Resolution of the
University of Oklahoma Faculty Senate
A resolution requesting an expanded
commitment to wellness
Whereas: The University of Oklahoma has committed to improving the wellness of its employees as demonstrated through the creation of a Wellness Coordinator position and reduced cost membership to the Huston Huffman center for employees, and;
Whereas: Healthcare costs are consuming an increasing portion of the University’s budget as well as reducing the amount of employee take-home pay, and;
Whereas: Incentives that encourage employees to pursue healthy behaviors are demonstrated to increase the practice of healthy behaviors, and;
Whereas: The practice of healthy behaviors leads to an increase in employee wellness, which reduces healthcare costs for both the employee and the employer, reduces healthcare premiums, and improves employee productivity, and;
Whereas: Research findings support exercise as the key to increasing personal strength, endurance, and flexibility, as well as improving energy, attitude, and mood, and;
Whereas: The University community is more likely to make healthy eating and behavioral choices when they are available, affordable, and accessible;
Background
In recent years, the University of
Oklahoma has begun to engage in several activities designed to improve the
health and wellbeing of members of the University Community such as: reduced cost membership to the Huston Huffman
facility for faculty and staff, smoking cessation programs, Weight Watchers at
Work, consultation on bicycle paths, and moving toward a more bicycle-friendly
campus, semi-annual health screenings, smoke-free campuses at the Health
Sciences Center and the Tulsa Schusterman Center, and the creation of a
Wellness Coordinator position to promote wellness activities that to date
include monthly newsletters, classes, screenings, and promotions that provide
information about health issues.
The
University of Oklahoma should expand its commitment to employee wellness. Identified below are four areas for
improvement recommended by the Faculty Welfare Committee and endorsed by the
Faculty Senate.
Area 1: University Employee
Wellness Report Card
The
University should make it a priority to support employees’ efforts to enhance
their wellness. Other public
universities encourage this, as confirmed by the Oklahoma State University
Certified Healthy Departments initiative (http://news.okstate.edu/press-releases/839-oklahoma-state-universitys-announces-2011-certified-healthy-departments). In fact, the OSU Institute of Technology has
received the “Healthy Business” award from the Oklahoma Certified Healthy
Business Program (www.okturningpoint.org) for the past two years. The score sheet for this program is available
at the following website: http://www.okturningpoint.org/2010CHB/CertifiedBusinessTally10.pdf.
It
is recommended that a University Employee Wellness Report Card be developed
collaboratively in the 2011-2012 academic year with representation from
faculty, students, staff, and administrators.
Possible areas of specific relevance to the University to consider including
in the Employee Wellness Report Card are:
Facilities and
Environment for Wellness
· Tobacco-free campus
· Goddard Health Center
· Huston Huffman Fitness Center
· Group fitness classes
· Murray Case Sells Swim Complex
· Bicycle paths and walking paths
· Faculty workout facility
· Campus food dining centers and offerings
· Campus catering
Programs for
Wellness
· Free health risk assessments
· Group fitness classes
· Weight Watchers @ Work
· Tobacco cessation programs
· Educational seminars
· Events (e.g., fun run/walk, cycling)
· Information sharing (e.g., monthly newsletters)
· Advice and counseling (e.g., exercise, nutrition, weight)
· Goddard Outreach Programming
· Employee Assistance Program
Incentives for
Wellness
· Reduced cost membership at Huston Huffman Center
· Preventative care coverage
· Tangible incentives for wellness
· Reimbursement for tobacco cessation products
Over
380 U.S. colleges and universities are completely smoke free, which in Oklahoma
include The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, The University of
Oklahoma Tulsa Campus, Oklahoma State University Stillwater Campus, Oklahoma
State University Tulsa Campus, University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City
University, and the University of Tulsa.
Numerous factors motivate the decision to become smoke free: (1) secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in
nonsmokers, who have chosen to not smoke, (2) secondhand smoke causes heart
disease in adults, with recent studies
finding that smoke-free laws reduce the rate of heart attacks by an average of
17% in just the first year after adoption, with the largest reduction occurring
in non-smokers, (3) the National Cancer Institute has concluded that
“there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke,” (4) eliminating exposure to
secondhand smoke on the Norman campus will have a direct and significant positive effect
on the cost of employee benefits over time, and (5) the highest rating for an
Oklahoma Certified Healthy Business is only possible for entities whose entire
property is tobacco-free, both indoor and outdoor.
Area 3: Incentives for
Healthy Behavior
Like
other public and private universities around the country, the University should
promote healthy eating options in the regular meal programming options as well
as for event programming. At Princeton, daily
menus provide options for a healthy diet based on the principles of moderation
and variety, and nutritional information is provided for the daily menus. Students at Louisville are encouraged to buy
a season's worth of local produce up front, which is delivered in the form of a
basket once a week during the Community Supported Agriculture Fair. Oregon State University promotes healthier options by simply making them more
affordable, accessible and easy for the customer to choose.