SHAC
(Student Health Advisory Committee)

 

Purpose
The Student Health Advisory Committee serves The Southern Miss Community by acting a liaison between the student body and the Student Health Service Administration.  This promotes an open channel of communication between the students and the healthcare providers so that SHS can better meet the needs of Southern Miss students.  They also assist with on campus health promotion activities throughout academic year. 

Commitment
While SHAC is not extremely time-consuming, active participation at all SHAC meetings and events is expected of each member. SHAC meets for approximately 1 hour each month throughout the academic year; total time commitment is estimated at 10-15 hours per semester (including volunteer requirements).

Goals and objectives

  1. ADVOCACY:  The primary role of SHAC is to help solicit feedback from students about health care and health education needs of the student body and communicate that to the SHS Administrators
    1. Monthly discussion topics will be assigned (with example questions) for students to go out and solicit feedback from the student body
    2. Each student will receive a notebook to keep the ideas and/or thoughts they receive from other students to report back to SHAC leaders at the monthly meeting
    3. Each monthly meeting will open with a discussion of the assigned meeting topic.  A focus group will be conducted to discuss the feelings and ideas that SHAC members received from the student body
    4. Minutes and recordings will be kept so that the information can then be provided to the SHS Administrative Staff
    5. The second half of the meeting will be a normal meeting 
  2. ATTEDANCE:  In order to have a reliable sample of actively involved students throughout the academic year: 
    1. Limit the number of members to 20-25
    2. Require at least 75% attendance of meetings by all members
    3. Require the submission of an application to join
    4. Upon acceptance into the organization, a contract that agrees to the guidelines of the organization must be signed and on file
  3. PROMOTION/EVENTS:  To give members the opportunity to participate in special promotional/health promotion events throughout the year
    1. Each member must participate in a minimum of two promotional events each year
    2. This can include either specific health promotion activities or activities to promote Student Health Services to the campus community
    3. The SHAC members will help to establish a health promotion calendar of events for the following year 
    4. Maintain a Bulleting Board in the SHS lobby with different health issues each month

 

Membership and Contact Information
We accept applications for SHAC during the spring and summer semesters for the following academic year.  Applications can be picked up in the lobby of the Student Health Services building or online at our website.  SHAC’s purpose is to represent the campus community and thus we encourage students from all backgrounds, majors and ages to apply.  All applications must be submitted by August 29 to Ashley Wreay, Health Promotion Coordinator, on the second floor of the Student Health Services building.  Once chosen to join SHAC you will remain a member as long as you maintain active involvement or you graduate. 

 

If you are interested in receiving more information about SHAC or just talking to someone to see if SHAC is a good fit for you, contact Ashley Wreay at 601.266.6006 or health.promotion.edu.

Click here for a SHAC application