Healthy Campus
ATU Healthy Campus is aligned to Healthy Ireland’s Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025 and the Healthy Ireland Healthy Campus Charter and Framework (planned for 2021) to make ATU a healthier and happier place to study and work for students and staff.
Healthy Campus is a working group, comprised of students and staff from various departments and campuses, which facilitates and promotes various events, activities, competitions, and showcases related to the following health and wellbeing areas:
Physical Health
Addressing the physical health needs of the ATU Community by promoting and facilitating on-campus and virtual fitness classes, step and cycle challenges, Sport, motivational speakers, and exploring initiatives to incorporate healthy habits into daily routines.
Nutrition
Facilitating and promoting information sessions, competitions, and other healthy nutrition activities to support students and staff. Healthy Campus works with staff and students from the Culinary Arts and Public Health Nutrition programmes on healthy meal offerings and cooking resources that focus on educating the ATU Community about cooking, meal planning, and budgeting.
Mental Health
In addition to promoting ATU’s in-house mental health supports, Healthy Campus organises and promotes mental health workshops and training for students and staff. An ATU Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy is currently in development along with guidelines for Staff Supporting Students and Students Supporting Students.
Substance Use
ATU is a Clean Air Campus which prohibits smoking or vaping on any of the ATU grounds or buildings on the Galway and Mayo Campuses.
Healthy Campus is committed to supporting those who are affected by the Clean Air Campus initiative by providing information, advice, and support.
Through the promotion of safe use of alcohol, Healthy Campus aims to reduce the misuse of alcohol and drugs. ATU is a Safe Campus in which no alcohol can be sold, distributed, or advertised (other than for training purposes). A ATU Alcohol and Substance Use Policy is currently in development.
Sexual Health & Identity
Supporting a positive environment for everyone in the ATU Community by contributing to the training and campaigning of sexual health, gender-specific health, sexual orientation and gender identity, and sexual consent / misconduct / disclosures. Students and staff facilitators deliver Active* Consent Workshops to first-year students on all campuses and Healthy Campus also supports the #NeverOK campaign.
By offering students the opportunity to volunteer on a variety of health and wellbeing initiatives, Healthy Campus supports THRIVE, the ATU President’s Award for Volunteering.
Healthy Campus works with several internal and external community partners on joint health and wellbeing initiatives and campaigns during the #First5weeks and throughout the year.