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In a major advancement for the Healthy Campus movement, a new online programme titled Supporting a Whole Campus Approach to a Health Promoting University has been launched, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of health and well-being across Irish higher education institutions.
This initiative, led by a consortium of national universities and coordinated by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), aims to equip campuses with the knowledge and tools needed to support health at personal, population, and planetary levels.
The programme is the result of a collaborative effort within the national Healthy Campus network, spearheaded by Caroline Mahon. Institutions including University of Limerick (UL), University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Technological University Dublin (TUD), and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) participated in designing the course, with TCD coordinating.
The consortium’s proposal was awarded €50,000 by the HEA and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in January 2024.
The programme, a facilitated six-week online course, launched in September, has its inaugural run during the autumn semester.
It offers a blend of independent learning, live sessions, peer activities, and case studies of successful Healthy Campus initiatives.
Participants who complete the programme will earn a digital badge from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, certifying their expertise in fostering health-promoting campuses.
UL is playing a pivotal role in shaping the programme’s content. In Week 3, titled What Are Our Common Needs and What Makes Our Campus Unique, Associate Professor and Registered Dietitian Catherine Norton leads a session that emphasizes the importance of context and settings in designing health initiatives.
The session highlights the balance between common goals, such as supporting personal, population, and planetary health, and the need for tailored approaches to address each campus’s unique challenges. Practical resources and insights are provided to assist participants in overcoming common obstacles faced by Healthy Campus initiatives.