Over the summer, the Center for Health and Wellness Education transitioned into its new role as the Office of Health Promotion. In addition to the P.O.W.E.R. peer education and health programming offered in previous years, the office will offer a resource center and an e-mail edition of the HealthBytes newsletter and will also co-sponsor the creation of a campus trail system.

Ideas for the new initiatives came about a year and a half ago when Dr. James Borden, an associate professor in the accounting department, had his classes compare Villanova’s health services department Web site with five other universities and offer suggestions for improvement.

Based on feedback from the students who participated, Health Promotion added these programs to its Web site, while maintaining many of the programs offered in previous semesters, such as Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and AlcoholEDU.

The new trail system will provide a safe route with mile markers for students to run or walk. Signs will be posted throughout the trails with health tips for exercising, covering topics from hydrating to stretching before workouts.

“It’s almost like a little personal trainer,” said Stacy Andes, director of the Office of Health Promotion.

The trail project, a joint venture by Health Promotion and Facilities Management, is still in its beginning stages. Construction should start within the year.

In addition to the creation of the trail system, the Office of Health Promotion has partnered with Falvey Memorial Library to create a resource center. This library of information will include books, DVDs and CDs relating to health education.

“We have all of this information and resources that we want to share with the students,” Andes said.

The goal of the resource center is to help students complete health-related class assignments and satisfy other general education needs of the average student.

The HealthBytes newsletter will replace the Stall Street Journal issues previously posted in bathrooms in residence halls and on campus. After complications with placing the newsletter around campus, a digital version of the newsletter was created.

The newsletter will be delivered via e-mail either as mass messages or to subscribers, much like the Wildcat Newswire. The new publication will use a similar format to the Stall Street Journal and aims to add a new dimension to health education.

HealthBytes will also be archived on the Health Promotion Web site, allowing students easy access to previously posted tips and articles.

Also, Health Promotion has added content to its Web site, including online quizzes, polls and a blood alcohol content calculator for students to use. Additionally, the Web site will offer an online fitness library, assisting students looking for workout routines or instructions on how to exercise a particular muscle.

Staff members believe that these changes will help them reach their objective to get Villanova students to “go to health!”

Jessica May contributed additional reporting to this article.