Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) has announced a three-year commitment to enhancing the campus environment and its wellness efforts by joining the Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA) Healthier Campus Initiative, which is designed to transform the campus community by promoting healthier eating options and improved physical fitness opportunities.
“A healthy mind, body and soul are necessary for a productive lifestyle. It is our pleasure to help our guests accomplish this,” said W. Rebecca Brown, FAMU’s assistant vice president for Finance and Administration/Business & Auxiliary Services.
Leaders from across the campus are also helping to implement the wellness movement, by joining Brown to form a wellness committee, including:
- Tanya Tatum, director, FAMU Student Health Services
- Zubar Shahid, general manager, Metz Culinary Management/Dining Services at FAMU
- Robert Carroll, Jr., director, FAMU Department of Campus Recreation
- Sarah Price, Ph.D., chair, FAMU Department of Health and Physical Education
- Michael Smith, director, FAMU Business & Auxiliary Services
FAMU is one of more than 60 forward-thinking institutions of higher learning to make a commitment to implement PHA’s promising practices that range from offering additional options for wellness meals and healthy drinks and diverse opportunities for physical activity.
“We are extremely pleased to have FAMU as an HCI partner,” said Nancy Roman, president and CEO of the Partnership for a Healthier America. “FAMU’s leadership is an important step forward toward realizing PHA’s goal that all young people grow up free from obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with excess weight.”
As part of a commitment announced at Partnership for a Healthier America’s Innovating a Healthier Future Summit last month, FAMU agreed to the following areas of focus:
I. Food and Nutrition
a. Provide healthier food and beverage services in campus-operated dining venues every operational day, including:
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- Offering on the menu a minimum of one (1) wellness meal at each breakfast, lunch and dinner meal (if served);
- Offering a minimum of five (5) types of fruits, five (5) types of vegetables and two (2) 100 percent whole grain products at both lunch and dinner (if served);
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- Offering only a total number of fried foods that does not exceed the total number of platforms available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (if served) across all venues;
- Designating healthier food and beverage options using a healthy icon at the point of presentation;
- And implementing a comprehensive, strategic product placement/merchandising program/policy within dining venues to encourage healthier food consumption. The program will include a minimum of five (5) strategies, such as placing healthier food and beverage options at the front of platforms.
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b. Implement a local food or sustainability program in campus food service, including:
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- Implementing a local food procurement program (e.g., Real Food Challenge) that increases procurement of local and sustainable foods; and
- Offering tray-less dining as the default system in at least seventy-five percent (75 percent) of dining venues.
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c. Provide healthier catering services on campus, including:
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- Offering a healthier catering menu that only includes foods and beverages that meet healthier food and nutrition guidelines.
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d. Promote water consumption on campus:
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- Make free water available in all dining venues and all educational/physical activity facilities.
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e. Provide trained food and nutrition professionals on campus:
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- Make available Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) for personal nutrition assessments and counseling to all students.
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II. Physical Activity/Movement
a. Create an environment that encourages healthier choices on campus, including:
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- Providing marked walking routes on campus, one of which must be at least two (2) miles in length and have distance markers at regular intervals. A route map is made available to individuals on campus;
- Posting signage at each designated or marked crosswalk on campus requiring cars to stop for pedestrians.
- Offering a bicycle share/rental program and/or a subsidized bicycle purchase program for all students.
- Implementing a campus-wide program that incentivizes the use of public or campus provided transportation (e.g., subsidized public transportation).
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b. Encourage student physical activity/movement through facilities and programs on campus during the academic year, including:
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- Providing, without a user fee, sixteen (16) hours per day access to at least one (1) fitness/recreation center for all students;
- Dedicating at least seventy-five percent (75 percent) of the primary campus recreation center floor space to areas for physical activity, offering a minimum of forty (40) total:
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- Diverse non-competitive group fitness opportunities during each academic year; and
- Diverse, competitive sports, intramural or informal recreation opportunities each academic year.
- Offering, without a user fee, a minimum of one (1) monthly “how to” physical activity/ movement class that introduces students to new activities; and
- Offering, without a user fee, a fitness/recreation center orientation during the first semester for all incoming students;
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c. Encourage outdoor physical activity/movement on campus, including:
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- Providing at least one outdoor running/walking track that is open and available for use to individuals on campus and the community for at least three (3) hours per day; and
- Providing an outdoor fitness system.
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III. Programming
a. Implement an integrated, comprehensive wellness program for individuals on campus that is provided annually. The program will include all of the following components, including:
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- Establishing a coordinating committee that includes student, faculty, administrative and staff representatives and meets at least quarterly; Offering health and wellness education and activities for all individuals on campus; and
- Offering activities that incorporate provisions for individuals with disabilities.
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b. Implement a promotion plan to market the wellness program through at least one online venue and three physical venues on campus, including;
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- Providing annual physical activity/movement and nutrition training for all resident assistants (RAs) to help them inform students about campus resources available for wellness.
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IV. Additional Wellness Programs
a. Implement a program/policy that identifies students who may be food insecure and provides options on campus.
Implementing a program/policy that supports and accommodates breastfeeding for mothers on campus.
b. Offer in -person, non-academic cooking skills classes that are available to all students and incorporate fruits and vegetables.
About the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA)
PHA’s mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to bring lasting systemic changes that improve the food supply, increase healthy choices, increase physical activity and contribute to a culture of health. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA identifies, accelerates and celebrates voluntary business practices that improve or increase choice or lead to new norms and behavior around food and physical activity.