George Washington University Pledges a ‘Healthier Campus’

Commitment outlines 23 guidelines including nutrition assessments, exercise opportunities and local sustainable food sourcing.

November 17, 2014

Alt Text

The student-run university GroW Garden was launched in 2009 by the Food Justice Alliance. The garden is an opportunity for members of the university community to learn about food.

By Brittney Dunkins

Student health and wellness take center stage at the George Washington University with the “Healthy Campus Initiative.” The university joined the Partnership for a Healthier America’s nationwide effort on Sunday to encourage college students to make healthy meal choices and engage in exercise and other wellness activities.

GW is one of 20 higher education institutions to sign onto the nonprofit’s initiative.

“Many students make their own choices about diet and physical activity for the first time during college, and we can equip them with the tools and information to make the healthiest decisions possible,” Milken Institute School of Public Health Associate Professor Kim Robien said in a university release.

GW will start health and wellness programming with 23 guidelines that will be introduced over the next three years. The pledge was outlined in a memorandum of understanding announced at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in New Orleans on Sunday.

The logic behind the initiative is simple. American colleges and universities produce more than 2.8 million graduates each year. If you can convince students to adopt healthy habits, you can begin to build a healthier nation.

According to the Spring 2014 American College Health Assessment, 22 percent of students surveyed were overweight. The most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reports that 69 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight.

“Colleges and universities are in a unique position to help shape tomorrow’s leaders, whether they are teachers, coaches, policymakers, CEOs, moms or dads,” PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler, J.D. ’95, said in a university release.

“By creating healthier food and physical activity environments today, campuses and universities are encouraging healthier habits that will carry over into tomorrow,” Mr. Soler added.

GW has committed to improving access to local, sustainable food options on campus, teaching students cooking skills through nonacademic courses offering counseling and nutrition assessments from a registered dietitian and expanding simple exercise opportunities such as a two-mile campus walking route.

A committee comprising members of Campus Support Services, Milken Institute SPH faculty, the Division of Student Affairs and the Urban Food Task Force—which is chaired by Diane Knapp—will collaborate to support programming and resources for the Healthy Campus Initiative.

A number of the guidelines align with the university’s ongoing efforts to promote sustainability and wellness on campus, such as the recently launched Food Institute led by Executive Director of the Sustainability Collaborative Kathleen Merrigan. Last month, UFTF and University Chef Rob Donis released a series of cooking videos to encourage students to make healthy eating choices despite time, budget and space restrictions.

GW Campus Dining offers a Take Home Market at J Street that sells market-priced, locally sourced fruits and vegetables. The Campus Dining food supply is currently at 9.8 percent “real food.” The challenge defines real food as locally sourced, sustainable and fair trade. The university has committed to 20 percent “real food” by 2020 through the Real Food Challenge

Students also will benefit from a combined wellness space on the lower level of the Marvin Center that will open at the start of the spring 2015 semester. The new space will include the Student Health Service, the University Counseling Center and the Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education. 

“The Healthier Campus Initiative is a wonderful example of a new approach in public health—to create living and working environments where it is easier for individuals to make healthy food and physical activity choices,” Dr. Robien said. “This entire program will be both a learning opportunity and a health benefit for students, staff and faculty.”