American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: January 2010

Designing a University-wide Fitness Program to Promote Campus Health and Department Image
Jennifer VanSickle, Heidi Hancher-Rauch, & Lisa Hicks

Abstract: Health and physical education departments across the United States often face perception and reputation problems on campus and a general misunderstanding of the nature of their academic work. One solution is to offer a faculty-and-staff fitness program that showcases the academic and leadership skills of the faculty, opens doors for collaboration and interaction with faculty from other academic areas, and elevates the reputation and status of the department. Such a program can also provide an essential service to the campus community by placing a high value on physical fitness, giving them a reason to hold the health and physical education or kinesiology department in high regard. The purpose of this article is to provide a model for a faculty-and-staff fitness program that can be implemented in any size elementary or secondary school, college, or university.

Article category: Fitness