Kinesiology and Health Promotion is a Department in Motion

Kinesiology is the study of the body in motion. The Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion (KHP) is a department in motion, moving forward on their own strategic plan that is aligned with the College of Science’s plan.

Department Chair Laura Chase shared what motivated her to start on the department’s strategic plan. “I was excited about being involved at the College level in the planning process. There was also major change in the department. We hired four tenure track faculty and will be adding a fifth. We were also looking at significant curriculum changes. It was the perfect time to do this.”

Guiding the process is K2OH Solutions, the same firm that is assisting the college with planning and implementation.

“Like the college, we started with data collection,” Chase said.

Focus groups and interviews were conducted with faculty, staff, and students, to gain a thorough understanding of the current situation and desired future outcomes of the department. In total, over 750 comments were analyzed to develop the plan and 176 students provided feedback on the draft plan to validate assumptions and desired future direction.

Chase shared that “Overall, the feedback was positive. One theme was the desire for improved facilities. What’s exciting is that we’re taking a women’s locker room in the gym and converting two-thirds of that space. We’ll have three to four thousand square feet. We’re beginning a feasibility study on using that space as a multi-purpose exercise science lab. It could be used for exercise physiology, biomechanics, movement anatomy, and electrocardiography.

The feedback the department received resulted in the development of five goals.

Goal #1: KHP appreciates the diverse ways each sub-discipline advances the art and science of health and human movement.

Goal #2: KHP is a welcoming and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff.

Goal #3: KHP fosters a culture of professional respect, cohesion and inclusivity.

Goal #4: KHP is a destination department for innovators, educators and scientists in health and human movement.

Goal #5: KHP provides educational experiences to build leaders in health and human movement. 

The new faculty hired in fall 2019 bring different skills to the department. Two are in exercise science which is the largest interest area for most students. One faculty has a biomechanics background and another is interested in behavior modification which is related to health promotion.

One of the new faculty is Srdjan Lemez, who is interested in the bio/psycho/social aspects of kinesiology. His work is very interdisciplinary and creates connections to the work of all the faculty in the department.

“We wanted these interconnections to create synergies among the new and existing faculty. This will be reflected in our curriculum,” Chase said. “We’ve applied for a curriculum redesign grant and will do a retreat to examine and revise undergrad curriculum. We’re proposing new classes such as a course on reading graduate level literature, and we want to offer expanded experiential learning opportunities either with faculty or through community service.”

“We also want to integrate a colloquium experience where all grad students and faculty will present their work.”

Lemez believes he can contribute to a greater appreciation of the sub-disciplines within kinesiology. He said, “The field is inherently interdisciplinary and operates best when studied collaboratively. I can play a role in promoting an integrated and comprehensive approach to students.”

As a new faculty member, Lemez shared that he is impressed with CPP’s student focus. He also shared that “The level of attention to bettering pedagogical practices and providing clear student learning outcomes is gratifying to see.”

“Our faculty thinks a lot about student health and well-being because it’s part of what they do,” Chase added.

“We want to create a sense of belonging through events like sporting activities and barbecues, or lunches. We will be adding awards for students and faculty, and the award presentations will include keynote speakers to add an educational component,” Chase said.

“We’re also going to host a KHP career fair so students know what sort of jobs are available. There are many options with a KHP degree, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, working as a trainer, or working in schools.”