The Faculty Senate boycott of the University Recreation Center recently drew attention outside the Memphis area when it was mentioned in the January 2001 issue of Athletic Business magazine.
Athletic Business is a magazine that focuses on the business side of athletics and the particular column in which the U of M boycott was mentioned is directed at collegiate athletic directors.
Paul Steinbach, the author of the article, said the story was referred to him by an editor who had seen a mention of the U of M boycott online.
The Faculty Senate has been boycotting the Rec Center since Sept. 1, following a fee increase for faculty members.
Faculty Senate President Bill Gutzke said the Faculty Senate has no plans to end its boycott.
"Some people I've talked to don't care if they ever go back," Gutzke said. "Some faculty are going to places that charge more. The longer this goes on, the more this feeling will spread."
The Rec Center also refuses to budge on the issue.
"I don't think this is specifically aimed at us," said Jane Orcholski, program coordinator for Campus Recreation. "It's more like the straw that broke the camel's back. All the fee increases in other areas nullified the pay raises."
Orcholski also said the boycott is not huge source of worry for the Rec Center.
"There are faculty members enrolled," Orcholski said. "If you want to join, that's great. This is a student Rec Center."
Gutzke said the boycott is based on principle.
"The University wants us to interact with students outside of class and spend more time on campus to help retention rates, yet they want to charge us to do that," Gutzke said. "Why is that? Why penalize the faculty?
"The University raises prices on our health coverage, but there would be less insurance claims if we were in shape--we won't have a heart attack walking across campus," Gutzke said. "I don't see how this benefits The U of M at all."
Orcholski, however, insists that the boycott is old news and would rather focus on the new programs coming to the Rec Center.
"We're hosting free blood pressure screenings in February," Orcholski said.
Also on tap in the coming months are dance classes, personal training sessions, massage therapy and aerobics classes.
