Andrews Receives Gold Level Status

Award from American College of Sports Medicine for health & wellness

In February 2016, Andrews University became a registered institution with the American College of Sports Medicine “Exercise is Medicine® on Campus” (EIM-OC) initiative and was awarded the Gold Level Award shortly after.

      The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is the highest governing body for exercise and fitness in the world. Its health initiative, Exercise is Medicine® on Campus, is a program aimed at colleges and universities around the world to encourage and promote physical activity among students, faculty and staff. The initiative includes the following criteria:

• Making movement a part of the daily campus culture
• Assessing physical activity at every student health visit
• Providing students with the tools necessary to strengthen healthy physical activity habits that can last a lifetime
• Connecting university healthcare providers with university health fitness specialists to provide a referral system for exercise prescription

Andrews University is not only a registered EIM on Campus institution, but has also achieved Gold Level Recognition and received the Gold Level Award from ACSM for the implementation of the initiative’s vital health signs around campus.

“It is an incredible honor for Andrews University to have been identified as a Gold Level Campus by the Exercise is Medicine on Campus initiative, which is run by the world’s leading fitness and exercise science organization,” said Dominique Wakefield, director of University Health & Wellness.

The Gold Level Campus award is a high-level recognition, both nationally and internationally. Andrews is the first private university to gain this status and the seventh university in the United States to achieve this level. The other six are Auburn University (Alabama), California State University Long Beach, Michigan State University, Slippery Rock University (Pennsylvania), University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Western Kentucky University.

The new Andrews University Health & Wellness initiative coincides with the criteria of EIM-OC and is the reason for Andrews being recognized with this high-level award. The initiative approaches its efforts from a holistic perspective and focuses on physical activity as a key element in promoting physical wellness.

“Exercise is truly medicine, and we look forward to continue promoting this medium among this campus, and the local and global community, to strive for a higher quality of life,” says Wakefield. “This will bring greater happiness and wellbeing.”

The national meeting of ACSM will recognize all recipients of the award on June 1 in Boston, Massachusetts. Andrews will be listed on their website, alongside the other Gold Level status colleges and universities.

In addition to the American College of Sports Medicine, Andrews is also a registered member of the American College Health Association and an educational partner with the American Council on Exercise.

To find out more about University Health & Wellness, visit andrews.edu/wellness, email wellness@andrews.edu or call 269-471-6165.