UNCA

Academic Policies Committee

Report the Health Fitness Requirement

On March 23, 2001, The Academic Policies Committee met with the Chair of the Health and Fitness Department to discuss the Health and Fitness Requirement.

From the report and the discussion, APC draws four conclusions.

1. The current Health Fitness courses satisfy the requirements specified by Senate Document 3684.

The only substantial difference between the Senate Document and current practice is the original charge uses the amorphous term "physical education" while the Health and Fitness program builds its courses around a more precise definition of cardiovascular health and muscle strength and flexibility.

The Senate Document requires two courses, one emphasizing "concepts concerning health, fitness, emotion, and self-concept" and the other, a one-credit hour activity course "which emphasizes basic physical development."

According to the original charge, the concept course is to assess "individual health risk and fitness levels." This is essentially what HF 120, 153, 154, and 155 do. While the activity courses (HF 121-128) follow a more precise definition of "physical development," they too seem to satisfy the original charge.

2. The Health and Fitness Department's suggestion for reorienting the requirement has merit and should be considered.

The rationale provided in the original Senate document for the concept course requirement is the development of the physical self "must have a theoretical foundation." The Health and Fitness courses do have such a focus, but the program chair makes a convincing case that the three-hour courses have distinct advantages over the one-hour 120 course in meeting the Senate Document's demands. While APC is committed to reducing the number of hours required for general education, UNCA should consider the Health and Fitness Department's recommendation to abolish the one-hour courses and have only a redesigned 153, 154, and 155 fulfill this general education requirement. This recommendation has resource implications in that the size of the current Health and Fitness faculty is inadequate to fulfill this suggestion. The value of the change, however, makes the increased investment worthwhile, provided new faculty are hired for the purpose of staffing the courses meeting a general education requirement.

3. It is desirable for students to take one of the three-hour Health and Fitness courses early in their college career.

The chair of Health and Fitness made a convincing argument that students will establish life-time learning patterns in health and fitness if they take the course in their first year.

4. The University should consider realigning some of the courses offered by Health and Fitness

Since the Health and Fitness program is guided by a precise and narrow definition of fitness, a number of the activity courses listed in the catalog as "Elective Skill Development Options" are misplaced. These courses may have value and be worthwhile, but their inclusion under the Health and Fitness heading is not appropriate.

5. The Health and Fitness program must make two changes in the way it implements the requirement.

First, since grades in the Health Fitness courses are notably higher than the University average for one-hundred level courses, the program must make a serious effort to bring its grading practices in line with the rest of the University.

Second, the program must do a better job assessing the courses they offer. Requiring the course in the first year and reforming the curriculum to include only three-hour courses will provide excellent assessment opportunities and the program must take advantage of them.