Justification For Physical Education Essay

PROPOSAL TO LIMIT PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITY CREDITS IN THE BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Approved by the Curriculum/Policies Subcommittee, 1/24/12

Justification for the Physical Education (PE) Activity Maximum
The faculty believes that non-academic PE activity courses should be limited to 3 elective units in a student’s degree program to preserve the academic integrity of a UA degree.
A 3-unit maximum of PE activity electives in the bachelor’s degree is consistent with the 3-unit maximum for Success Courses.
The faculty supports the physical fitness of undergraduates; thus, students may take an unlimited number of PE activity courses at the UA or may transfer an unlimited number from regionally accredited institutions. All activity credits
will count toward earned units and class standing.
Students who transferred PE activity courses to the UA in the past 4 years (2008 – 2011) averaged no more than 3 PE units, so this proposal would not disadvantage transfer students.
The NCAA has set a limit of 2 PE activity units that can apply to a prospective transfer student athlete’s academic eligibility requirements—below the proposed UA maximum.
The proposed maximum is in line with limits on PE activity credits established by several UA peer institutions (e.g., UCLA, U. of Minnesota, UT-Austin, U. of Washington).

Proposal to amend two Catalog policies (additions in red font):

Graduation Averages and Credit Requirements, http://catalog.arizona.edu/2011-12/policies/gradavg.htm
Elective Credit Maximums:
No more than three (3) Physical Education activity credits and no more than three (3) Success Course credits [link to definition] will apply as general elective credit toward a bachelor’s degree.

Acceptability of Undergraduate Transfer Credit, http://catalog.arizona.edu/2011-12/policies/acceptcr.htm
Remedial, vocational, technical, highly specialized and personal development courses are not accepted for credit.
Physical education (PE) activity courses are accepted for credit; however, no more than three (3) PE activity credits will apply as general electives toward the student’s degree.
Proficiency or competency credit-by-exam earned at another college or university is non-transferable.
Management of the Physical Education (PE) Activity
Limit
The Registrar’s Office designates all transferable PE activity courses as “PE Elective” (with a requirement designation of “PE”) when accepted for credit in UAccess, so that these transfer courses can be monitored in total degree units.
Per the Registrar’s Office, PE activity courses are defined as traditional team or individual sports or physical fitness activities. Students may file a Transfer Credit Appeal with the Registrar’s Office, if they believe that an activity course from a regionally accredited institution should be accepted for credit after it was initially denied.
When UA departments propose physical education activity courses (for non-majors), those will be given a “PE” requirement designation that can be monitored and limited by UAccess.
PE activity courses may only apply as general electives; they may not apply to General Education or to the minor; the decision to apply activity courses to the major resides with the student’s College or Major Department.
The Student Academic Advisement Report will display any excess (>3) units of PE activity course work, just as it shows excess units of Success Course work, on the page where the limit is stated.
Effective Term: Summer 2012, the policy will replace the 7/14/11 Interim Policy on Physical Education Transfer Credit; it will be effective for incoming, readmitted, and continuing undergraduates.
C. Pardee, 1/31/12