Must take and pass fitness class to receive degrees from college?

[N.Bailey]

After giving more thought to this and after reading the article where it's not a requirement for all students, I have to say I am against it. I support programs like those at PSU because it's a basic requirement for everyone. There are so many classes to choose from that one certainly has to be able to find something that they enjoy.

Singling people out is wrong. It's too bad because I think all the students would benefit from such a program.

 

[Pumbaa_]

If they want their students to be healthy then everyone should be required to take the class, not single out a specific demographic

 

[C.Ann]

If they want their students to be healthy then everyone should be required to take the class, not single out a specific demographic

I agree..

 

[Schmeck]

I don't know - there is a very unhealthy trend towards obesity here in the US, and I'm trying to figure out how you go about this any other way, besides focusing on the people with the obesity problems? And the part about the morbidly obese being exempt through ADA - why? They could at least try to do a little bit of the exercise, and listen to the information being offered.

My question - is this the only physical education requirement for the school, or do they all have to take PE of some sort, and this is a mandated one for the obese?

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

My only problem is that it should be required for every student. It was for the university where I was on faculty.....and we made entire schedules around that requirement when advising because we new they had to have it.

We were required to take a p.e. class. No biggie. I think that everyone should be required to take one. Just because one is not overweight does not mean they have a clue about nutrition, exercise etc.

 

[clh2]

I like that they are focusing on more than just exercise. They say they will teach nutrition, sleep habits and stress control in addition to exercise. If you came to college overweight, the chances of getting healthier while you are there is slim. You will sleep less, stress over classes and eat a lot of fast food and unhealthy food. I am in favor of everyone learning to make better choices.

The class sounds like it would benefit all students. Trust me...all college students would probably benefit from learning about sleep habits, eating fast food and unhealthy food. Oh, yeah - and only overweight students need stress control.

I would not have a problem with this being a requirement for ALL students...but to single out some of the students is just wrong.

 

[OK!]

I haven't read all of the posts in this thread, but I'm glad they hadn't instituted that at my school. The last semester I had to construct what's basically the Comp Sci equivalent of 2 theses simultaneously and was spending roughly 14-16 hours a day parked in front of my computer. I barely slept and had no life, let alone time to get to the gym!

 

[Stacerita]

Everyone at my campus needed to take some type of phys ed class. Its a graduation requirement.

Its wrong to single one group out though. It should all be required or none.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Most colleges have a health class requirement for graduation.

If that college only requires it for overweight students, then there is a problem. The school is setting up itself for a lawsuit.

Agree. All or none.

My 7th grade dd is hanging onto the fact that she only has 2 1/2yrs left of PE. She hates it.

My older dd is a freshman in college and no requirements to take a PE class.

DH and I graduated from the same college and we also did not have to take a PE class.

Frankly they can butt out as far as I am concerned. I hope the Lincoln students are successful with their agenda.

 

[Octoberbride03]

I went to Bloomsburg, and it didn't matter what you weighed. You still had to take and pass 2 phys ed type courses. They probably still do.

 

[HelenePA]

I took Jogging as a class at PSU yes I paid for it (in more ways than one!) and got credits for it!

 

[EMom]

I went to 2 colleges. Both required P.E.

At the first, I signed up for beginning tumbling. It was supposed to be for people with NO experience in tumbling. On the first day, the teacher told us we'd be taught 10 skills and graded on how well we mastered them compared to what level we were when we started. He said he was looking for improvement and since many of us couldn't do even 1/10 of the skills, mastering any of them AT ALL would have been a big improvement. There were a couple of pretty big girls in there who quietly asked him if they should even stay in the class and he assured them they would learn some of the skills and do just fine, so they stayed.

It soon became apparent that we had a few girls in the class who were expert tumblers. They'd had years of training and made most of us look like crap. But still, the majority of the class made huge strides. By the end of the semester, I could do 9/10 of the skills and was pretty proud of myself. I figured I would make an A in the class. Keep in mind, I was on academic scholarship and every single grade I had was an A. For that matter, every grade I made the entire two years was an A........Except the grade I got in that freaking tumbling class.

