Glendale Community College (GCC) is one of only 193 universities and colleges around the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus. This marks the 12th year that GCC has earned this recognition.
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, and a 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.
“GCC leads the way with programs that serve the health and well-being of our community. Our success is due to ongoing collaboration with Fitness & Wellness, Employee Wellness, Nursing, Counseling, EMT and Nutrition, just to name a few. Our focus is to guide students to make healthier choices and also encourage everyone to visit our campus fitness facilities. GCC has state-of-the-art Fitness Centers, Sports Performance Lab, Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, racquetball courts, running track, and a beautifully manicured campus for walking and relaxation." 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 interim CEO Katie Feltman, CAE. “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 94 colleges to receive gold level recognition. All universities and colleges will be officially recognized in May at the Exercise is Medicine recognition ceremony during the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting.
The GCC EIM-OC Leadership Team members:
- Louise So, EIM Campus Advisor
- Dr. Grace Paul, DNP, RN, CNE, Nursing Department Chair
- Dr. Aaron Fried, Fitness & Wellness Department Chair
- Esmeralda Delgado, Student Representative
- Marina Rivera, 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.