The
PE requirements bring mixed emotions NICOLE IUTZI Lode Writer As many students know, there is a requirement of three credits of physical education (PE) for all majors. Most PE courses are half credits, meaning that six full courses have to be taken. For Michigan residents, each credit at Michigan Tech is $436.50, and for nonMichigan residents, $900 per credit. For this requirement of three PE credits, students pay $1309.50, or $2,700. “I like PE requirements, but I think the amount should be lowered because many students don’t like having to take the classes at all,” said Olivia Woitulwicz, secondyear communications student at Tech. “It’s strange that we have to take PE credits. My friends from other universities do not have PE requirements. We are adults and yet we are forced to take physical
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education classes; it’s a waste of our money and time,” said third-year material science engineering student Robert Lippus. Whether universities should require PE classes to be taken by students is a debated subject. Some colleges, including Columbia College, require students to pass a swimming test or take beginning swimming for a full term. Other universities that chose to move away from the requirements have been reconsidering their decisions and moving back to requiring physical education. Before college, some students are involved in high school sports and physically active in other ways. Many students, however, upon entering college, lose their physical lifestyle for a variety of reasons. The physical education classes offered allow students a way to work out and require them to take the time to do so. Students across campus feel differently about PE
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requirements. “The PE classes allow me to take my mind off of my more difficult classes and they serve as a stress reliever,” said Sophia Bainbridge, a second-year environmental engineering student. “I disagree with the PE requirement, I don’t believe that you get out of it what you pay for,” said Jordan Kubista, a third-year mechanical engineering student. Bainbridge also said that the PE requirements, “allow students to try something new, or they further expand students’ knowledge about an activity they already know. Ultimately they help to create a well-rounded student.“ PE courses provide students with other benefits. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Max Seel said, “They establish foundations for a good balanced lifestyle.” The physical education courses are recommended for a student to take their first and second years, to help make
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Cost per student to complete PE credits
In-state: Out-of state: friends, and keep engaged in Michigan Tech, said Steel. Students may however have difficulty in their first two years registering for PE courses, as they fill up quickly and may not fit into their schedule. This causes a student to take the courses in their second to third or even fourth year. Seel also said data shows that PE credits help with a students retention of class information and that students have a higher probability of staying in school and being successful. The implementation of the PE requirement at Tech provides students a way to fit in and find their way. Students close to graduation who still
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$1309.50 $2,700 have credits to fulfill are generally the only students who complain about the requirement, said Seel. The plan is for students to take the courses their first two years, to get the full benefits of physical education requirements, not have students in their last years take the courses as a burden. No matter your thoughts on the subject, are the courses really worth adding the extra cost to your tuition bill? For the time being, students are required to take PE credits. Some believe the courses lack educational benefits while others think they are a welcomed excuse to get some exercise into their busy schedule.
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