that support their development.

The university refers to those recommendations as “builds,” intentional pathways that guide students through experiences that are most relevant to their stage of life.

For first-year students, those builds emphasize belonging, community, and transition to college life. Recommendations may include attending residence hall events, participating in campus lectures, connecting with support services, or exploring opportunities that introduce students to the broader Gonzaga community like volunteerism.

The goal is not to overwhelm students with options. Quite the opposite.

“There are so many resources available,” Breen said. “Part of this is helping students see a pathway through them.”

As students progress through their college careers, the focus of the builds evolves. Social connection and campus engagement is the focus of the first year, while career readiness, networking, internships, and financial well-being become more important as graduation approaches.

Behind the scenes, Zags360 also represents a measured application of data in service of student flourishing.

Participation in events, engagement with campus resources, and student well-being surveys help university leaders better understand how students are experiencing campus life. The information can identify opportunities for improvement while helping students make informed decisions about their own development.

Father Tim Breen, S.J. (photo by Zack Berlat)

Yet Breen emphasizes that data is never intended to replace the human relationships at the heart of a Jesuit education.

“In a very data-driven world, we’re trying to use data in service of cura personalis,” he said.

That balance between innovation and personal accompaniment is perhaps what makes Zags360 distinctive. The initiative embraces new tools and technology while remaining grounded in the deeply human values that have shaped Gonzaga for generations.

Looking ahead, the vision for Zags360 extends far beyond a dashboard or data pilot.

Success, Breen said, will be measured both philosophically and operationally. Philosophically, he hopes Zags360 creates a shared understanding across campus about how Gonzaga cares for and supports students. Operationally, the university will evaluate student outcomes such as engagement, retention, well-being, and readiness for life after graduation.

Ultimately, the aspiration is simple but ambitious: to help every student flourish.

Zags360 will help ensure that every student is not only supported while at Gonzaga, but also equipped to lead healthy, purposeful, and impactful lives long after leaving campus.