2008 Woodie Awards
Department seeks health educator
By Stephanie Arnemann
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: News
Because of an increase in alcohol, drugs and obesity on campus and nationwide, UTC officials are in the process of interviewing applicants for the new health educator position.
Sara Peters, director of the Women's Center and Transformation Project ,said the health educator will coordinate programs that will educate students on healthy lifestyle choices, obesity, alcohol and drug use and eating disorders.
The need for a Health Educator has been a concern at UTC for awhile, Peters said, and because many health and wellness issues are universal to students, the need for this position is stronger than ever.
John Delaney, vice chancellor of student development wrote in an e-mail the position became an option when the health fee was proposed last year.
Delaney wrote that other campuses have added the position to put in place preventative and educational programs of how negative choices may affect a student's life and college career.
Peters said the indifference of students and their not taking notice of the free lectures concerning their health has made the position necessary on campus.
For this reason, Peters said, "We really need somebody that can communicate well with students and somebody that has creative ideas on how to get students involved in these issues."
Peters said that among other issues, one of the foremost topics that the new health educator will need to address is obesity.
"Obesity is becoming more and more of a problem nationally, and so we definitely want to address issues like that," Peters said.
The new Health Educator will be coordinating the programs that deal with these health issues.
"Individual departments will still do programming, it's not that we're going to stop doing that," Peters said, " but this way we can have [all the programs] joined in one office so that we can know what everyone else is doing."
Delaney wrote that the health educator will partner with existing programs on campus such as academic departments, Campus Recreation, the Women's Center and the Counseling Center.
The school is looking to fill this position with someone with a strong background in public health or health education, Peters said.
Peters said that they are accepting applications and that they are conducting interviews currently but have not yet filled the position.
"We'd really like to see as many candidates as possible so that we will be able to make an informed choice."
Delaney wrote that the position is open to male and female candidates.
Sara Peters, director of the Women's Center and Transformation Project ,said the health educator will coordinate programs that will educate students on healthy lifestyle choices, obesity, alcohol and drug use and eating disorders.
The need for a Health Educator has been a concern at UTC for awhile, Peters said, and because many health and wellness issues are universal to students, the need for this position is stronger than ever.
John Delaney, vice chancellor of student development wrote in an e-mail the position became an option when the health fee was proposed last year.
Delaney wrote that other campuses have added the position to put in place preventative and educational programs of how negative choices may affect a student's life and college career.
Peters said the indifference of students and their not taking notice of the free lectures concerning their health has made the position necessary on campus.
For this reason, Peters said, "We really need somebody that can communicate well with students and somebody that has creative ideas on how to get students involved in these issues."
Peters said that among other issues, one of the foremost topics that the new health educator will need to address is obesity.
"Obesity is becoming more and more of a problem nationally, and so we definitely want to address issues like that," Peters said.
The new Health Educator will be coordinating the programs that deal with these health issues.
"Individual departments will still do programming, it's not that we're going to stop doing that," Peters said, " but this way we can have [all the programs] joined in one office so that we can know what everyone else is doing."
Delaney wrote that the health educator will partner with existing programs on campus such as academic departments, Campus Recreation, the Women's Center and the Counseling Center.
The school is looking to fill this position with someone with a strong background in public health or health education, Peters said.
Peters said that they are accepting applications and that they are conducting interviews currently but have not yet filled the position.
"We'd really like to see as many candidates as possible so that we will be able to make an informed choice."
Delaney wrote that the position is open to male and female candidates.
