Campus Rec expands hours amid backlash
By Sarah Sternhagen, Editor-in-Chief
After a full week of classes Campus Recreation has expanded its hours to a total of 88 hours per week for the rest of the semester. The changes go into effect Tuesday, Sept. 3. and follow a majority-negative reaction to Campus Rec’s operating hours being cut nearly in half right before the school year.
The initial hour reduction came from campus-wide budget cuts where every university department was asked to reduce spending by 1%, The Towerlight reported. Backlash to the lower number of hours came from many sources.
“The reduction seemed really out of the blue when it happened and it was like really drastic,” junior Jack Bennett said.
Campus Rec’s 2023-2024 school year hours of operation averaged 101.5 per week. The cuts brought that down by almost half to 64 hours. The new 88 hours per week will continue for the rest of the semester, according to Assistant VP for Student Health and Wellbeing Nora Clark-Giles.
“I wasn’t surprised at all at the advocacy by students, families, faculty, staff,” Clark-Giles said. “But I also wasn’t surprised by the support from the administration to bring those hours back.”
Spokesperson for the university Jamie Abell said the decision to re-expand hours came from the Executive Leadership Team, which includes university president Mark Ginsberg and other VPs of various departments. The SGA’s leadership’s feedback was also considered, according to Abell.
“It’s definitely helpful. But like, I wish they could add more [hours]. Especially those late hour nights because those are the most convenient times for a lot of people,” sophomore Elija Antonious said.
Campus Rec was open till 11 p.m. five days a week last year, now it closes at 9 p.m. six days a week.
“I think it’s going to be the same, because they only really added, what, a few more hours on Friday,” sophomore Jose Portillo-Lemus said. “And [they open] Saturday now.”
The new Campus Rec hours are as follows:
- Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Sunday: Noon – 9 p.m.
Student Affairs still has to contend with the 1% reduction in spending.
“We’re just really being very strategic and thoughtful around things that we can do to reduce spending without impacting direct services to students,” Clark-Giles said.
No student services will be cut, according to Clark-Giles.
