Senate to continue phys. ed. discussion

By Amanda Hunt

Arizona Daily Wildcat

The UA Faculty Senate will discuss a report about reorganizing the physical education program at today's continuation of the April 3 meeting.

The Faculty Senate Special Committee on the Reorganization of Exercise and Sport Sciences recently completed its report recommending that the program be saved from elimination.

The committee heard from more than 200 people through interviews and forums and examined the recommendations from the administration and the Strategic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee to gather information for the findings in the 30-page report. The report was submitted to University of Arizona President Manuel T. Pacheco Tuesday.

The Senate will decide whether to endorse the report today, said Malcolm Zwolinski, senate presiding officer. The Senate will not change the committee's recommendation, planning only to hear the rationale behind the recommendation and vote whether to support it or not, he said.

Claire Parsons, chair of the physical education committee, said she hopes the Senate will back the recommendation.

In an earlier interview with the Wildcat, Pacheco said that he does not know what action he will take on the report.

In February, Pacheco seconded Provost Paul Sypherd's recommendation to eliminate the physical education program by 1998. Both administrators supported the statement that the program is "not sufficiently central to the university's mission to justify devoting substantial resources to its support." The journalism and statistics departments were included in the proposed cuts.

Zwolinski said there will be a full agenda for the May 1 meeting, and the reports on statistics and journalism Ä two other threatened programs Ä are not expected to be available for that meeting. The senate will most likely discuss those reports at another continuation meeting in mid-May.

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