Health promotion in higher education

In higher education, health promotion programs work to support students by creating healthy learning environments. Based on a public health/population health model, health promotion services often coordinate primary prevention and secondary prevention on campus. Health promotion in higher education is a functional area of Student Affairs. Sub-specialities include education on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, sexual health, and nutrition.

In the United States
The Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education provides measurable guidelines for enhancing the quality of prevention, health promotion, and wellness services at colleges and universities.

The Council for the Advancement of Standards creates and delivers a dynamic and credible Book of Professional Standards and Guidelines and Self-Assessment Guides that are designed to lead to a host of quality-controlled programs and services and promotes standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs for the ultimate purpose of fostering and enhancing student learning, development, and achievement and in general to promote good citizenship. A new section of CAS for Health Promotion in Higher Education was released in summer of 2006.

The National Coalition for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) works to improve the practice of health education and to serve the public and profession of health education by certifying health education specialists (also known as the CHES credential), which promotes professional and career development of health care education, preparation, and practice, all ideals thought to promote the delivery of health care. NCHEC develops and administers the CHES exam in the United States, a competency-based test for health education specialists. The CHES credential is renewable every five years, requiring a baseline of continuing education credits for recertification. This is akin to the requirements and practices of many other health professions, including physicians (ACCME), pharmacists (ACPE), and nurses (ANCC). Required responsibilities and expected competencies are available (see the Responsibilities and Competencies of Health Educators and the Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession.

Professional organizations

 * American College Health Association
 * NASPA's Health in Higher Education Knowledge Community
 * American Public Health Association
 * CAS: The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education
 * SOPHE: Society for Public Health Education