By Kristal Fehring
In our vision to inspire healthy people and healthy communities, NIRSA recognizes that action must take place not only on member campuses, but on a larger level as well.
It is to this end that NIRSA has already formed a Policy and Legislation Committee, which works to provide up-to-date information and resources to NIRSA Members on important legislative issues.
In addition, we have taken our pursuit of advocacy to the national level; NIRSA is excited to announce our organization has recently joined the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA).
The NCPPA is a leading cross-sector alliance for promoting active living and fitness initiatives through national policy. The coalition is a diverse blend of associations, health organizations, and corporations advocating for policies that encourage Americans of all ages to become more physically active. As NCPPA spearheads federal policy and advocacy work in support of the National Physical Activity Plan’s recommendations, they maintain a strong and necessary voice for physical activity in Washington, DC. This coalition is dedicated to actively encouraging federal legislators to make policy changes that promote regular activity in all facets of life.
Promoting physical activity is key to NIRSA’s vision of inspiring healthy people and healthy communities.
NIRSA is excited to become a part of this progressive organization; and the NCPPA has made it clear that the feeling and support goes both ways. “Recreational sports provide enormous benefits throughout a young person’s life, especially in their formative years at college. Leadership, team-work, and discipline are all invaluable lessons that young people carry into adulthood, as well as the healthy decisions that are cultivated through these activities,” said President of NCPPA and CEO of the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Scott Goudeseune. “As a leader in college recreation and sport, NIRSA is a natural fit for NCPPA and will provide a valuable perspective to better inform our policy goals around higher education and promoting physical activity and lifelong wellness.”
We are excited about the momentum already gained as we work towards our shared goals; earlier this spring, the NCPPA released the white paper: The Economics of Physical Activity Promotion in the United States. This project focused on the following three objectives:
- to develop a broader, more sophisticated understanding of the economic impact of physical activity and its potential role for influencing health care costs and labor productivity
- to illustrate how the preventive benefits of physical activity are typically unaccounted for within the current federal budgeting process
- to identify areas of future research and data collection to strengthen our evidence base for policy work in this area
This white paper is archived in NIRSA’s Health and Wellbeing Community of Practice so that our members can easily access and reference it, as they put its findings into practice on their campuses. Additionally, Pam Watts, NIRSA Executive Director, demonstrated the commitment of the NIRSA Headquarters to physical activity in the work environment by signing NCPPA’s CEO Pledge. By supporting employee health and wellness initiatives in the workplace, organizations can improve employee morale, increase productivity, enhance work quality, and reduce healthcare costs. Actions like this pledge are yet another great step in inspiring wellness in our communities.
