Did you use your campus sport facilities as a student there?

[shootingstar]

Well, Oak I'm probably overthinking this....at the local university, FTE students get use of facilities free. But they would have to pay for yoga classes, skiing lessons, etc. Ah, the folly of youth..not knowing what good was in front of their face for free.

Let's put it this way, the University of Toronto didn't open up the swimming pool at one of its downtown, main facilities for women until the early 1980's (or late 1970's). It is one of the oldest (and biggest) universities in Canada.

[OakLeaf]

Well, lesser facilities and opportunities for women is a whole 'nother conversation. Title IX didn't become law in the US until 1972, and the battles for equal access are still being fought. It hasn't even been 30 years yet since the first women's Olympic marathon.

[Koronin]

I went to a division I school (for football it was classed at division I-AA, I still get confused on the new classifications). I was required to take 3 quarters of gym classes, I took badmitton, gymnastics 1 and 2. Some of the gym classes did require an extra fee like the ice skating and bowling classes, the ones I took did not. I also played a year of intramural softball. I do not remember having to pay a fee for that. Otherwise I never used the phy ed facilities. (Unless you count going to football games, although that was typically as part of the broadcast crew. I worked the football games as part of the broadcast crew for 3 years).

[TrekDianna]

Student fees that they pay cover their use of the facilities on campus. I work on campus and I pay the fees too so I can use the facilities. It's around $200 for the academic year, but I can take 10 week cross fit classes 3 times a week for $50 with my paid membership and use regular facilities as part of my membership.

[rebeccaC]

The linked story reminds me of all the ‘concern’ over how Title IX would affect men’s athletics. I hope Cowin and Howard find a model that works well for all UBC students and their diverse fitness and well health needs.

I didn't have any required fitness classes but I had a campus rec fee which provided for club/intramural sports, a well equipped center with an indoor jog/run track, pool, climbing wall and gym for use by all students, free fitness/yoga etc. classes and free rock climbing/kayaking/backpacking etc trips among other things. For I think around $50 a semester I got my monies worth and much more.

As a side note being a grad school alumni the University gives me continuing free access to the EBSCO online research databases which helps in my research into continuing nutrition and exercise studies and also my work related research.

[Crankin]

This sounds like what they do at U Mass Amherst. My son "rented" camping equipment from the outdoor club/rec center for a nominal fee and spent Columbus Day weekend in 2003 celebrating his 21st birthday camping in NH, courtesy of the university.

[GLC1968]

I went to a Div III school as a traditional aged student and there was a PE requirement. I was waived because I played organized sports all 4 years (rugby). Even so, I did use the facilities regularly, as did all my friends. I ran in the 'cage', used the huge gym, I had friends who used the pool, etc. Of course, we were a small school in Maine without a lot of city facilities to distract us. We studied hard, we played sports hard, we partied hard. It was the lifestyle. Looking back, I'm amazed at what I put my body through back then...if I hadn't been so young, I don't think I would have survived it! We pretty much paid one lump-sum tuition that included EVERYTHING including a full time course load, room and board, activities and the like. We were all on the same meal plan, ate in the same building, etc. Small private school...

My second undergrad degree is from a Div I school (large state school) where PE was also required. I was waived out again because I already had an undergrad degree but my friends took things like bowling, golf or tennis for the PE credits. And yes, I used the facilities there too. Not as much as at my first school, but my husband and I played on the tennis courts multiple times per week! By then though, I was an adult with my own life and my own fitness schedule (including a gym membership) so the student facilities were less of a need/draw for me. I don't remember paying an activities fee but if I did, it wouldn't have bothered me at all. I was a full-time student, but I also worked full time and did not live in campus housing.

[spokewench]

B: When I first went to college, I played the recreational basketball in the evenings. I also took horseback riding lessons (off campus) for my first year of pe, but ended up helping teaching that since I had a lot of experience and most of the kids were just beginners.

I ran on the cross country team; then switched schools and played on the volleyball team and the basketball team, so yeah, I guess I used the facilities.