Creating Healthier Places

Saint Louis University

2017 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2015

Length of Commitment: 3 years

Select a Progress Report:

View Partner

Committed to meet 23 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 2017
Reporting Date
November 2017

Commitment Element
Offer on the menu a minimum of one (1) wellness meal at each breakfast, lunch and dinner meal (if served).
Progress To Date

Saint Louis University offers at least one wellness meal at every breakfast, lunch and dinner served at the Grand Dining Hall. Wellness meals meet all PHA food and nutrition criteria and are promoted daily with signage at point of presentation.
Implementation Date
September 2017
Reporting Date
November 2017

Commitment Element
Implement a local food procurement program that increases procurement of local and sustainable foods.
Progress To Date

The mission of the Fresh Gatherings Café of Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences is to be a leader in sustainable food service, while providing exceptional education-based experiences. Fresh Gatherings Café menus are developed by culinary chefs who teach in the program and incorporate local and seasonal produce and livestock, all sourced within 150 miles of the campus in Missouri and Illinois. Other sustainability initiatives include the creation of the Saint Louis Urban Garden, which serves as an educational tool for University students and has been integrated into a nutrition education curriculum for Saint Louis Public Schools. Saint Louis University also hosts an annual Food Day to inspire individuals to support healthy, sustainable and just agricultural practices and improve nationwide food policies.
Implementation Date
September 2017
Reporting Date
November 2017

Commitment Element
Offer a minimum of three (3) types of fruits, three (3) types of vegetables, two (2) 100% whole grain products and no more than two (2) fried items on catering menus.
Progress To Date

Saint Louis University offers a catering menu featuring a wide variety of healthier breakfast, lunch, dinner, vegetarian, vegan and made-without-gluten options. The menu contains at least three types of fruits, three types of vegetables, two 100% whole grain products and no more than two fried foods.
Implementation Date
September 2017
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

Saint Louis University provides maps and distance information for three walking and jogging routes on the University website, available to all students, faculty, staff and community members. Walking and jogging routes range in length from 0.5 to 3.1 miles. Physical markers are unavailable on any jogging paths or routes.
Implementation Date
September 2017
Reporting Date
November 2017

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

Saint Louis University offers 1.0 mile of dedicated bike lanes on North Campus and 0.8 miles of dedicated bike lanes on South Campus. A sustainability bike map was created to raise awareness of students and community members regarding designated and dedicated bicycle lanes, bike racks, free shower stations for bike commuters and outdoor water filling stations. In addition, bike maintenance stations have been installed to support simple repair and maintenance for bike commuters.
Implementation Date
September 2017
Reporting Date
November 2017

Commitment Element
Provide an outdoor fitness system.
Progress To Date

Saint Louis University is currently engaged in a campus master planning process to provide an outdoor fitness system. A location has not yet been selected, but the University is working to place the fitness system in close proximity to existing recreation facilities in order to encourage use, create a connection to existing fitness programs and support regular maintenance of the system.
Implementation Date
September 2017
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

The Saint Louis University Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness and the Human Resources Benefits Office coordinate to offer weekly, free organized and facilitated, outdoor physical activities. Power Yoga meets weekly in the outdoor recreation facilities and Vitality 5K run/walks are offered every other week through North and South Campus.
Implementation Date
September 2017
Reporting Date
November 2017

Commitment Element
Implement an integrated, comprehensive wellness program for individuals on campus that is provided annually.
Progress To Date

Saint Louis University’s Health Promotion and Education Team works to create safe and healthy environments on campus and in the community, that support student learning and encourage responsible decision making. The multidisciplinary committee meets monthly to discuss development, implementation, marketing and communication of wellness programming and education. Wellness efforts are comprehensive, designed to reach all individuals on campus, and integrated with other initiatives such as Sustainability and Benchmarking, the Division of Student Development’s strategic priority of healthy mind, body and spirit and ultimately connected with the University’s Strategic Plan.

Partner Statement

“Saint Louis University was thrilled to be part of the first cohort of colleges and universities to join the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Healthier Campus Initiative. Through the implementation of various guidelines, the health and well-being of our students and broader SLU community has been enhanced. While our 3-year commitment has come to end, we promise to remain steadfast in our pledge to ensure the SLU community has access to healthier environments which encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and support overall wellness. Thank you PHA for your tremendous support throughout our Healthier Campus Initiative.”