A view of the indoor pool on Oct. 25, 2015 at IM Sports-West. Despite constant use by students, significant renovations have not been made to these facilities since 2005.
On Oct. 28, the MSU Board of Trustees approved a more than $3.9 million update to the IM Sports-West facility because of the Healthy Campus Initiative.
The update comes nearly a year after the board approved $35 million allocation for the Healthy Campus Initiative. Back then, the use of the money was uncertain.
Updates will be made to the IM Sports-West indoor pool, locker rooms and electrical systems.
Provost June Youatt said the Healthy Campus Initiative will continue to roll out new programs for faculty, staff and students geared toward getting the campus up and moving.
She said the initiative will be focus on five areas: facilities, expansion of spaces, coordination of events on campus, off-campus opportunity for MSU students and changes in practices and policies on campus that would support people being more fit.
“There is a strong relationship between fitness and health and both academic outcomes of students and productivity,” Youatt said. “If you’re a place like us, all you really want is students to do super well, and faculty and staff to be as productive as they can.”
Youatt said the Healthy Campus Initiative has not been given a budget, but that money will be tight for future plans.
The Healthy Campus Initiative includes a committee that was put together to decide what would be in the best interest of students related to health and wellness. Dee Jordan, Council of Graduate Students president, said she’s excited for events that will connect the entire student body, including graduate students.
“We’re looking forward to the university doing more outdoor group activities for everyone that kind of cross disciplines,” Jordan said. “We’re hoping that Healthy Campus is an opportunity to bring us together, grad, undergrad, staff.”
President Lou Anna K. Simon said a consultant has been hired who will be working with students and others in the community to best figure out how to utilize the facilities. It was discussed that the IM facility renovations are only the first part of the Healthy Campus Initiative.
“The other thing we’re doing is looking at ideas about how the agenda of intercollegiate athletics for other renovations and facilities might dovetail with the other interests of the students more generally,” Simon said.
The Healthy Campus Initiative was announced in December of 2015. The renovations of IM Sports-West are expected to be completed in 2017.
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