Staying in shape throughout the school year might be a much simpler task for students if a new ASMSU policy is passed — but our waistlines won’t be the only thing feeling the burn.
At last Thursday’s ASMSU committee meeting, a new policy was discussed that would add an additional tax to tuition rates and allow students access to all on-campus fitness facilities.
The new tax would increase tuition by $50, which is cheaper than the current $85 fee for fitness center access.
The policy also includes an opt-out for students who would prefer not to pay for access to the fitness centers.
Overall, this new policy can be seen as a great addition to improving student satisfaction at MSU.
Although you can’t force anyone to want to workout or charge someone for a service they have no intention of utilizing, this new policy works to promote the idea of a healthy lifestyle.
And by allowing students the opportunity to opt-out of this tax and decide whether they would prefer to spend the additional $50, this policy can only be seen as a positive addition to the university.
For students who already purchase fitness passes throughout the school year, this new tax lowers the cost of what they would normally spend.
For those students who might have been skeptical to purchase a fitness pass before, this policy can be seen as a new, cheaper incentive to promote physical health.
Despite the positive aspects to this new policy, there still are many questions that should be considered by council members before they vote at this Thursday’s general assembly meeting.
If this policy is passed, MSU should expect an influx of student visitors to the facilities, therefore, capacity and access to equipment must be examined.
Although this might require the university to open new fitness centers, which would be open for longer hours with additional staff, charging students to work out in a place that is cramped or requires waiting in long lines for equipment is not an accurate justification for the new tax.
Another question is why a charge should be required from students to use on-campus fitness centers in the first place.
Most of the schools in the Big Ten already offer free access to their fitness centers, and students don’t incur any additional tax on their tuition.
Instead of offering a discounted price for working out and adding this cost as a tax on their tuition, making the notion of helping students stay physically active throughout the year without making them spend extra money could send a more positive message.
Despite these questions, this new tax should be welcomed by both the students and the university and be looked at as something that makes the idea of staying in shape an easier task throughout the year.
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