Members of the Campus Life Council unanimously approved a resolution requesting Student Affairs funding to improve residence hall workout facilities at their Monday meeting.
The resolution will now be submitted for review University Vice President of Student Affairs Father Mark Poorman.
This is the first resolution the Campus Life Council (CLC) has passed this academic year.
Student senators have clamored for improvements to dorm facilities, claiming RecSports facilities such as the Rockne Memorial and Rolfs Sports Recreation Center have reached maximum capacity.
Senior Mariana Montes, chair of the Senate Residential Life Committee, spearheaded the project. Research for the resolution began in April 2007.
"If we had more [workout facilities] in dormitories," Montes said, "it would alleviate capacity in RecSports facilities."
Montes added that CLC initially asked RecSports to increase spending on in-dorm equipment, including cardiovascular machines and free weights. RecSports, however, was unwilling to negotiate the budget, she said.
Dorm improvement funds are not sufficient to cover the expenses of facilities, Montes said.
Badin rector Sister Denise Lyon echoed this claim, noting that gym costs include maintaining as well as purchasing equipment.
One of the few ways to maintain dorm workout facilities is to increase hall taxes, Lyon said.
Knott rector Brother Jerome Meyer said the Office of Residence Life and Housing gives rectors the responsibility of finding workout machines for their dorms.
"If people plan, knowing at the beginning of the year what they want [regarding workout equipment], they will eventually get it," he said.
Knott Hall obtained all the equipment for its workout room through the matching funds program for elective dorm expenses. Rectors can apply for up to $1500 of funding, two third of which will come from the University and one third which will come from the Hall Presidents Council.
Meyer urged members to approve a resolution to fund dorm workout facilities that is not tied to matching funds.
Montes suggested rectors submit surveys to students inquiring what kinds of improvements they want from their dorm's matching funds to be spent. She asked whether matching funds were sufficient for improvement on dormitory workout facilities.
Student government vice president Maris Braun, a member of the Task Force on Student Development, suggested there should be alternate funding sources, such as a fund solely to improve workout facilities.
Gustavo Gari, a member of the Task Force on Community Relations, argued the resolution should simply acknowledge the shortcomings of current workout facilities.
"We just need to address the issue that facilities are inadequate," Gari said.
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