Following the rigorous audit process on the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Healthy Campus Programme in August 2024, UJ has scored an overall 95% average compliance. The International University Sport Federation (FISU) released the outcomes on Friday, 20 September 2024.
FISU’s external auditor, Mr. Andrea Uccello, highlighted UJ’s achievements in the Healthy Campus Programme. The audit assessed UJ’s progress in implementing the programme’s guidelines, thus retaining the Platinum Certification.
The Healthy Campus Programme is a product of FISU, designed to encourage universities to foster a healthy lifestyle among campus communities. Since its formation, 160+ universities worldwide have registered to participate in the Healthy Campus Programme. UJ became a participant in the Programme in May 2020.
In his audit report, Mr. Uccello’s remarked, “I would like to add that I left the University of Johannesburg with a very good impression and that I want to thank all the participants involved for their warm welcome and for the openness and availability in answering all the questions and for proactively engaging in all discussions.”
He added, “The University extensively takes care not only of its students but also its staff. Mental health counselling, sports activities, disease prevention, etc. are thus offered not only to students but to all university staff, resulting in very positive outcomes.”
Present at the audit were coordinators, senior managers and senior directors from several UJ departments and divisions who contributed immensely to the success of the Healthy Campus Programme over the past years. They included Senior Director of Sport, Ms Nomsa Mahlangu, Senior Director of Central Technical Services, Mr Greg James, and Specialist and Director of the Centre for Ecological Intelligence, Professor Michael Rudolph, among others.
On the opening day of the audit, Mr Uccello went through the three pillars of the Healthy Campus Programme, namely, Healthy Campus Management, Nutrition and the Environment, Sustainability and Social Responsibility. These domains include criteria that encourages the University community to lead healthy lifestyles through conscious eating, looking after the environment and synergies among internal stakeholders with external entities.
On the concluding day of the audit, health practitioners and managers presented evidence documents and elaborated on the University’s campaigns in Disease Prevention, Risk Behaviour, and Mental and Social Health as well as Physical Activity and Sport. The auditor concluded his audit with site visits to check the UJ infrastructure, including a visit to sports facilities, electric busses, on-campus solar power farms, waste management plant, and the smart gardens at the Auckland Park Kingsway, Bunting Road and Soweto Campuses.
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