Adding extra taxes to students’ room and board bills never sounds like a positive thing, but a plan being discussed by the Residence Hall Association, or RHA, has the potential to bring many healthy changes for students.
At an RHA meeting that took place during winter break, Rick McNeil, director of MSU Recreational Sports and Fitness Services, proposed a plan where on-campus students would have an automatic $50 fee added each semester added to their room and board bill. The extra fee would give students full access to on-campus fitness facilities and exercise classes. RHA currently supports the idea.
Currently, students must pay separate fees to utilize both IM Sports buildings and fitness centers in the dorms — a price as high as $250 for the academic year. Under this bill, each facility would be open to on-campus students.
This new plan makes it cheaper for on-campus students to use workout facilities, making it more likely students will use those facilities to start working out. It’s also much more affordable — a huge factor for college students.
The $50 fee each semester is much cheaper than most gyms and workout facilities. In comparison, a 12-month membership at Snap Fitness, 115 E. Grand River Ave., is $29.99 a month plus a $49.99 enrollment fee.
The plan also would make it much easier for students to stop by fitness centers in various dorms during the day instead of having to travel across campus to IM Sports buildings or their respective fitness center.
Students who don’t want to take part in the service can get the fee refunded from their room and board payment.
Students might find it a hassle to have the fee removed in order to opt out of the program. However, if MSU offered the option of adding the fee, the university would have to go through the extra steps of informing students about the new plan.
Adding the cost onto room and board also allows MSU to better calculate how much they have to put toward facility improvements.
Ohio State University has a similar plan in use. Students taking four or more credit hours on the main campus have facilities, programs and services available to them. Ohio State, however, adds the fee to tuition bills without any option of an opt-out — unlike MSU’s potential proposal.
As part of the plan, McNeil also hopes to improve some of the current facilities as well as add new ones by bringing a fitness center to each campus neighborhood.
Also, if the idea proves to be a success, MSU should consider extending the offer of access to the IM Sports buildings to off-campus students.
This initiative would be a benefit to students living on campus by providing them with affordable means to workout. Students should embrace this potential change as it is more favorable than the current fitness plans available.
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