Physical Education Requirements Reduced From Two to One

All Yeshiva University undergraduate schools have recently decided to reduce the requirements from two semesters of Physical Education to one.  The new policy will lessen the load of academic requirements and relieve budgetary stress.  Students were informed of the decision in a mid-March email.

The immediate impetus for reducing the requirement in Yeshiva College was due to cuts in the YC budget.  The policy change had been considered ever since YC had been instructed to cut its budget by approximately 10%, but it also points to a larger movement to reduce undergraduate requirements as well as a specific debate over whether Physical Education is a legitimate academic requirement.
Although the PE requirement had been the subject of past discussion, the recent deficit spurred the administration to make the latest reduction.  The budget for the Physical Education department was cut by $24,000, a decrease of more than 50 percent in the department’s total operating budget, which accompanied the 50 percent reduction of the PE requirement.

Dean Srolovitz explained, “The budget cuts have forced us to look at everything we do and to look for potential cost savings – the possible change in PE was originally raised in this context.”  He added, “Financial exigencies provide a good reason to do many things that should have been done before but simply continued without careful examination.” 

Athletics Director Joe Bednarsh also acknowledged the need to cut costs.  But he felt that shedding more half a department was unfair, and argued that YC should share the pain.  “Why not ask a few tenured professors to teach four classes instead of three, and then hire fewer adjuncts across the board?” Mr. Bednarsh asked.

Dean Srolovitz, though, has long argued that Physical Education, while salutary, should not be considered part of the required academic curriculum.  “PE is not an academic subject, so it is inappropriate to have it as an academic requirement,” he explained.  While he maintained that “PE is good for students, and it is something students should do for its own sake,” the dean did not think its benefits earned it a spot in Yeshiva College requirements.  “We do not require students to go to the dentist, take showers, get more sleep, and eat balanced meals.... we shouldn't require PE either.”
Bednarsh fought hard against the decision, arguing that PE classes could be equally important to the academic curriculum.  “Physical Education classes such as Wellness & Fitness can combine elements of biology, physiology and kinesiology,” he said.  “How is that not a legitimate course?”
He further added he has been pushing for several years to weed out less rigorous PE classes and move towards a curriculum of more intensive courses.  This shift, however, would cost even more than the current budget allows for, and Bednarsh acknowledged that such a move would be unlikely given the present financial state of the university.  He said, however, that most other schools had some type of physical education requirement, and that it was a traditional part of the academic curriculum.

Further, Mr. Bednarsh maintained that although it is debatable whether Physical Education is an academic subject or not, it is a particularly critical subject at Yeshiva due to the rigorous academic and Jewish studies schedules.  “Our students need organized exercise more than almost any other,” he argued.  “At other schools, many students spend 8-10 PM in the gym; here, many spend it in the beit medrash or the library.”

He further argued that students grow to appreciate the requirement.  “While students may complain about it beforehand, some students have said that they learned important aspects of exercise which will help them throughout their lives,” he related.  “They can now live longer.”

Judah Blumenthal (YC ’10) agreed that YU students are particularly unlikely to exercise.  “The many hours sitting in the beit medrash and the inherent fatigue that comes with a dual curriculum… [are] difficult to overcome without help from the university,” he explained.  He added that he felt that Yeshiva, as an Orthodox Jewish institution, has a responsibility to maintain the health and fitness of the student body in keeping with the teachings of Maimonides to protect one’s body.

In response, Dean Srolovitz noted that “Physical Education classes will still be available for every student that wants to participate.”  The only change is that the amount of required Physical Education has decreased from two to one, he emphasized.

The decision also fits within Dean Srolovitz’s larger goal of reducing the total number of undergraduate requirements.  He has been open to exploring other opportunities to reduce requirements, including Jewish Studies classes, in past discussions with The Commentator.

Reuven Sherman (YC ’10) applauded the overall policy alteration as a “much needed change.”  He further supported Dean Srolovitz’s goal of reevaluating all general requirements.  “Personally, I know right now that I have to stay an extra semester because of these YC requirements.  I believe that students should be well rounded, but forcing requirements upon a student is not the way to go about it.”

Avi Kopstick (YC ’10) agreed with Mr. Sherman, and added that “less required courses means more ability for people to take what they are interested in.”  He maintained that while most universities across the country have general requirements, they usually allow for more leeway in areas of interest because of the variety of courses offered.

The timing of the announcement angered some students who were already enrolled in a Phys Ed class this term and were not informed of the decision before the deadline for withdrawal without a “W” from a course had been reached.  The mid-semester timing of the announcement means that some of the students already enrolled in PED courses will not benefit from the new policy.  Sherman expressed his disappointment with the timing, explaining, “I happen to be graduating at the end of next year and attempted to finish my PED requirement by signing up for Elementary Basketball.  Now, with the new PED requirement, I am taking an unnecessary class.”  David Kestenbaum concurred.  “I’ve missed two weddings for my second class in physical education.  If YU now decides this class isn’t required, why can’t they make a special rule to allow us to drop it without any penalty?” he complained.

The new policy will be up for review at the end of the current year, at which time the faculty will decide whether to make the change permanent.