Dr. Jacalyn Lund, the department chair of kinesiology and health, has raised concerns about the lack of health classroom space in the Sports Arena for the Department of Kinesiology.
Lund said the exercise science major has grown over the past several years.
“We now have over 800 undergraduate majors. Our space allocation in the Sports Arena is inadequate,” Lund said. “We have submitted space requests for new areas but to date have not been successful in securing new activity areas. This lack of space also means that we are unable to offer an activity program for students at GSU, unlike many universities around the nation.”
The Department of Kinesiology and Health has five different programs, including health and physical education, exercise science, sports administration, sports medicine and kinesiology.
Lund said that the Department has two labs for biomechanics and exercise physiology and one lab for sports medicine. She added there is only one classroom and one gymnasium type of space in the building.
The Sports Arena has been a multipurpose facility since 1973 and held sporting events for the Summer Olympics in 1996. Since then the space has been serving multiple roles as a stadium, classrooms, administrative offices, training rooms and coach spaces.
“Our lack of space means that we must be creative with our use of space when scheduling classes and there are times when we want to schedule more classes but cannot,” Lund said.
The Department of Kinesiology and Health is a part of the College of Education. There are more than 1,200 students enrolled in the College of Education.
For the fiscal year 2014, the College of Education received $28,127 from student activity fees funds.
In all, there are 45 organizations under the College of Education’s sphere.
Some of the funds were given to the Department of Kinesiology and Health’s three organizations (MUSCLES, Panther Athletic Training Student Organization and the Sports Management and Administration Club) and a chartered organization (Health and Physical Education ). The organizations were collectively approved for $4,376.72.
Sports masters of science student Jloani Robinson said the Sports Arena facility is a lot older than the buildings he has seen.
“It’s been here for years. In this day and age with the ways to pursue the new, the best, it’s an arms race. You know ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, which is even in recruiting,” Robinson said. “Athletes want to see facilities that are up to date. That’s nice, brand new and shiny. They haven’t really done that since I have been in Atlanta. I have been in Atlanta for like 10 years now, and it’s basically still the same.”
Robinson said that he has feels as though the technology in the Sports Arena facility is adequate.
“I guess you can do a better job at replacing or updating ever so often, but when you are operating on a certain budget, you have to be realistic. It all depends on what Dr. Lund wants to do. As far as where she wants the money to go, whether it’s for research or updating equipment,” he said.
Robinson added that he understands why the space hasn’t been expanded.
“I get why they can’t do it because you are in a city. The only way you build is to build up. You can’t really expand anywhere else because of properties. Everything is so tight and Georgia State might not own a building a block from here. So, it’s pretty understandable,” Robinson said.
Nichole Ransom, masters of science student in sports administration, said that the Sports Arena facility is outdated.
“They are more like high school classrooms. We have technology and the boards and stuff are great. It could all be better. Like the Sports Arena could be updated, but that all comes with money,” Ranson said.
She added that she wishes all her classes were in the Sports Arena facility.
“I wish so because we won’t have to go all over campus. But we have to come here anyway to see our advisers and some of the GAs are here,” Ranson said. “So, that would be very good to have to just go down the stairs or go across the hall to get to class. It would benefit everyone.”
Daphne Adebayo, masters of science student in sports administration, has some personal recommendations for the facility and its equipment.
“I think that they are really good classrooms. The only complaint that I have is that they get a little hot,” Adebayo said. “I would like bigger desks. I am six [feet] one [inches tall] and that’s a problem that I can barely fit into those desks. I feel like if we got bigger desks or maybe new desks or more stable desks that would be good.”
For the fiscal year 2015, the College of Education will receive an increase of $977 from student activity fees funds resulting in $29,104 for the school year.
