BOONE—Appalachian State University took the American College Health Association’s Healthy Campus Pledge and is now considered a Healthy Campus 2020 Partner. This pledge demonstrates a campus’ commitment toward achieving the Healthy Campus 2020 goals and objectives. Appalachian has joined a growing group of diverse, motivated institutions and organizations working every day to move campuses across our nation toward better health. This list includes neighboring institutions N.C. State University and Wake Forest University, as well as many more around the country.
Healthy Campus 2020 is the companion framework to Healthy People 2020, the federal government’s health promotion and disease prevention initiative for achieving better health across the United States. Healthy Campus 2020 provides a framework for improving the overall health status on campuses nationwide. Strategies extend beyond traditional interventions of education, diagnosis, treatment and health care at clinical levels and involve embedding health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academics.
While no two Healthy Campus initiatives are exactly alike, most include a network of people working toward a common vision, priority health and wellness needs of the community, a plan with clearly defined strategies and action steps, community- and individual-focused interventions and progress tracking. For more information about Healthy Campus 2020, visit http://www.acha.org/healthycampus.
Becoming a Healthy Campus Partner reflects Appalachian’s commitment to health and well-being while joining the national movement to create healthier campuses. Appalachian has undertaken a number of initiatives to promote the health and well-being of students, to include the development of a Student Well-being Improvement Team (SWIT). This cross-campus collaborative serves the Appalachian Community by providing leadership and guidance for the development, implementation and evaluation of strategic health and wellness initiatives.
For more information related to Appalachian’s ongoing health and wellness initiatives, visit http://wellness.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Wellness and Prevention Services
Wellness and Prevention Services at Appalachian creates an environment that promotes healthy lifestyles and academic success for students through services promoting health awareness and active lifestyles. Emphasis is placed on a holistic approach to wellness encompassing eight dimensions: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual. To promote these eight dimensions of wellness, Wellness and Prevention Services offers educational programs on topics including nutrition, sexual health, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, stress and sleep. Additional programming includes events, a variety of individual and group services, therapy, nutrition assessment and a resource library. The office is located in the Miles Annas Student Services Building, located at 614 Howard St. in Boone.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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