It has been a year since the Western Student Recreation Centre (WSRC) officially opened its doors to the campus community and the number of Campus Recreation users is at an all-time high.
Gareth Cunningham, Manager of Campus Recreation, says on the first day 4,100 people walked through the gates during the eight hours the facility was open. Now, the building sees more than 13,000 visitors a week.
“That is definitely an increase in activity from the old facilities,” says Cunningham, adding the intramural programming has reached its highest level with more than 700 teams in the fall and 540 this winter.
The $35-million, 160,000-square-foot facility is largely funded by students, with contributions from the university, making it one of the largest of its kind at a Canadian university.
Taking advantage of the extra space, the group fitness classes, dance programs and recreation sports clubs offer students new opportunities to get active, and the communal lounge and common area spaces bridge academics and athletics.
Now that the kinks have been worked out from the first year of operation, there are a few changes on the horizon.
Under the agreement between the university and the University Students’ Council (USC) regarding the WSRC, the university has agreed the majority of the services in the facility will be available for Campus Recreation members each day before 4 p.m. during the academic school year. After 4 p.m., the facility will be solely used by Campus Recreation members.
The university also promises to consult the USC before making any significant reallocation of the use of space in the facility.
Most of the facilities are fully utilized for Campus Recreation purposes, with the exception of the pool, says Ruban Chelladurai, Associate Vice-President (Institutional Planning and Budgeting).
A review of the pool’s use shows “there is capacity to accommodate other activities,” he says. In consultation with the USC, the university is providing training time for the varsity aquatics team.
Even when the varsity team is training, about half of the pool remains open for Campus Recreation purposes. The varsity team may also continue to train in Thames Hall pool.
Beginning in January, the varsity team will use half of the WSRC pool Monday to Friday, 2-4 p.m., and Tuesday and Friday 10-11 a.m. On Saturdays, the team will swim 6-9 a.m. using the full pool, however the facility does not open until 9:30 a.m.
“The university will continue to respect the WSRC agreement between the university and the USC,” adds Chelladurai.
While there has been a slight increase in the number of faculty and staff using the new facility, operators are looking to increase membership. Work has also been done to allow for a secure, online registration which is expected to be launched in the spring or summer.
Campus Recreation continues to work with the building project manager, Physical Plant and the contractors to address lingering construction issues and programming staff are examining areas to improve efficiencies.
“We’re always looking for new trends and interests in the recreation world, and with that comes some new programming initiatives that can enhance utilization. If demand warrants it, and there is a viable and sustainable program model, we’ll get it out there,” says Cunningham.
“Overall, though, we believe members are impressed with what the facility has to offer, and the student staff really work hard to take ownership and deliver the best experience they can.”
Cunningham credits the successful transition into the new facility to the 350 student employees who, as users themselves, are able to inform and influence the direction of services.
Looking ahead, the facilty is expected to be used for upcoming recreational student events. For example, the Western Synchronized Swimming Club will be hosting the national sports club event in February and WSRC will, along with Conference Services, host events for the 2010 Canadian Special Olympics.
“It’s been a really exciting and challenging year, and I truly believe we are just scratching the surface of the opportunities that will be available to students and members, and we in Campus Recreation really appreciate all of the patience, excitement, assistance and suggestions in our first year of operations from the membership,” says Cunningham.