LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has been named a Fit-Friendly Company at the Gold Level by the American Heart Association, which recognizes workplaces that champion the health of employees. Transylvania is one of only 19 colleges in the country to be recognized as a Gold Level company.
To make the cut, Transylvania had to demonstrate participation in areas outlined by the American Heart Association to promote physical activity, nutritional well-being and an overall organizational culture of health consciousness.
Transylvania demonstrated its commitment to being a healthy place to work through its Wellness Works initiative, which offers various programs to faculty and staff that target physical, financial, emotional, occupational, intellectual and social wellness.
Ashley Hinton-Moncer, director of fitness and wellness and chair of the Wellness Works committee, said committee members have worked with the university’s food service contractor to help promote balanced eating and to serve more healthy options.
“We’ve also worked with our vending machine supplier to offer water,” said Hinton-Moncer. “And, we agreed on 10 healthier snack options to be stocked in all machines with promotional signage regarding nutritional data.”
The American Heart Association also looked at smoking policies, and Transylvania has been a tobacco free campus since August 1, 2010.
Among the free wellness initiatives that Transylvania offers to its employees are an annual health fair with flu shots, counseling sessions with a nutritionist, smoking cessation courses, fitness classes, financial and retirement planning sessions, group walks to the Farmers’ Market, healthy cooking classes and non-emergency healthcare.