Creating Healthier Places

University of Arizona

2016 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2015

Length of Commitment: 3 years

Select a Progress Report:

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Committed to meet guidelines—developed by PHA in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading nutrition, physical activity and campus wellness experts—around nutrition, physical activity, and programming on campus.

Verified Results

Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer a plant-based food option at every platform serving meat.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona offers a wide variety of plant-based options at lunch and dinner meals. A plant-based entrée or side is available at every platform serving meat.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer tray-less dining in at least seventy-five percent (75%) of dining venues.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona offers tray-less dining in 93% of campus dining venues. Only one location, of the 16 dining venues on campus, offers trays.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Make free water available in all dining, recreational and educational facilities.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona provides access to free water in all dining, recreational and educational facilities on campus through a combination of drinking fountains and beverage dispensers.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Make available Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) for personal nutrition assessments and counseling to all students.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona provides students with access to two Registered Dietitians for nutrition assessments and counseling on a range of topics including medical nutrition therapy, healthy eating on campus, sports nutrition and lifestyle and behavior counseling. Campus Health dietitians also author the Arizona Daily Wildcat's NutriNews column, providing nutrition education and articles for the University's newspaper.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer a bicycle share/rental program and/or a subsidized bicycle purchase program for all individuals on campus.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona Parking and Transportation Services offers a bike sharing program known as Cat Wheels. Cat Wheels maintains a fleet of 55 bicycles available at several bike stations located in garages on campus, including Sixth Street Garage and Tyndall Avenue Garage. Students and employees may check out a bicycle for up to 24 hours at a time with no fee.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Provide designated bicycle lanes on major roads and/or offer off-street bicycle paths throughout campus.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona designated four bicycle lanes on major roads and eight off-street bike paths throughout campus. These routes provide a total of 2.15 miles of on-street bicycle lanes and 3.38 miles of off-street bike paths.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Implement a bicycle and pedestrian accommodation program/policy (e.g., Complete Streets) or participate in a national bicycle or pedestrian recognition program (e.g., Bicycle Friendly University).
Progress To Date

In 2015, the University of Arizona was awarded the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly University Gold Award for implementation of policies and programs that support bicycling on campus.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Implement a campus-wide program/policy that incentivizes the use of public or campus provided transportation.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) offers a 50% subsidy on annual and semester transit passes for students, faculty and staff, including part-time students and employees. PTS subsidized 1,398 semester passes and 763 annual passes for a total of 2,161 subsidized passes between July 1, 2016 and September 30, 2016.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer a minimum of twenty (20) diverse recreation, physical activity/movement or competitive sports opportunities during each academic year.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona’s Campus Recreation offers a diverse range of over 80 sports, physical activity/movement and recreation classes each semester to faculty and staff at competitive pricing for either individual day or semester long participation. Offerings include group fitness and instructional activity classes, a full aquatics program, intramural and club sports teams, outdoor recreation workshops and organized trips.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer, without a user fee, a minimum of one (1) monthly 'how to' physical activity/ movement class that introduces students to new activities.
Progress To Date

Campus Recreation offers a number of free movement and education “how-to” workshops to educate students on new physical activities. In the Fall 2016 semester, a Blindfold Yoga Workshop, Meditation Workshop and Bouldering Workshop were offered to introduce more focused yoga practice, new meditation techniques and rock climbing, respectively.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer at least one (1) free, organized and facilitated, outdoor physical activity/movement opportunity each week.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona offers free weekly bouldering workshops at the Outdoor Rec Bouldering Wall.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer a rental outdoor recreation equipment program for students.
Progress To Date

University of Arizona allows current students, faculty and staff to rent outdoor equipment for a nominal fee. Equipment includes items necessary for activities such as camping, hiking, mountain biking and canoeing.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Make available certified personal trainers for all students.
Progress To Date

University of Arizona provides access to 9 certified trainers for individual, buddy and small group personal training sessions.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Implement a program/policy that supports and accommodates breastfeeding for individuals on campus.
Progress To Date

The University of Arizona implemented a comprehensive policy with coordinated programs to support breastfeeding on campus. Fifteen lactation spaces are available throughout the University’s main campus and College of Medicine-Phoenix. Lactation spaces are shielded from view, free from intrusion and meet Affordable Care Act regulatory location requirements. The Life & Work Connections (LWC) department has partnered with Planning, Design and Construction, to ensure all new building, expansion and renovation projects include detailed specifications for the construction of lactation spaces. All lactation spaces are identified through an online Family Resource Map, which is also available for mobile devices. Additionally, through a partnership with Banner University Medical Center Tucson - Banner Children’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center, LWC Lactation Services offers current employees and enrolled students free, individualized lactation consultations with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2016

Commitment Element
Offer non-academic cooking skills classes that are available to students.
Progress To Date

Campus Recreation offers paid, non-academic cooking skill classes and free educational, cooking events and demonstrations throughout the semester to promote proper nutrition and culinary tool handling skills. The Cooking on Campus 7-program series is hosted by Campus Recreation in partnership with the Campus Health Service, Culinary Services and the Student Health Advocacy Committee. This hands-on culinary program features student chefs and is designed to teach new and experienced cooks how to create healthy, delicious meals and snacks.

Partner Statement

“The University of Arizona is proud to partner with the Partnership for a Healthier America Healthier Campus Initiative. In our first year, we have been able to submit and have third party verification for 65% of the required criteria. With our continued wellness initiatives always at the forefront, the University of Arizona looks forward to expanding our culinary nutrition philosophy and ‘healthier habits’ programming as well as completing development of our wellness program by collaborating with departments including Campus Recreation, Student Unions, Campus Health, Parking & Transportation, Residence Life, academic departments, and student groups to meet the final pieces of criteria this coming year. In addition to the criteria put forth, the University of Arizona is a smoke-free campus, offers Mindfulness Ambassadors & Stress Buster workshops to reduce stress for students & staff, and also incorporates student Nutrition Navigators offering grocery store tours, healthier option samples, & healthier eating workshops. We have also moved our Campus Pantry to the Student Unions to allow for increased student access and to expedite the relationship with our Culinary Services team in an effort to reduce food insecurity and offer healthier options. We are excited to continue to excel in the areas of wellness focusing on diet, exercise, & mind to become the Healthiest Campus in America!”