Funds provided for recreational needs
The 2002-2003 budget for Utah State University includes $400,000 allocated for upgrading equipment, space and other recreational needs for students.
The problem USU is facing right now is not having enough equipment and space to accommodate an increasing enrollment, said Deanne Williams, director of the campus recreation program.
Therefore, with the money allotted for recreational needs, the university would like to put more equipment in the Fieldhouse and turn the existing equipment area into a cardiovascular room with 10 to 15 pieces of equipment, Williams said.
Shelly Swasey, the new Athletics vice president for the Associated Students of Utah State University, said more equipment is drastically needed.
“There used to be a treadmill in the HPER Building, but it broke down – so we don’t even have a treadmill,” she said.
The other problem students are facing, Swasey said, is not having enough time to utilize the Fieldhouse because athletic practices take up a large portion of the day.
Williams said, “Space is pretty much maxed out.”
There isn’t enough existing space on campus to meet recreational needs, she said.
“If we were to build a new student recreation center, it would be student-fee funded,” she said.
Swasey said in 1999 students were surveyed about whether or not they would be willing to pay a higher recreational fee in order to upgrade the recreational equipment and/or space.
“Out of the 700 students surveyed, 93.7 percent said they would be willing to pay a higher fee,” Swasey said.
And then in April of 2000, she said, a student referendum proposed student fees be slightly increased in order to build a new 75,000 square foot, free-standing building for recreation.
The new facility would cost $12.5 million to build, Swasey said.
Williams said, “Once the building opened its doors, the student recreational fee would increase to $63 to maintain the facility.”
The referendum proposal passed with students and the trustees, Williams said, but the regents denied it because they didn’t feel like students were given enough information about the proposal to make an educated decision.
“A lot of students are still pushing for it,” Swasey said.
Williams said the university hasn’t officially announced any plans yet, but there has been some talk about utilizing some extra space on campus for recreational needs.
“We’re thinking about possibly placing equipment in other areas around campus,” she said.
Swasey said, “I think they’re shooting for a lot of cardiovascular equipment.”
Williams said, “We are also going to try to put some additional power in the Fieldhouse, because the breakers keep going out when we plug the equipment in.”
Some of the $400,000 should also be used to increase campus recreation student staff salaries, she said.
Students who work for the Campus Recreation Program are “paid pathetically low wages” and they hold a lot of responsibility. Some students have to have lifeguard and CPR training.
To accomplish these things, she said she’s not sure what the process will be.
But the entire Campus Recreation Program is funded by student fees, she said.
“Of the total $14.50 in student recreation fees, we receive $13.18 each semester and $1.32 goes to the Outdoor Recreation Center which is in charge of intramurals and club sports,” she said.
The Campus Recreation Office manages the facilities in the HPER and the Fieldhouse and pay all the student staff who works for recreation and are a part of student services, she said.