Local
[Tuesday], the national nonprofit Active Minds announced the six winners of the 2016 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award, each recognized as one of the healthiest college campuses in the nation:
-- California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, CA)
-- Jefferson College (Hillsboro, MO)
-- Lawrence University (Appleton, WI)
-- Sacramento State (Sacramento, CA)
-- School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
-- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI)
-- Honorable Mention: Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
This year's recipients represent a range of campuses - from small
liberal arts colleges to major research universities - that operate
within widely different contexts and challenges. Together they
demonstrate how institutions of all types and sizes can create healthy
communities that allow every student the opportunity to thrive and
succeed.
"The Healthy Campus Award winners stand out because they invest in
students' physical and mental health on a comprehensive scale and for
the long term," says Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of
Active Minds, the national nonprofit that presents the Healthy Campus
Award as part of its commitment to student wellness. "They are models
of what's possible when a college prioritizes a campus culture of
health, safety, and well-being."
In recognizing the healthiest college campuses in the nation, the
Healthy Campus Award celebrates institutions that are transitioning
from a traditional, infirmary model of student health care toward a
public health approach to student well-being - a change of emphasis
from getting healthy to staying well. This focus on awareness and
prevention also encompasses multiple dimensions of health (not just
physical health) to include mental, social, and financial well-being.
"The health and wellness of our entire campus community is a priority
of mine," says Jane Close Conoley, president of California State
University, Long Beach. "Good physical and mental health is essential
to student success, which is why we support a variety of programs that
directly affect health and wellness. Winning the Active Minds Healthy
Campus Award validates our commitment to this important mission."
The award, now in its second year, involves an extensive application
process, as well as multiple endorsements and interviews. Each
applicant is assessed across eight criteria, with winners chosen by a
panel of prominent researchers and health and higher education
experts.
Students enrolled at schools that demonstrate excellence in
prioritizing and promoting student health and well-being often find
the programs and services offered there are life changing. "I was
bullied in high school and struggled with terrible depression," says
Haley Arbuthnot, an art major at Jefferson College. "It wasn't until I
enrolled at Jefferson that I was able to start seeing a therapist
(thanks to Jefferson's free counseling service). I'm living proof
that, if provided with access to these important resources, any
student can thrive in college."
Research shows that investing in campus health allows more students to
thrive and leads to increased student engagement, retention, and
success. Campus efforts also broaden the way society as a whole thinks
about, cares for, and values wellness.
The Healthy Campus Award is made possible through the generous support
of The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation. Additional resources are
available from Active Minds, including photos and a downloadable
summary called "Key Findings from the Nation's Healthiest Campuses"
(www.activeminds.org/award). A call for applications for the 2018
award will open in October 2017.
