Oklahoma State University Commends Healthy Departments

Thursday, January 29, 2015

As Oklahoma State University lives America’s Healthiest Campus®, departments system-wide are being celebrated for their successes as Certified Healthy Departments. OSU has been recognizing departments that demonstrate excellence in wellness and certifying healthy departments since 2011. OSU has grown from nine Certified Healthy Departments in 2011 to 65 in 2014. This year, OSU looks forward to recognizing and applauding even more departments for supporting a culture of wellness.

“All departments within the OSU family are encouraged to celebrate their successes as healthy departments and become certified,” said Dr. Suzy Harrington, OSU Chief Wellness Officer. “Wellness is beyond what we do, but who we are. It is the harmony of our physical, emotional, social, professional and spiritual health.”

Fashioned after the state of Oklahoma’s Certified Healthy Business Program to recognize businesses for their efforts to provide a healthy workplace, OSU’s Certified Healthy Department Program celebrates and recognizes departments that have done the same.

The departments certified have been selected for demonstrating excellence in the following areas:

• Leadership Support
• Culture of Wellness
• Environmental Safety
• Active Lifestyle
• Nutrition/Hydration
• Tobacco Free
• Mental Health and Well-Being
• Designated AHC Innovator

“Many departments have been implementing healthy activities and striving for wellness in the workplace long before the Certified Healthy Department Program was initiated,” said Mary Talley, Employee Wellness Program manager. “Through the program, we can now acknowledge and celebrate them for their efforts.”

Upon certification, CHDs will receive a framed certificate, an official logo that can be used in communication or on the departmental website, a bi-monthly newsletter from the Department of Wellness and special invitations to participate in wellness activities.

The criteria for 2015 have been slightly updated to include a manager’s review and signature in order to respect the importance of leadership support in a culture of wellness, Harrington said.

“This year, we have also broadened the program to include all OSU campuses and A&M affiliates,” Harrington said. “Our plans for next year are to expand to student groups and have health outcomes.”

For a chance to be recognized as a partner in wellness, apply at AmericasHealthiestCampus.com. Applications are due March 6. Certified Healthy Departments will be announced on March 23.

For more information about the Certified Healthy Department program, visit AmericasHealthiestCampus.com or email the Oklahoma State University Chief Wellness Officer at Chief Wellness Officer at chiefwellnessofficer@okstate.edu.

Below is a list of the 2014 Certified Healthy Departments in alphabetical order.

• Agricultural Communications Services
• Agricultural Education, Communications & Leadership
• Alfalfa County OSU Extension Services
• Associate Vice President and Controller
• Blaine County OSU Extension Office
• Budget & Asset Management
• Bursar Office
• Canadian County OSU Cooperative Extension
• Career Services
• CASNR Academic Programs
• CEAT Dean’s Office
• Center of Veterinary Medicine, Office of the Dean
• College of Education
• Cotton County Okla. Cooperative Extension Service
• Creek County Cooperative Extension Service
• Custer County Cooperative Extension
• DASNR Administrative Group
• Department of Wellness
• Design, Housing and Merchandising
• Engineering Distance Education
• Financial Information Management/University Imaging
• Fire Protection Publications
• Garfield County Cooperative Extension Office
• Grady County Extension Office
• Grants and Contracts Financial Administration
• Housing and Residential Life
• Hughes County Extension Office
• Human Development and Family Science
• Human Resources
• Human Sciences Research & Graduate Studies
• Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence
• International Studies and Outreach
• Kay County Extension Office • Long Range Facilities Planning
• Major County Cooperative Extension
• Management
• McIntosh County Extension
• NE District Extension Office
• New Student Orientation & Enrollment
• Noble County OSU Extension Office
• NW District Extension Office
• Nutritional Sciences
• Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid
• Office of the President
• Office of the Registrar
• Okla. Cooperative Extension, Choctaw County
• OSU CHS Rural Health
• OSU Communications
• OSU Extension Okla. County Office
• OSU Parking & Transportation
• Payne County Extension
• Pittsburg County Cooperative Extension Service
• Pottawatomie County Extension Office
• Psychology
• Purchasing Department
• Research Compliance
• Risk Management
• Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center
• Student Union
• Tulsa County Extension Center
• Undergraduate Admissions
• University Health Services
• VPSA
• Woods County Cooperative Extension

Story by Tory Dwyer