NC State Becomes First Institution to Complete PHA’s Healthier Campus Initiative

Yesterday, November 17, the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) announced that NC State completed the Healthier Campus Commitment to expand healthier options around campus. NC State University is one of 38 colleges and universities that have signed onto a three-year commitment to adopt guidelines around nutrition, physical activity and programming. Implementing all 23 guidelines two years ahead of schedule, NC State University is the first campus to successfully complete its commitment, encouraging healthier options among the more than 40,000 students, faculty and staff on campus each year.

As a division of this team, along with University Dining and NCSU Transportation, University Recreation is proud of this accomplishment and know that this will be a launching pad into greater health and wellness initiatives as a campus. NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said, “Our commitment to providing a healthier campus and the strengths of our campus wide partnerships are reflected in this significant achievement. We’re proud to be part of this critical effort and hope our leadership spurs others to provide healthier options in their communities.”

Of the 23 elements that NC State accomplished, a few highlights include:

• Ensuring free water is available at all dining, recreational, and educational facilities.
• Providing more than 150 group fitness classes each week in addition to more than 25 intramural activities each year.
• Opening a Outdoor Functional Training  area on campus, featuring more than 4,000 square feet of functional fitness space, complete with a cargo net, dip bars, sit-up benches, wall ball targets, and box jumps.
• Combatting food insecurity on campus and throughout the community through the Feed the Pack Pantry.
• Offering a Dietitian’s Dish wellness meal daily at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Designating healthier food and beverage options in vending machines, c-stores, and dining facilities using the Wolf-Approved healthy icon program.

A full overview of NC State’s commitment can be found here on the PHA website. Check out the NC State news story on the Healthier Campus Initiative here.