Thank you students!
Carleton Athletics would like to thank all students who came out to vote on Feb. 8 and 9. Students voted overwhelmingly in favour of an ancillary fee increase that will give them access to a new 11,000 sq ft fitness centre.
There was a tremendous turnout with 3825 students casting a ballot.
The official question on the ballots read: “Are you in favour of a $12.50 per term athletics ancillary fee increase for full time students (prorated for part-time students) effective 2013-2014 to provide access to a new modern 11,000 sq ft fitness centre (including brand new cardio, weight and fitness equipment).”
Undergraduate students voted 2576 in favour, while 951 voted against the question. Graduate students voted 153 in favour and 136 against. There were nine spoiled ballots.
Construction of the new fitness centre is expected to be complete in Spring of 2013.
You can get an idea of what the expansion will look like with these images.
Below is an FAQ that should answer a lot of your questions. Please send us any other questions to CU_Fit@Carleton.ca as we’d be happy to answer them!
Q. Why does Athletics need an increase in the Athletics Fee?
The department is an ancillary service and relies on student ancillary fees to operate. The current 5,700 sq ft Fitness Centre is inadequate for a student population close to 27,000. The number one complaint by students is the crowdedness of this space. The proposal for a fee increase will provide students access to the new expanded 11,000 sq ft Fitness Centre. The fee increase will assist Athletics in the construction and equipment costs for this new fitness space.
Q: Will an increase in ancillary fee eliminate the fee for access to the Cardio Room?
Yes. The Cardio Room was added as a new program in 2005. The student cardio fee in 2011-2012 is $26 per term. The proposed ancillary fee increase will eliminate the Cardio Room fee. The existing Cardio Room will be renovated as part of the Alumni Hall expansion for the new Fitness Centre.
Q. What are the timelines for the completion of the new Fitness Centre?
The planned completion date is the Spring of 2013.
Q What will happen to the old Fitness Centre?
The existing Fitness Centre will be converted into two sections; one section will become a high-performance athlete heavy weight room, while the other will become a general student activity space for activities such as: group fitness, dance and specialty fitness.
Q. Will any of the Athletics Fees be used to support football?
No. The Old Crows Inc (football alumni) have signed an agreement with the university to fully fund the operations of the football program, including the construction of the football space.
Q. How do our fees compare to other Ontario universities?
Currently the Carleton student athletic fee is one of the lowest in the province at $75.80 per term/$71.93 full time graduate students. The increase will maintain Carleton’s athletic fee below the provincial average.
Some additional facts:
• The Athletics Fee falls in the bottom third of fees at Ontario universities;
• In 2011-2012, the average FT undergraduate fee across 18 Ontario universities (includes Carleton) was $91.20 per term;
• In 2011-12 the sport levy fee at the University of Ottawa was $101.01 per term for FT undergraduate students;
• The Athletics fee has been increased only three times since 1993-1994, totalling 5.6 percent and by cost of living the past three years;
• Since 1995, the annual rate of inflation has increased 29.7% (Bank of Canada).
Q: What do students get for their Athletics Fee?
The Athletic Fee helps to offset the costs of operating and maintaining the facilities and subsidizes program delivery costs for students. Students have access to a variety of services and programs including:
• over 40 hours of pool access per week;
• the existing 5,700 fitness centre;
• the Fieldhouse for jogging and indoor field sports;
• open recreation in tennis, badminton, volleyball, basketball and squash, open skate times and pick-up hockey;
• 25% discount on most instructional and fitness programs;
• 62% discount on intramural program based on community league rates;
• 20 varsity and competitive sport opportunities.
Q: How many students does the department employ?
The department employs more than 300 students throughout the year and spends $2 million in part time student salaries on an annual basis. This returns more than one third of the Athletics Fee directly back to students.
Q. What happens if the referendum fails and there is no increase?
The department will have to increase revenues from other sources in order to meet the challenge of paying for construction and new fitness equipment, the target being external community members. We will need to reassess our program offerings and facility operating hours and determine what fees we will need to charge in order to balance the operating budget.
Q: Can I get a refund on my athletics fees?
No. Close to 50% of the students use the athletic facilities on a regular basis and all students will be using the facilities for convocation and examinations. The university provides many non-academic services to students that are funded by compulsory fees. Not all students take advantage of every service offered. However, these services remain operational and available for those that need or wish to use them. For that reason there are compulsory fees collected from each student to offset the cost of these services. Recreation and Athletics and Health Services are two such services on campus. Athletics has been working with students to provide new programming and engagement opportunities such as the CUFit pass, Red Zone Fan Club and fitness programs in residence.
Q: What is the Budget of the department?
The department is an ancillary service and is responsible for all costs associated with the operating of programs and athletic facilities. The operating budget is currently just over $9 million. Here is the breakdown of revenues and expenses by percentage:
Revenues
Student Ancillary Fees 37%
Rentals 23%
Programs 26%
Memberships 4%
Sponsorship 3%
CU Staff fee 7%
Expenses
FT Staff 17%
PT Student Staff 23%
Loans 7%
Utilities 14%
Maintenance & Cleaning 14%
Equipment and Supplies 12%
Meals and Travel 7%
Admin and Marketing 6%
Q: Why do students have to pay a summer membership fee if they do not take a summer academic course?
All registered students pay ancillary fees per term. Registration provides access to the facilities for each term: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer. For those students not registered in the spring/summer terms the student membership fee is significantly discounted.
Q: Why must students, faculty and staff pay for fitness and intramural programs?
The student athletics fee and staff grant can only partially cover the costs of operating and providing access to the facilities. Program fees charged to the participants help cover the direct costs of program delivery such as instructor fees. These fees are heavily discounted to students (25% discount for programs and 62% discount for intramurals).
Q What is the cost of the Fitness Centre and what happens with the fees once the construction is paid for?
The new Fitness Centre will cost approximately $2 million. Once the construction costs are complete, there will be on-going operating and maintenance of the fitness equipment. Over the long term, the student fee increase will also provide support to address the over $12 million in deferred maintenance required for the swimming pool, the Fieldhouse flooring and the Norm Fenn building to make sure we continue offering quality services to the Carleton community.
Q What service disruption in the current Fitness Centre will result from the construction?
Luckily, the bulk of the construction will take place in the summer to minimize the impact on students. The Fitness Centre will be operational the entire time, and we will do our best to leave the Cardio Room open as long as possible before the extension is built. A more detailed construction schedule will be available in the months to come.