Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center

Feasibility: Renovation of the Ferris State Recreation Center

Julie Berta
Ferris State University
Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center
Table of Contents
1. Abstract......................................................................................................................3
2. ntro!uction..............................................................................................................."
3. Bac#$roun! .............................................................................................................."
".%&rove%ent Benefits..............................................................................................."
' (ealth an! )ellness........................................................................................."
' Recruit%ent an! Retention...............................................................................*
*.Area of %&rove%ent ................................................................................................+
' Rearran$e%ent..................................................................................................+
' ,-&ansion..........................................................................................................+
' Foo! Service.......................................................................................................
*.,sti%ate! Cost............................................................................................................
+./otential /roble%........................................................................................................
.. Conclusion................................................................................................................0
Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center
ntro!uction
To!ay colle$e stu!ents are not $ettin$ the a!e1uate a%ount of &hysical activity that is nee!e! to
%aintain a healthy lifestyle. t is esti%ate! that *2 &ercent of stu!ents !o not ta#e a!vanta$e of
their recreation facilities 3S%ith4 22114 ntro!uction section4 &ara.35. 6ne 7oul! thin# that
bet7een 7or#4 class4 an! %aintainin$ a &ro&er social life4 colle$e stu!ents si%&ly !o not have
enou$h ti%e to fit in re$ular e-ercise4 but other factors re$ar!in$ the 1uality of the facility have a
$reater i%&act on usa$e. Ferris State University8s Recreation center is in nee! of s&ecific
e-&ansions an! renovations. n fact4 the last ti%e any %a9or renovation 7as fifteen years a$o.
:es4 so%e %achines an! e1ui&%ent have been a!!e! !urin$ that ti%e &erio! but co%&are! to
other colle$e ca%&uses that &ay 9ust as %uch or even %ore4 Ferris;s facility is not nearly as u& to
!ate. Construction of this facility 7oul! not only benefit the stu!ent bo!y tre%en!ously but also
the university as a 7hole.
Bac#$roun!
Stu!ents that atten! Ferris State University are char$e! 13 !ollars a se%ester on to their tuition in
or!er to have access to use the SRC 3Stu!ent Recreation Center54 7hich can be refun!e! in the
be$innin$ of the se%ester. The SRC inclu!es an u&&er level %ain floor an! lo7er level it
consists of a +4222<s1uare<foot 7ei$ht fitness area4 a four<lane runnin$=9o$$in$ trac#4 t7o
aerobics roo%s4 a free 7ei$ht area4 loc#er roo%s4 t7o %ulti&ur&ose roo%s an! a 2*<yar!4 si-<
lane &ool. This %a9or renovation 7as !one in 1>>0 an! cost a&&ro-i%ately seven %illion !ollars.
%&rove%ent Benefits
T7o of the %ain benefits of renovatin$ Ferris;s SCR 7oul! be an increase in stu!ent health an!
7ellness an! an increase in recruit%ent an! retention. ?The construction of a recreation center
can affect the 1uality of ca%&us life in %any 7ays. Accor!in$ly4 this research stu!y e-&lore! the
i%&act of recreation centers on t7o !istinctly !ifferent ca%&uses4 inclu!in$ the effects u&on
ca%&us confi$uration an! a&&eal4 on stu!ent recruit%ent an! retention4 an! on the health an!
7ellness &atterns of stu!ents@3 Aac#42211 5.
(ealth an! 7ellness
The %ore a&&ealin$ that the facility a&&ears to be the %ore stu!ents 7ill %a#e re$ular visits the
SRC. Aore in!ivi!uals that atten! 7ill increase overall health an! 7ellness. ,-ercise re!uces
stress an! increases concentration4 7hich can be very beneficial to stu!ents in colle$e 7ith a
heavy 7or#loa!. ?Benefits of &hysical activity have been ri$orously !ocu%ente! in the literature.
S&ecifically for colle$e stu!ents4 involve%ent in &hysical activity hel&s a$ainst 7ei$ht $ain
&revents &ossible chronic !isease4 an! &rovi!es a %echanis% for %ana$in$ stress in colle$e life
3S%ith4 22114 6besity an! Bac# of /hysical Activity4 &ara. "5. The Chart belo7 7as %a!e by
6hio State;s 6ffice of Stu!ent life on a survey that 34*02 of the stu!ents &artici&ate! in out of
the "421* stu!ents that atten! the university. This stu!y focuse! the %ental health of stu!ents
7ho e-ercise! fre1uently co%&are! to stu!ents 7ho !i! not. This stu!y sho7s a si$nificant
increase in stu!ents 7ho e-ercise fre1uently in s&ecific areas such as feelin$ of belon$in$ in
co%%unityC rarely feel lonely4 &racticin$ $oo! bu!$etin$4 an! %aintainin$ annual &hysical
Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center
e-a%s4 than stu!ents 7ho !o not. Also4 12.1D %ore stu!ents 7ho e-ercise infre1uently clai% to
have been !e&resse! over the last si- %onths co%&are! to stu!ents 7ho !o &arta#e in fre1uent
e-ercise
(Health and Wellness, 2011).
Recruitment and Retention
Not only would renovations to the SRC be a benefit to students, but would also have an effect on
the university as well. How appealing a college campus recreation facility is can greatly impact
Recruitment and Retention of students. An up to date SRC can show potential students who are
interested in a university that the institution will give them the most out of their college
experience by providing them with the most quality. A renovated facility can also be a big
deciding factor especially for athletes that are looking into playing a sport at the university. In a
study done by The University of Arizona 40 percent of students admitted that campus recreation
facilities, programs, and services are important when deciding to attend UA.
Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center
Area of %&rove%ents
Renovatin$ the 7hole facility 7oul! be very ti%e consu%in$ an! costly an! is not necessary to
achieve the results that are nee!e!. ,-&an!in$4 rearran$in$4 an! a!!in$ on to s&ecific areas
7oul! allo7 an increase of stu!ents to be able to benefit fro% the SRC 7ithout the len$thy cost.
Rearran$e%ent

