Since the early part of the 20th century, Slippery Rock University has had strong roots in health and physical education and gained a national reputation for the quality of its teachers.  And although the reputation remains strong, the university has moved far beyond its preparation of health and physical education teachers. A growing body of research on exercise and human performance has led to the need for new groups of professionals—those with the ability to assess and prescribe exercise for health promotion, prevention of disease, and treatment of acute and chronic health problems.  This evolution culminated with the establishment of a graduate program in physical therapy in 1988, an undergraduate major in exercise science in l998 and a graduate program in Exercise and Wellness Promotion in 1999.  Succinctly, the historic importance of health, wellness, and recreation at the university is reflected in their inclusion as a major area of focus in the university’s mission statement.  The contemporary importance of health, wellness, and recreation are reflected in specific goals associated with the university’s vision statement.  The historic and contemporary place of health, wellness, and recreation programs at the university establish them firmly as an Area of Distinction.

During the l980s, Dr. Russell Wright, a l923 alumnus of the university, donated nearly $75,000 to establish a campus fitness center—a facility for students and staff to promote their personal health and wellness and a laboratory for student practica and student/faculty research.  Use of the facility grew annually, expanding well beyond the available space and services.  In 1999, the 82,000 square foot Aebersold Recreation Center replaced the facility.  This award-winning facility complements the strong intercollegiate athletic and intramural sports programs that are sponsored by the university, and provides an exemplary educational and recreational facility for students, staff, and community members.

The twenty-two intercollegiate university athletic teams generated an awareness of the need to provide preventative and treatment services to athletes.  To that end, in the late l970s, the university implemented one of the first six nationally accredited athletic training curriculum programs in the country.  The program continues to enjoy a national reputation of excellence, performing above national averages on certification examinations, and achieving high employment rates of graduates in a tight market.  Students in the program have a strong record of receiving state and national scholarships from respective professional associations.

In l988, the university opened a graduate physical therapy program.  It was the culmination of a two-decade aspiration to address a great need for physical therapists.  The program was directed by a national leader and enrolled highly selected students from a national pool of applicants.  The physical therapy program received national accreditation soon after it graduated its first class.  Between l991and l997, 288 students graduated from the program, the only physical therapy program in the state system.  In 1995, the program was elevated to a professional doctorate program—the first doctoral level program at the university and the third doctoral level entry-into-practice physical therapy program in the nation.  In 1999, the professional association accredited the doctoral program in physical therapy.  Although changes in health care financing has reduced the demand for physical therapists somewhat, changes in demography and increases in chronic illness predict a steady, long-term need for physical therapists.  The anticipated need to upgrade those already in the profession to a doctoral level suggests that the program in the future will include two levels of students—entry-into-practice and transition.  The commitment to this high quality program is demonstrated currently by the building of a 45,000 square foot facility that incorporates classrooms, basic science laboratories, clinical laboratories, an animal laboratory, and a state of the art motion analysis laboratory.  The expected completion date is August, 2001.

Both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs make significant contributions to priorities identified in the university’s Performance and Outcomes Plan.  Both programs have achieved national accreditation.  The undergraduate program has traditionally recruited a non-traditional, commuting population of registered nurses.  In keeping with its 25-year reputation of serving non-traditional students, the program is well on its way to making a transition to a web-based curriculum.  The graduate program, offered jointly with Clarion University, has been a system leader not only because of its joint nature, but also because the distance learning technology of interactive television is used.  Since its initial accreditation in l999, the graduate program in nursing became eligible to apply for federal grants for support of students and special projects.

Slippery Rock University’s excellence in health, wellness, and recreation is not limited to those educational programs that are traditionally associated with this area of study, its athletics, or its strong recreational resources and facilities.  For example, other academic programs such as the Bachelor of Arts program in dance, which was accredited recently, and the Bachelor of Science programs in sport management and parks and recreation management address in unique and significant ways this area of endeavor.  Also, the university health center also contributes to this excellence.  It is the only health center in the state system that is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.  In large measure, this accreditation was achieved because of the center’s emphasis on health education and promotion of wellness in addition to the immediate treatment of health problems.  The center has also shown that registered nurse practitioners are able to provide primary care that reduces the amount of physician time required, thereby controlling health care costs with no lessening of quality.  The health center also is the site of a successful collaboration between academic and practice environments.  To maintain their nurse practitioner certification requirements, two nursing faculty members provide nursing services without cost to the health center.  The faculty members have a convenient and quality site for their primary care practice; the health center staff have doctoral prepared nurse practitioners for consultation and role modeling.  As an added benefit, the faculty members are now incorporating health center staff into a clinical research project.