Glendale Community College (GCC) is one of only 156 universities and colleges around the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine® for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus. GCC boasts an exceptionally active Fitness & Wellness Department and Employee Wellness Program that includes state-of-the-art Fitness Centers, a Sports Performance Lab, an Olympic-size swimming pool, as well as outdoor tennis courts, racquetball courts, and running track. These facilities plus student, faculty and staff involvement helped GCC earn gold level designation from the Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) program.
“We are proud that health and wellness is embraced by many campus departments at GCC, including Nursing, Counseling and Nutrition that guide students to make healthier choices and also encourage individuals to visit our campus Fitness & Wellness facilities.” Stated Louise So, GCC Faculty and Personal Trainer Program Director.
“We are thrilled to recognize these campuses’ commitment to make movement a part of daily campus culture and give students the tools to cultivate physical activity habits that will benefit them throughout their lives,” said Robyn Stuhr, Vice President of Exercise is Medicine. “These campus programs are nurturing future leaders who will advance a key tenet of Exercise is Medicine: making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care.”
GCC was one of 73 colleges to receive gold level recognition. All universities and colleges will be officially recognized in June as part of the 2022 Exercise is Medicine World Congress, held in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting.
The GCC Exercise is Medicine-On Campus Leadership Team for 2022 consists of:
- Louise So, Advisor
- Dr. Grace Paul, DNP, RN, CNE, Health Care Professional/Department Chair- Nursing
- Dr. Aaron Fried, Health Fitness Professional/Certified Athletic Trainer
- Justine Frazini, Student Representative
- Derek Roman, Student Representative
EIM-OC launched its recognition program in 2014 to honor campuses for their efforts to create a culture of wellness. Schools earn gold, silver or bronze status based on their activities. Gold level campuses have created a referral system where campus health care providers assess student physical activity and refer students as necessary to a certified fitness professional as part of medical treatment.
Glendale Community College provides 41 Associates degrees, 61 certificate programs, and a range of non-degree offerings, all available to students in traditional, online and hybrid formats. Founded in 1965 to serve the northwestern part of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, the college is part of the Maricopa County Community Colleges District, has two campuses and enrolls approximately 26,000 students annually, and employs approximately 1,000 faculty, staff, and administrators with an operational budget of $83 million.