By Faculty Members of the Physical Education Department
On March 3, Cathryn Heslep, Vice President Student Services, announced, through a University-wide email, that the pool at MacEwan will be permanently closed on July 1, 2010, to accommodate an enhanced fitness centre. What the memo did not explain is that:
1. the closure will greatly affect the Physical Education program at MacEwan (25% of Physical Education courses at MacEwan have at least one class in the pool with some courses being taught entirely in the pool)
2. the U of A is able to operate its two pools for considerably less than the $500,000 that MacEwan currently spends to operate its facility
3. 88% of students surveyed in 2006 were opposed to closing the pool (no survey was conducted this time around)
4. 53% of students surveyed in 2006 indicated that maintaining the aquatic facility was important to them and their wellness (again no survey was conducted this time around)
5. 88% of faculty members surveyed in 2006 indicated that the wanted the pool to be retained and upgraded (again no survey was conducted this time around)
6. the pool is one of the best ways that MacEwan connects with the community through swim lessons, swim clubs, school visits, triathlon clubs, birthday parties, masters swim groups and adult fitness classes
7. inner city schools use the MacEwan pool on a weekly basis
8. the MCSW has recently begun to offer rehabilitation programs for special populations part of which include using the pool
9. the administration has NOT demonstrated how closing the pool will save Grant MacEwan $500,000 per year in operating costs (they have not accounted for the fact that a new fitness facility will need to be heated, cooled, cleaned, staffed and equipped).
The most important point that was omitted from Cathryn’s memo was that the Faculty Association, the Students Association, the Physical Education program and the community were not consulted in the decision to close the pool.
The Physical Education program is fighting hard to stop what administration has presented as a “fait accompli.” Please join us in our opposition to administration’s plan to bulldoze this through.
Write to our President, Paul Byrne, VP Academic, Janet PatersonWeir, VP Student Services, Cathryn Heslep, our Board of Governors Representative, Chaldeans Mensah, Board of Governors President, Eric Young, The Edmonton Journal, City Councillors, Ben Henderson and Jane Batty, and our Edmonton Centre MLA, Laurie Blakeman.
_______________________________________________
Want to Comment on the Pool Closure?
Speak out on this issue by going to the topic called pool closure in the Discussion Forum. Remember, you’ll have to log on to the site first to participate in the forum. This is to ensure that your comments in the discussion forum are kept amongst the FA membership only and not made public for everyone else to see.
Posted in 
Tags: