Creating Healthier Places

Northern Arizona University

2017 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2015
Length of Commitment: 3 years
Select a Progress Report:

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 2017

    Commitment Element

    Offer a minimum five (5) types of fruits, five (5) types of vegetables and two (2) 100% whole grain products at both lunch and dinner (if served).

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University offers at least five fruits, five vegetables and two 100% whole grain options at both lunch and dinner in its Hot Spot and Dubois dining halls.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Designate healthier food and beverage options using a healthy icon at the point of presentation.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University identifies healthier food and beverage options at the point of presentation and online using Sodexo’s Mindful healthy icon. Food and beverages are also labeled with calories and other nutritional information.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Implement a comprehensive, strategic product placement/merchandizing program/policy within dining venues to encourage healthier food consumption which will include a minimum of five (5) strategies, one (1) of which is: Display only healthier food and beverage options within five (5) feet of all cash register stations (if anything at all).

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University has implemented a comprehensive, strategic product placement and merchandizing program in its Hot Spot and Dubois dining halls to encourage healthier food consumption. Strategies include offering no food or beverage items within five feet of all cash register stations, offering vegetables as a component at all platforms serving entrees, reducing plate and cup sizes to limit portions, promoting healthier “Mindful” options available in the dining halls each day and offering healthier “Mindful” samples once per month.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Offer a plant-based food option at every platform serving meat.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University offers a wide range of plant based options, with at least one plant based entrée or side at every platform serving meat.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Offer tray-less dining in at least seventy-five percent (75%) of dining venues.

    Progress To Date

    Tray-less dining has been in place at Northern Arizona University in both the Hot Spot and DuBois dining halls, since 2011.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Make free water available in all dining, recreational and educational facilities.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University offers free water in all dining, recreational and educational facilities on campus through a combination of water fountains and hydration stations.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Provide marked walking routes on campus, one of which must be at least two (2) miles in length and have distance markers at regular intervals. A route map is made available to individuals on campus.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University’s Blue & Gold 5K offers a 3.2 mile hike through campus.The route is marked with a trailhead and distance markers every half-mile. Campus Recreation’s Bites and Hikes initiative offers an additional five hikes, ranging from one to 2.6 miles, on and around campus, with trail maps online. Each map, including for the Blue & Gold 5K, offers information on campus landmarks and dining options along the way.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Offer a bicycle share/rental program and/or a subsidized bicycle purchase program for all individuals on campus.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University’s Yellow Bike Program provides free bike rentals to students, staff and faculty. The University maintains an inventory of 154 Yellow Bikes at three locations on campus. Each seven day bike rental includes a lock, key and helmet and the program operates on a first come, first serve basis.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Provide, without a user fee, sixteen (16)-hour per day access to at least one (1) fitness or recreation center for all students.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University provides students with free access to the Campus Recreation Center for 14.4 hours per day, on average, each week.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

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

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University offers a diverse range of recreation, physical activity and competitive sports opportunities each year, including 22 unique group fitness classes, 36 different intramural and unified intramural sports opportunities, 35 club sports, weekly outdoor adventures, aquatics lessons, climbing programs and a challenge high course.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

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

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University offers a weekly Bootcamp class outside in the Recreation Center Courtyard area.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Offer a rental outdoor recreation equipment program for students.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University’s Outdoor Adventures program offers a range of outdoor rental equipment, available for a nominal fee. Equipment options include backpacks, sleeping bags, camping chairs, tents, stoves, snowshoes and mountain bikes. Rentals used in coordination with an Outdoor Adventures course or trip are provided at a 50% discount.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Make available certified personal trainers for all students.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University provides access to nine certified personal trainers. Students, Campus Recreation members and non-members may select individual, buddy or small group sessions for a nominal fee.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Implement a program/policy that identifies students who may be ‘food insecure’ and provides options on campus.

    Progress To Date

    Louie’s Cupboard at Northern Arizona University is working to end hunger on campus by providing nonperishable food and resources to students and staff. In the 2015-2016 school year, Louie’s Cupboard provided food to 188 students and distributed approximately 15,000 food items over 14 bi-weekly distribution dates. Faculty, students and staff across the University have donated food on a regular basis and a collaborative partnership with the Flagstaff Family Food Center allows volunteers to secure food resources through local food agencies.

  • Implementation Date

    September 2018

    Reporting Date

    November 2017

    Commitment Element

    Offer a rewards-on-benefits structured program that gives insurance premium discounts and/or rebates to individuals on campus who participate in a wellness program designated by the health insurer or campus.

    Progress To Date

    Northern Arizona University offers two rewards-on-benefits structured programs that gives insurance rebates to individuals on campus who participate in a wellness program. The HealthyU program offers employees with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona coverage up to a $300 incentive payment for completing an online health risk assessment and logging points for screenings, health education and physical activity. Employees with Aetna insurance coverage may participate in the Health Impact Program (HIP) and receive up to a $200 incentive payment for tracking similar health and wellness activities. As of September 2017, 3,247 employees were enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan and an additional 300 employees in the Aetna plan.

Partner Statement

“2017 was the year for implementing and expanding health and wellness initiatives at NAU. Not only did we submit and receive verification for 15 of our HCI guidelines, but we built on these guidelines to expand wellness options across campus:

• 6 outdoor walking routes called “Bites and Hikes” were created. Each route varies in length and features healthy meal options along the route. These routes have been utilized for 5ks and monthly wellness walks led by the university president.

• Louie’s Cupboard, our campus food pantry, has provided food resources to food insecure individuals on campus since 2013. This year, Health Promotion is enhancing the program by providing recipes and in-person nutrition education relevant to foods available in the pantry for participants.

• While many factors influenced the renovation of a resident dining facility on campus, the guideline 1.A.7 was particularly helpful in guiding the placement of different platforms. As a result, the first thing students see when they walk into the new DüB Dining District is Plant Forward, a plant based platform featuring fresh, exciting vegan and vegetarian dishes. NAU was recognized as one of Food Management’s 2018 Innovators of the year for its focus on health in Campus Dining.”