In order to fulfill physical education requirements at Haverford, all non-varsity-athlete students must take the “Intro to Fitness” course sometime during their college career. A new option this year is “opting-out” of the class by an exam, which contains both written and physical portions. Students who pass the test and choose to opt-out are essentially exempt from attending the weekly or bi-weekly classes, though they will still receive credit.
“The opt-out option was created in response to student comments that the course material was redundant,” said Cory Walts, Fitness Center Director and Head Strength & Coordinator Coach. The course covers the fundamentals of physical well-being and fitness, primarily intended for students with little or a basic understanding of such topics.
“It’s completely justified that students who already know the material are exempt from the course,” Walts said. “I’ve been pretty impressed by the students who’ve been able to pass the exams.”
Though there is no definite way to prepare for the tests, students who are knowledgeable about fitness and health are encouraged to attempt to opt-out of the course. Over the course of three quarters, about 10-15 students decided to opt-out.
Although students who opt-out are not required to attend the class itself, they must attend sessions where other resources on campus, particularly CAPS, CCPA, OAR, and the Dining Center, give presentations. Additionally, those students must also submit three assignments: a literature review, an exercise log, which is to be completed during the length course, and a future exercise program.
“The test-out option was a godsend,” said Andrew Hutchens ’19. “I had much more flexibility and free time during my evenings.”
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