Rearran$in$ the facility 7oul! i%&rove the flo7 of the $y%. Currently4 Car!io %achines are on
the u&stairs level alon$ 7ith the stren$th trainin$ %achines as 7ell as other free 7ei$hts. The
7ei$ht roo% is on the %ain floor asi!e the bas#etball courts. believe by s7itchin$ the location
of the car!io e1ui&%ent an! 7ei$ht liftin$ e1ui&%ent 7oul! %a#e all it %ore accessible for
&eo&le 7ho are utiliEin$ the stren$th trainin$ %achines.
A!!in$ ne7 e1ui&%ent
By a!!in$ ne7 %achines an! e1ui&%ent it 7oul! %a#e %ore %achines available for stu!ents to
use. Ferris State in this &ast %onth ha! 9ust &urchase! t7o trea!%ills an! they are constantly
bein$ use!. f stu!ents #no7 that %ore e1ui&%ent is available to the% they 7oul! be visit the
recreation center. t is very rare that a $y% es&ecially at a colle$e to7n to only have t7o
trea!%ills in a recreation center4 even thou$h they !o have so%e. There 7as a survey 7as ta#en
by stu!ents 7ho atten! Flori!a State University belo7 is a $ra&h an! sho7s 7hat #e&t the% fro%
usin$ the $y% 3Carson5. This 7as the to& reason 7hy &eo&le !i! not atten! the $y% follo7in$
not enou$h &ar#in$ s&aces.

,-&ansion
n the sa%e stu!y another factor that #e&t &eo&le fro% 7as not enou$h &ar#in$ s&ace. By
e-&an!in$ Ferris States &ar#in$ lot it 7ill allo7 %ore roo% for stu!ents to &ar#. Stu!ents that
cant fin! a &ar#in$ s&ot are %ore li#ely to be turne! off by $oin$ to the $y% an! %ore li#ely to
leave an! not utiliEe the facility.
Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center
Foo! Services
A!!in$ a healthy foo!4 an! loun$e area 7oul! so%ethin$ else that 7oul! a!! to the culture of
the facility. Aa#in$ the $y% %ore of a social &lace can 7oul! brin$ %ore stu!ents in an!
&ro%ote a healthy lifestyle.

,sti%ate! Costs
Ferris State University;s last %a9or renovation 7as !one in 1>>0 an! cost a&&ro-i%ately seven
%illion !ollars. A!!in$ ne7 %achines4 e-&an!in$ certain areas4 an! a!!in$ a foo! service 7oul!
cost about 2224222. This &lan can be i%&le%ente! in the ne-t 3<* years !urin$ the su%%er
season so it 7ill effect less a%ount of stu!ents= 7or#ers since the su%%ers ten! to have less
&eo&le atten!in$ the colle$e.
/otential /roble%s
6ne issue about renovatin$ the recreation center is the 1uestion ? are colle$es are s&en!in$ a
!eclinin$ share of their bu!$ets on instruction an! %ore on a!%inistration an! recreational
facilities for stu!ents@3Fillion5. An article on this issue 7as !one by ori$inally an! &rove! that
so%e colle$es are s&en!in$ %ore %oney on recreation but later revise! their state%ent. The
article incorrectly state! that A%erican colle$es s&en! %ore on recreation than on instruction.
The stu!y sho7e! that the share of s&en!in$ on recreation 7as risin$ %ore 1uic#ly than the share
of s&en!in$ on instruction. 3Fillion4 Sa%422204 &ara. "5
Conclusion
Colle$e is a ti%e 7here stu!ents $ro7 an! are continually sha&e! by their environ%ent an!
university. n the ne-t 3<* years Ferris State shoul! i%&le%ent this &lan so that stu!ents can
i%&rove their health an! 7ellness an! increase the chances of Ferris State recruitin$ an!
retainin$ %ore stu!ents.

Feasibility: Renovation of Ferris State Recreation Center
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