Student fee to increase, Aggie Rec Center ‘increases value of degree’
Beginning this fall, the student fee for campus recreation will increase from $25 to $75 per student at Utah State University, in order to pay for the cost of the Aggie Recreation Center.
Construction on the new $30 million-building is set to finish in Oct. and will be open to the students on Nov. 17.
James Morales, Vice President for Student Services, said this building will better the USU community, which will in turn increase the value of a degree.
“What we’re trying to do is build a very strong, vibrant university community,” Morales said. “This community attracts good people, and you will forever benefit from that. Your degree gives you that pay back.”
The building will promote good health, and Morales believes health plays a large part in building the “vibrant university community,” which is why he started a wellness initiative in 2009 with USU’s former student association president Tyler Tolsen.
“We talked about what are the most pressing needs for students here in terms of capital products,” Morales said. “We both decided the state of the recreation facilities here at Utah State would be really poor and students would need updated facilities.”
This began a three-year discussion before the proposed fee increase passed as a general referendum in the 2012 USU General Election, after which the committee overseeing the project gained legislative approval and finalized a design.
The groundbreaking for the building was in March 2014 and has since had only internal delays that have not affected the opening day.
“It has been in construction. It is on schedule. It continues to be on budget,” Morales said.
The Aggie Recreation Center, or ARC, will have a 200-meter track, fitness studios and indoor and outdoor turf fields, among other features. Instead of swiping a student I.D. to get in, students must register their hand print for a new hand-scanning technology the building will use.
It will also house a new space for the Outdoor Recreation Program to focus instruction and development for students.
“We anticipate by having a presence in the new building the general student awareness of the program offerings will increase a significant amount,” said Brian Shirley, interim co-director of campus recreation. “We are certain we will see an increased interest by students in both rentals and the outings programs.”
According to Shirley, the Outdoor Programs space will have a 42′ belay ledge accessible by climbing wall, stairs or elevator, an “industrial wash-down room” to cut down risk of transporting invasive species on rental boats between bodies of water, and a trip-planning room.
Shirley shares Morales’ idea of building a strong community and hopes students will gain a deeper appreciation for the value of engaging themselves in fitness and an active lifestyle.
“We know from what has been document at other institutions that when buildings like this open, the students who engage in them have higher GPAs, stay in school, develop a deeper sense of self and community and have lower rates of depression.” Shirley said. “There is not reason to believe we will not see similar outcomes in our student body here at USU.”
“James Morales, Vice President for Student Services, said this building will better the USU community, which will in turn increase the value of a degree.”
I would love to see statistics on that statement. I willing to stake most of what I own that companies are not going to look at the student’s university’s rec center and say “Hey! you have a great rec center, so your degree is worth more.” I can see a great benefit to the ORC, as that place needed to move to a better place. Love the ORC.
I remember a large controversial athletic fee increase back in 2009. “Students at Utah State voted to increase their yearly athletic fee to $243, from $113, to help cover a $2.3 million deficit in the operation of varsity sports”. That was taken directly from recently-departed Utah State. What he didn’t say in the statement was it barely passed (only 53% for the increase) despite heavy pro-advertising from the college and few chances for accurate rebuttals.
Being a recent Alum from USU (graduated 2011), I have always appreciated many things that USU has offered. Utah State always has a great community feel to it and the entire valley here in Cache County feels very fondly of it. However, I would love to see a follow-up study in the future on how many students have been using the soon-to-be-finished center. If I, or any of my aggie friends ever get asked “You went to Utah State? Here, have a job because your rec center is sweet”, then I’ll gladly shut up and eat my words. But for now, all I hear is more sweet talking to justify building more sports complexes when it should be spent in better avenues.
Go Aggies!