The Department of Campus Recreation wants to provide a safe and secure system for students. It therefore has decided to change its fitness program policy to enhance participants’ and member’s satisfaction.

One change the Campus Recreation Center is embracing is expanding its participation and check-in policy for fitness classes in the hopes of limiting class sizes.

“We want to have the best environment possible for participants to enjoy themselves while participating in our programs,” Dean Bowen, the manager of fitness and wellness programming, said.

The policy applies to members including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members.

The Recreation Center placed limits on studio workout session attendance, making it a rule that no more than 45 participants can be enrolled in each class. A minimum of three participants are needed for classes to be held; low participation will result in removal of the class from the group fitness schedule.

Students are now required to register online for all classes. Registration is open 24 hours before the start of each fitness class. According to the Campus Recreation website, a fitness attendant will check each participant from a registration list.

Late participants are not allowed into the studio under these new policy changes. The Campus Recreation Staff members encourage students to arrive five minutes prior to the start of their classes.

“We want to be respectful of the instructor and participants who did arrive early or on time for the class and minimize the interruptions,” Bowen said.

And students with multiple absences can be restricted from participation in fitness classes.  There is no set number of absences allowed, but frequent fitness class registration without show may result in removal from fitness classes.

“We do reach out to the participants that continually register for group fitness classes and never show,” Bowen said.

The group fitness attendants ensure that class registration does not exceed the capacities based on square footage, according to Stony Brook University’s Fire Marshal.

The policy has been changed “due to the review of the group fitness class Statistics and the costs associated with staff payroll in light of strained operating budgets,” according to the Campus Recreation Center’s website.

“While certain classes need more equipment and participants, students need more personal space for movement,” Amanda Turnbull, the manager of fitness and wellness programming at the Department of Campus Recreation, said.  “The studios are limiting with those factors in mind.”

The staff payroll consists of fitness and wellness staff, including fitness instructors, personal trainers, fitness attendants and fitness and wellness coordinators and all other operating costs associated with having an average of 55 classes per week.

The majority of the staff payroll costs are paid by Stony Brook University students. The average cost to run the comprehensive fitness and wellness program is more than $65,000 for the calendar year, according to Turnbull.

The average cost also includes additional programs such as body fat testing, blood pressure screenings and special events.

The former campus recreation policy for the fitness classes was on a first come, first serve basis. The department of campus recreation requires participants to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of classes. Students will have more time to sign in and reserve a spot in a specific class.

“The center updated policy gives students more workout times and convenient workout schedules,” freshman health science major Nancy Ly said. “The technology is better and the atmosphere is great.”

The new participation and check-in policy is more strict than the former policy. The Department of Campus Recreation wants to offer a superior group fitness experience from the registration process to the completion of the fitness classes. The new campus recreation policies are more comprehensible and coherent.

“I think it’s a great idea that people can participate in fitness classes,” senior biology major Sanoara Mazid said. “People can hit the fitness center and it’s more versatile.”