Image courtesy of Active Minds.
Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) was recognized today for its excellence in making the health and well-being of its more than 37,000 students a priority, according to a national nonprofit.
As a recipient of the 2016 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award, CSULB is one of the healthiest college campuses nationwide, according to Active Minds, the nonprofit that created the Healthy Campus award to increase health and mental health awareness.
“The health and wellness of our entire campus community is a priority of mine,” said CSULB President Jane Close Conoley in a statement. “Good physical and mental health is essential to student success, which is why we support a variety of programs that directly affect health and wellness. Winning the Active Minds Healthy Campus Award validates our commitment to this important mission.”
Shellv Candler, a history major at CSULB, says she was homeless and skipping meals before a faculty member referred her to the Student Emergency Intervention Program.
“Before, I would skip lunch so I had enough money to buy dinner for my mom and me,” stated Candler. “The program placed meals on my student ID card and helped me move from an emergency shelter. When I graduate, my goal is to become a teacher. I want to inspire youth to achieve their full potential and help young people like CSULB helped me.”
This is the second year of the Healthy Campus Award.
Applicants go through an extensive application process, which includes multiple interviews and endorsements. CSULB, and all other applicants, were assessed on eight criteria, and chosen by a panel of researchers, health and higher education experts, according to the release.
“CSULB stands out because it invests in students’ physical and mental health on a comprehensive scale and for the long term,” stated Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of Active Minds, the national nonprofit that presents the Healthy Campus Award. “CSULB is a model of what’s possible when a college prioritizes a campus culture of health, safety and well-being.”
Alongside CSULB, the Healthy Campus Award was given to Jefferson College, Lawrence University, Sacramento State University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, while Ohio State University received an honorable mention.
CSULB is one of 23 campuses in the CSU system, is a large university with more than 37,000 students, of which 41 percent are underrepresented minorities, and over 50 percent are first-generation college students coming from low-income families, while 75 percent are employed and in school at the same time, according to the release.
The Healthy Campus Award cited CSULB for its Campus-Wide Commitment to At-Risk Students, Outreach to Special Populations, Student Addiction Recovery Program and Exercise as Medicine.
For more information about the Healthy Campus Award, click here.