The house that students built is edging its way towards completion.
The 75,130 square-foot, two-story building, located just south of the Student Union, is expected to open in late fall or early 2009.
Just as the steel and concrete of the facility takes shape, so too does the framework for the program procedures and operating policies. The details of membership fees, operating hours, participant guidelines, group exercise classes, personal trainers, and other programmatic issues are all being put in place.
Before implementation, these issues will need review and input from the new Student Recreation Center Committee. This committee will be comprised of a majority of students, and will include a representative from faculty, staff and alumni.
Mark Harriman, the recently hired center director, said the student staff will also be involved in shaping the program and providing input on the day-to-day operation. Harriman expects to have close to 100 student employees who will all be certified in CPR and first aid. Leadership opportunities will exist for all student positions especially the student managers and facility supervisors. "This will give students peer to peer supervision experience," he detailed. "Our philosophy is that we will be service oriented and safety focused. We want to provide a place for students to exercise, release stress, learn healthy lifestyle choices, and experience a sense of campus community."
The $21.7 million center is funded entirely by CSUB students. The students voted in May 2005 to increase their activity fees with a portion going to constructing and operating the facility.
CSUB students will be able to use the center free of charge. The center's membership will include complete use of the facility's many amenities. Students that graduated after the fall of 2005 will be allowed to use the center at no charge for the number of quarters they paid increased student fees. Those graduates coming from off campus will be required to pay the university parking fees.
Although the center is mainly for students, alumni along with faculty and staff will be welcome to join the center for a fee. Harriman is anticipating the monthly dues to be $35 to $40. Alumni interested in joining the center must be members of the CSUB Alumni Association to be eligible.
The center's lower level will feature three basketball courts, a juice bar, a specialized fitness area with a variety of weight and cardiovascular equipment, a yoga and martial arts training area, an aerobics exercise area, and a rock climbing wall. There will be 24 televisions mounted to a four- sided tower and members may bring their own headphones, plug into one of the 60 pieces of cardiovascular equipment and select the sound from one of the televisions.
The upper level will have an exercise and fitness area and a suspended three-lane jogging track that spans one-tenth of a mile.
There will be opportunities for student groups to reserve rooms to hold fitness/health related activities. However, there will be no childcare available and there will be some age restrictions for guest access.