Division of Health and Human Performance

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Health and Human Performance

If you desire to experience a supportive Christian academic community that includes both seasoned and young, upcoming professors, then Indiana Wesleyan University is the place for you!

We invite you to experience IWU and become engaged in spiritual growth, leadership development, character shaping and scholarly endeavors.

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Distinguished Faculty

Melissa Cook Headshot

Melissa Cook

Professor

Dr. Cook has been at IWU since the fall of 2007. She is the department coordinator for Exercise Science. She has taught a variety of classes, but her main focus is Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology and Biomechanics. In addition to teaching, she helps to coordinate the activities in the Human Performance Lab. Dr. Cook is also a member of ACSM.

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Minors

  • Coaching Education
  • Health Promotion and Wellness

Find the way Forward

Discover your God-given gifts and begin impacting the world in Jesus' name with a degree from the Division of Health and Human Performance at IWU!

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Our Approach to Learning

In the Division of Health and Human Performance, we seek to impact all aspects of the whole person - providing opportunities for neuromuscular skills development, organic and physical fitness, intellectual advancement, the accumulation and interpretation of knowledge, social relationships, emotional health, and spiritual growth and enhancement.

We believe that God created you as a whole person and that we should minister to you while keeping each of these components in mind.

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Organizations and Opportunities

At IWU, Health and Human Performance students experience an education that does not end at the completion of a course or graduation from the major. We encourage our students to engage in memberships with professional organizations and in this way create opportunities to continue learning outside the classrooms and beyond the University.

The Exercise Science/Applied Health and Fitness Club provides an opportunity for the students within the Exercise Science and Applied Health and Fitness majors to grow spiritually, learn to help others, be involved within the community and meet other people throughout their major.

Membership is open to IWU students, faculty and staff.

The following professional organizations are associated with our majors. Many of our faculty members belong to one or more of these associations:


American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)

With 20,000 members, AAHPERD is the largest organization supporting and assisting professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, sport and coaching, dance, health education and promotion, and all specialties related to achieving a healthy and active lifestyle.


American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

ACSM promotes and integrates scientific research, education and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life. The ACSM has more than 45,000 members and certified professionals worldwide.


American Psychology Association (APA)

Based in Washington, D.C., the APA is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States. APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide, with more than 137,000 members. The mission of the APA is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.


American Public Health Association (APHA)

APHA aims to protect all Americans, their families and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to ensure that community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health professionals and others who care about their own health and the health of their communities.


The Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC)

The BOC was incorporated in 1989 to provide a certification program for entry-level Athletic Trainers (ATs). The BOC establishes and regularly reviews both the standards for the practice of athletic training and the continuing education requirements for BOC-certified ATs. The BOC has the only accredited certification program for ATs in the U.S.


Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) www.caahep.org

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is the largest programmatic accreditor of the health sciences professions. In collaboration with its Committees on Accreditation, CAAHEP reviews and accredits over 2100 individual education programs in 32 health science occupations. CAAHEP accredited programs are assessed on an ongoing basis to assure that they meet the Standards and Guidelines of each profession.


Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)

The CAATE is the agency responsible for the accreditation of 360 professional (entry-level) athletic training educational programs. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the National Athletic Trainers' Association Inc. (NATA) cooperate to sponsor the CAATE and to collaboratively develop the standards for entry-level athletic training educational programs.


Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies (CSKLS)

Society members seek to influence and renew secular culture by integrating their Christian faith with their disciplines in their research, publications, public presentations and professional interactions. The society provides opportunities for personal and professional growth within a Christian context and supports and encourages Christian professionals in the disciplines of health, physical education, recreation, dance, sport and movement sciences.


Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association (GLATA)

GLATA strives to enhance the quality of health care for the physically active, promote the athletic trainer and advance the profession of athletic training through education and research in the prevention, evaluation, management and rehabilitation of injuries.


Indiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (IAHPERD)

IAHPERD is a professional education association for teachers, administrators, researchers, coaches, students and other allied professionals who are actively engaged in and dedicated to the promotion of quality health, physical education, recreation, dance, sport and allied programming in public and private schools, colleges and universities, and community agencies throughout the state of Indiana.


Indiana Athletic Trainers Association (IATA)

The IATA is committed to the provision of quality health care for the physically active individual and strives to advance the athletic training profession.


Midwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (MWACSM) https://www.acsm.org/acsm-membership/regional-chapters/acsm-chapters/midwest or www.mwacsm.org

 

In 1972, the Midwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (MWACSM) was the first regional chapter to be granted permanent status. It was founded to follow, fulfill and promote, at the regional level, the objectives of the American College of Sports Medicine. The MWACSM is a chapter rich in tradition with a strong student focus. Through the years it has offered its members outstanding educational programs and opportunities for networking through the regional annual meeting.


National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA)

NATA is the professional membership association for certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession. Founded in 1950, the NATA has grown to more than 30,000 members worldwide today. The majority of certified athletic trainers choose to be members of the NATA - to support their profession and to receive a broad array of membership benefits.


National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)

NRPA is the leading advocacy organization dedicated to the advancement of public parks and recreation opportunities. Founded in 1965 through the merger of five national organizations dedicated to the same cause, NRPA has grown over the years - in total membership, in outreach efforts, in building partnerships, and in serving as the voice and defender of parks and recreation.


National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

The NSCA is an international nonprofit educational association founded in 1978. Evolving from a membership of 76, the association now serves nearly 32,000 members in 72 countries. Drawing upon its vast network of members, the NSCA develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, injury prevention, and research findings.


Resort and Commercial Recreation Association (RCRA)

RCRA is an international nonprofit, nonregulatory organization comprised of professionals, educators and students in resort- and commercial-related industries. The mission of RCRA is to serve as a vehicle to communicate, educate and promote standards of professionalism within the industry and to provide opportunities for continuing education, networking and awareness of industry trends.