IRVINE : P.E. Classes Defended by UCI Group

A group of UC Irvine students plans to protest the proposed elimination of the university’s physical education department by demonstrating at a meeting on campus Thursday morning of Academic Senate members from throughout the University of California system.

If the department is eliminated, the university would no longer offer free physical education classes and students would no longer earn academic credit for competing in intercollegiate athletics. Physical education courses would be provided by the campus recreation program for a fee.

“Most students say they aren’t willing to pay the extra cost,” said protest organizer Brian Chiu, a 22-year-old graduate student who is studying electrical engineering. “If they pay just a little bit more, they could join the fitness center on campus, which offers more.”

The plan is scheduled for review by the UCI Academic Senate by June, but the final decision is up to UCI Chancellor Laurel L. Wilkening. The chancellor was not available for comment. But university spokeswoman Karen Young said the chancellor had issued a prior statement in which she describes physical education as “more of a service to students than an academic program.”

Tamara Wolodarsky, 27, a biological engineering major who returned to college after recovering from cancer, said that physical education is a critical part of the academic experience.

“In order to have a healthy mind, you need to have a healthy body,” Wolodarsky said. “Basically, this is another way of increasing the fees.”

But university officials said that physical education departments are being closed at a number of universities that, like UCI, do not offer physical education majors. Physical education departments have been closed at UCLA and UC San Diego.

Organizers said they expect about 200 students to take part in the 10 a.m. protest at the campus Student Center.