WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester Polytechnic Institute opened its new "Center For Well-Being" Thursday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The center is located with the school's Student Health Services and Offices for the Student Development and Counseling Center. It includes a welcome desk staffed by students serving as peer well-being ambassadors and a wellness hub where students can connect or relax. It also features a programming room for wellness activities and a rest and recovery room.

Although the center was years in the making, the school said its importance was accelerated last year, when six students died, and at least three were by suicide.

"We all know we experienced a suicide cluster here last year that began last summer, just as these plans were approved, which was traumatic for our community,” said Charlie Morse, dean of student wellness at WPI.

“We all went through this. Many in this room recall last year just holding on trying to get through day to day bracing ourselves for the next round of bad news that was going to come. It was a nightmare here, nothing short of that and I won’t couch that. This place has only doubled our efforts to address mental health concerns on our campus."

The university also has newly adopted initiatives like wellness days, which are held throughout the academic year to give the community time to pause with no classes, no assignment due dates and no meetings.