Dear colleagues:
Metropolitan 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 college or university's commitment to achieving the Healthy Campus 2020 goals and objectives. Metropolitan State University has joined a growing group of diverse, motivated institutions and organizations working every day to move campuses across our nation toward better health.
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 overall health 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, identifying the priority health needs of your community, a plan with clearly defined strategies and action steps, community- and individual-focused interventions, and tracking progress. For more information about Healthy Campus 2020, please visit acha.org/healthycampus. Metropolitan State University has also implemented a Healthy Campus Coalition Workgroup which will assist in determining health and wellness priority areas for our campus to focus on.
Becoming a Healthy Campus Partner reflects Metropolitan State University's commitment to health and well-being as we join the national movement to create healthier campuses. Metropolitan State University will kick off Healthy Campus on Oct. 17 with a free flu-shot clinic and mini health fair from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Student Center, room 101, Saint Paul Campus. Although free flu shots are available only to students, faculty and staff are welcome to stop by to participate in the other events. Students from the College of Nursing will provide blood pressure checks, essential oils, nutrition resources, and hand massages. For more information please contact Jodee Fitzgerald, coordinator of Healthcare and Wellness Services.
We look forward to spreading health and wellness throughout our university!
Sincerely.
President Virginia "Ginny" Arthur, JD
Metropolitan State University