The status of Physical Education service programs in Utah’s colleges and universities

Authors

  • Steven R. Murray Physical Education Program, University of California, Berkeley
  • Melonie B. Murray School of Dance, University of Utah
  • Kristin J. Heumann Department of Kinesiology, Colorado Mesa University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56980/jkw.v10i.95

Keywords:

basic instruction programs, service programs, activity programs

Abstract

Physical education service programs on college and university campuses vary across the United States. In the 1920s some 97 percent of institutions required physical education for their students, and that requirement held strong, with some 84-87 percent of colleges and universities still requiring it as a graduation requirement up through the 1960s. In the last 60 years, that percentage has dropped to an estimated 39.5. To get a clearer picture of the current status of physical education service programs across the United States, analyzing offerings on a state-by-state basis is needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the status of physical education service programs in Utah’s colleges and universities by examining the specific requirements of each institution to get as detailed and as accurate results as possible. Of Utah’s 10 traditional institutions of higher education, all 10 (100%) offer physical education courses; 1 (10%) mandates a wellness course as a graduation requirement for all students, and 4 (40%) have physical education courses as requirements in specific majors. These results corroborate the current trend that required physical education programming is decreasing across the nation. Nonetheless, physical education service programs are robust in Utah’s colleges and universities, with a wide range of offerings. These data are useful for the leaders in kinesiology as well as campus administrators to support the continuation of physical education service programs, if not to champion requiring physical education on college and university campuses because of its known effectiveness in improving the health and wellness of students and alumni.

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Published

2021-12-21

How to Cite

Murray, S. R., Murray, M. B., & Heumann, K. J. (2021). The status of Physical Education service programs in Utah’s colleges and universities. Journal of Kinesiology & Wellness, 10, 86–97. https://doi.org/10.56980/jkw.v10i.95

Issue

Section

Articles: Volume 10 #1