I can't remember what it was....a B or a C, but it wasn't an A. Only the girls who were expert tumblers on Day One got As. They shouldn't even have been in the class. The big girls had mastered a lot of skills....They made Ds. They were crushed and humiliated. So much for trying. That teacher had flat out lied to us when he said "improvement" would get us a good grade.

I wasn't about to blow my average over a P.E. class again. For all I knew, that would happen again. So I got a doctor to write a note excusing me from P.E. on medical grounds for one semester and somehow managed to convince them every semester that it was still in effect. Once I changed colleges, I made up the missed P.E. classes and made sure I got teachers who didn't lie through their teeth. And I got all As.

So if they're just going to require the "big" students to take P.E., that's a crock. And if they do require it, then you ought not have to be an Olympic athlete to get a decent grade. An honest effort ought to be enough.

 

[princess momma]

I took sand volleyball in college. I believe we were required to take at least a credit or two of PE.

There's no way I would have taken it had it not been required, but I certainly didn't have a problem with it.

A liberal arts college is supposed to provide a broad base of learning.

 

[bballmom56]

My kids both go/went to a private PA university. They have a PE requirement of 3 credit hours. Most of the classes are 1/2 or 1 credit. There are choices such as yoga, weight training, self defense, aerobics and cardio, jazz and ballroom dancing, as well as the sports such as tennis, basketball, soccer, raquetball, etc. So there are plenty of options. Both of my kids enjoyed them as they were pass/fail, no tests so no studying, and it was a nice break from the academics.

I think it kinda of irrelvant to a person degree

My kids' school is Jesuit, which is in the tradition of "cura personalis" meaning they care for each person and for the whole person. Physical education is part of caring for the whole person.

I agree if they are going to have a PE requirement, it should be required of all students.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I think it kinda of irrelvant to a person degree

In that case it might as well be a vocational school.

 

[englishteacha]

I think everyone should be required to take a fitness/health class or no one should. My public liberal arts college required everyone to take a health and fitness class. Health lecture once a week, fitness 3 times weekly for a semester. The fact that only overweight students have to take this course mentioned in the article is not fair.

 

[cdepauli]

Another thing that comes to mind is that not all thinner people eat nutritiously and/or exercise.

Yes to this! I am one of these people.

I went to a private liberal arts college and had to take 4 credits of "gym". You paid for it just like any other class. It was fun! I took badminton, bowling, and karate.

 

[cdepauli]

My kids both go/went to a private PA university. They have a PE requirement of 3 credit hours. Most of the classes are 1/2 or 1 credit. There are choices such as yoga, weight training, self defense, aerobics and cardio, jazz and ballroom dancing, as well as the sports such as tennis, basketball, soccer, raquetball, etc. So there are plenty of options. Both of my kids enjoyed them as they were pass/fail, no tests so no studying, and it was a nice break from the academics.


My kids' school is Jesuit, which is in the tradition of "cura personalis" meaning they care for each person and for the whole person. Physical education is part of caring for the whole person.

Did your kids go to UofS? That's where I went! I didn't know there were dancing classes. I would have taken that!

 

[N.Bailey]

Agree. All or none.

My 7th grade dd is hanging onto the fact that she only has 2 1/2yrs left of PE. She hates it.

My older dd is a freshman in college and no requirements to take a PE class.

DH and I graduated from the same college and we also did not have to take a PE class.

Frankly they can butt out as far as I am concerned. I hope the Lincoln students are successful with their agenda.

In our public schools, one takes PE class every year till graduation. It's requirement to take it 5 days a week for half a year. It however is combined with Health, so 1 marking period might be PE and the next Health (or something along those lines anyway). I always thought it would be better to not have it daily for half the year, but to go 2 to 3 times a week for the entire year.

I guess this is just easier to work it into the schedule though.

I agree that it should be an all or nothing requirement at the school. I'd prefer for it to be ALL rather than none. Everyone could benefit.

 

[Angelhalo]

Are the students required to pay for this class - just as they would any other?

I basically just skimmed the article to get the general idea and thought it would be interesting to hear others opinions..

We had to have one Phys Ed class in order to graduate as well at Appalachian State University in NC. I took Aerobics and yes, we had to pay for it.