Creating Healthier Places

Des Moines Area Community College

2018 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 2018

Commitment Element
Ensure that a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of vending machines offer only healthier food products or fifty percent (50%) of each vending machine content is healthier food products.
Progress To Date

At least 50% of all food and beverage products in Des Moines Area Community College's 54 vending machines meet healthier food and beverage standards approved by PHA.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2018

Commitment Element
Label food and beverage items offered with calories per serving at the vending point of presentation.
Progress To Date

Des Moines Area Community College ensures all vended food and beverage items are labeled with calories per serving at the point of presentation.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2018

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

Des Moines Area Community College has partnered with the Hy-Vee supermarket chain to provide students, faculty and staff with access to a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for nutrition assessment and counseling. The dietitian offers grocery store tours and individual and group healthy lifestyles and weight management programs where individuals learn about nutrition and exercise concepts for healthy living and weight loss.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2018

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

Des Moines Area Community College's Lake Future Recreation Trail provides a 1.2 mile walking loop on campus. The trail provides nine mileage markers with 0.2 to 0.4 miles between each marker.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2018

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

Des Moines Area Community College's Campus Recreation Department offers daily bike rentals to all students, faculty and staff at no cost. Long term bike rentals are available with a paid deposit.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2018

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

Des Moines Area Community College incentivizes public transportation by offering discounted monthly bus passes to all registered students on the Urban and Ankeny campuses.
Implementation Date
September 2018
Reporting Date
November 2018

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

The Des Moines Area Community College Outdoor Recreation equipment rental program offers a range of outdoor rental equipment to students with recreation center memberships for free and to individuals without recreation center memberships for a nominal fee. Equipment options are available for biking, hiking, camping, fishing, golf, tennis and team sports.

Partner Statement

“DMACC is actively working to complete the remaining guidelines developed by PHA in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading nutrition, physical activity and campus wellness experts. We have completed several guidelines that have created exciting new opportunities for students and staff to maintain or improve their personal health. This includes a bike rental program, changes to our vending machines to support healthy eating, and the ability to get nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian. We expect to complete the guidelines in the next 6 months.”