Earlier this year, the Office of the Provost cut all Northeastern's free one-credit physical education classes, in a decision that stemmed from the absence of faculty able to run the classes.
"At one time, Bouvé College had a major called 'health, sport and leisure studies (HSL).' The physical education classes were overseen by the faculty in that major," said Malcolm Hill, vice provost for undergraduate education. "About 15 years ago, the major was discontinued, but the PED courses continued as long as they could be supervised by tenured faculty who had been in the HSL major program. This year, the last of the tenured faculty have now retired and it is not viable to continue to offer credit-bearing courses in an area without faculty expertise and supervision."
Robert Curtin, former associate professor and program director of physical education and dance and the last of the tenured faculty from the HSL major program to retire, said the end of the program is not only disappointing to him as a physical educator, but also to the 1,200 to 1,400 students who annually enroll in the classes, which include yoga, ballet, fencing and scuba.
Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President for Academic Affairs MJ Paradiso said he is working with the athletics department to get the courses back for students.
"I feel that these athletic courses were an asset to the university because they provided students with a means to participate in free, organized physical activity," Paradiso said.
The university is still trying to ensure students can gain the same experience and participate in similar activities to those offered in the cut PED courses, Hill said.
Scuba, one of the few PED courses that will still be offered for credit, has shifted over to the biology department, where it will be offered in a revised form and overseen by the Marine Science Center in Nahant.
Other courses such as yoga and dance are still available through the Marino Center.
Hill said he and Athletic Director Dave O'Brien hope to develop new program options in some of the areas formerly covered by the PED courses. Despite this, classes and programs at the Marino Center will not be credit-bearing and may include a fee, Hill said.
Although unsure how the university plans to deal with the cutbacks, Paradiso said "a compromise will be reached that is favorable to both the administration and to the students."
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