Michael Mercier | UAH
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, is the first university in the United States to have achieved GOLD certification, as designated by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) as part of the organization’s Healthy Campus program. The certification was announced leading up to the International Day of University Sport (IDUS) slated to be hosted on September 20 across the UAH campus.
The FISU Healthy Campus program is an initiative aimed at enhancing student and campus community well-being by providing opportunities for all students to participate in physical activity for their health. The program scope addresses seven Healthy Campus domains, including: healthy campus management; physical activity and sport; nutrition; disease prevention; mental and social health; risk behavior and environment, sustainability and social responsibility. The program further breaks down these domains into a series of administrative, physical and mental well-being activities, totaling 100 separate criteria in all. After the second year in the program, each participating university receives a certification status depending on the number of validated criteria achieved.
“This year's event celebrates UAH's GOLD status in the International University Sports Federation Healthy Campus certification, which means we have achieved certification in 81 out of 100 items,” notes Dr. Noemi Zaharia, a UAH clinical assistant professor and program coordinator, sport and fitness management, in the UAH Department of Kinesiology. “In addition to being the first and only university in the U.S. to achieve this certification, UAH is also one of only nine universities in the world to have achieved it since we began the program last year. Only 61 of the 127 universities that signed up to get certified have achieved various levels of certification. The highest level of certification is Platinum, which requires approval of 91 items.”
UAH began celebrating IDUS in October 2022 with sporting events organized by the Sports and Fitness Management Club. “The day has now evolved into a multifaceted event that includes a wellness fair where various university departments showcase and share the valuable resources available to students, faculty and staff, as well as individual and team competitions and open practices conducted by the athletic department,” Dr. Zaharia says.