DFA Response to
Proposed Rec
Hall fees increases
Date:
Feb. 26, 2004
To:
DFA Members
From: DFA Board Chair, Kathryn Radke
One of our members requested DFA assistance in dealing with an issue
that
affects many of our members--the proposed increases in Rec Hall fees.
Below is
a copy of a petition, signed by many people, including a number of our
members.
It addresses their concerns. Following it is a copy of the response
they
received from Janet C. Gong, Assistant Vice Chancellor - Student
Affairs. The
DFA Board voted to support this petition and we are inviting
individual
members who support it to respond ASAP by "reply" to this email. Our
desire is to be supportive to the concerns of our members. Thank you.
Petition to:
Bruce Madewell, Academic Senate
Cathi VandeVoort, Academic Federation
Zack O'Donnell, Staff Assembly
Dear Sirs and Madam,
We the undersigned faculty and staff request that the Academic Senate,
Academic Federation and Staff Assembly request a formal reevaluation of
the Rec Hall business plan to determine what if any justification there
is for raising UCD employees use fees of the expanded Rec Hall to $480
per
year, including a $5 per month locker fee. These fees are higher than
fees
charged by several of the
However, we have been told at meetings with the Rec Hall administration
that it
would make no difference to the Rec Hall budget if the 600 faculty and
staff
who use the Rec Hall dropped their memberships. If this is indeed the
case then
there is even less justification for charging us so much.
There are a number of reasons why it is in the university's best
interests to encourage faculty and staff to use the Rec Hall.
*
It is well-documented
that increasing the fitness of employees lowers the costs of health
benefits.
It adds to the 'Quality of Life' at UC Davis (http://worklifebalance.ucdavis.edu/).
Having healthy, engaged, non-stressed faculty and staff is very highly
desirable. All major corporations offer free athletic facilities to
their
employees.
*
Having faculty
and staff present in the Rec Hall means that there are always
university
employees present in case of accident or emergency.
In the past 5 years or longer the "old" Rec Hall facility has become
steadily more and more run down and dirty. At the same time the use
fees paid
by faculty and staff have steadily increased by 3-7% each year. These
are not
conditions you would encounter in athletic clubs. Every year there has
been
more and more broken equipment. We've put up with leaking plumbing,
filthy
restrooms and showers, and extended periods without access to parts of
the Rec
Hall. Last year when we paid more for only 9 months access than we'd
paid for
any previous year we were unable to use the indoor track for more than
half the
year, went days without being able to use the Rec Hall at all because
it was
closed for events or construction, and put up with days of no hot
water. There
are also continuing problems with garbage not being picked up both
within the
facility and outside the facility, and probably as a consequence there
are rats
visible during the day outside the old part of the facility. Finally,
we have
seen little evidence that relying on part time student labor has worked
in the
past and it does not seem likely that the larger facility can be run
this way.
Given this:
*
We are requesting
that the business plan be thoroughly re-examined by an independent
committee.
*
And we want a
reasonable fee, with a clear, well-justified
reason for the fee amount charged faculty and staff.
Response from Janet C. Gong
Assistant Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs
Thank you for including me in
your correspondence to the Chairs of the
Academic Senate, Staff Assembly and Academic Federation. I
continue to
appreciate your concern and your desire to re-examine the issues
concerning
recreation membership on our campus.
As I promised you, I want to let you know that since reading the
advance copy
of the petition that you kindly provided me on Tuesday of this week, I
have had
an opportunity to discuss both the petition and the concerns that you
and I
discussed in our telephone conversation with Tom Compton. As
I think you
know, Tom is the Executive Director of Campus Unions and Campus
Recreation and
in addition to his several other responsibilities, has supervisory
responsibilities for the Rec Hall/Activities and
Tom and I also discussed an additional option of perhaps extending the
expiration date of the recreation membership/eligibility privilege
cards of our
current users, at least for a short period of time beyond the
March-April
expiration period of the currently priced cards, while we conduct this
re-assessment. While I need to investigate this option
further, it may provide
us with a bit more time to complete the work and re-establish our
discussion
with you and those you represent, without any financial disadvantage to
our
members. I will certainly keep you informed of this option
within the
next week.
I do trust that you will take these steps as a the good faith effort
that we
are making to be responsive to your concerns. I have elected
to copy
Bruce Madewell, Zack O'Donnell and Cathi VandeVoort on this
correspondence,
simply so they will know that we are in touch with you, are aware of
your
concerns, and are endeavoring to respond in an expeditious
manner. While
I will certainly remain in touch with you, please do not hesitate to
contact me
at 752-8787.
With best regards,
Janet C. Gong
Assistant Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs
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