A bill enabling Texas Woman’s University to charge students a new fitness and recreation fee has been approved by the Texas Legislature and is being forwarded to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

HB 902, filed by Rep. Myra Crownover (R-Denton), gives TWU the authorization to charge the new fee - approved by a TWU student referendum in spring 2006 — starting with the spring 2008 semester.

"This is an exciting time for TWU, the students, as well as community," Rep. Crownover said. "I applaud both the students and university on their desire and hard work to make this vision a reality. Growth in mind and body are imperative, and through state-of-the-art amenities the rec center will prove to be a tremendous addition to a growing TWU campus."

The new fee will cost no more than $75 per semester for a fall, spring or a 12-week summer session. It will cost no more than $37.50 for semesters that are fewer than 12 weeks in length.

"The fee had the overwhelming support of our students," TWU Chancellor and President Dr. Ann Stuart said. "Now we can offer students even more services to promote healthy bodies and minds."

In spring 2006 during TWU student government elections, students voted in favor of a new fitness and recreation fee to build, operate, maintain and program fitness and recreation facilities at all TWU campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston.

"We worked so hard on the referendum last year, which passed with a huge majority," Christianne Kellett, TWU's student regent and TWU Student Government Association president for 2007-2008, said. "The new fee will be beneficial not only for current students, but future students and the future of the university because it puts us in a different league in terms of fitness and recreation and what the students will be able to do."

The new TWU fitness and recreation fee will pay for:

• A new or expanded Fitness and Recreation Center in Denton
• Maintaining the fitness and recreation facilities on all TWU campuses
• Equipping fitness and recreation facilities on all TWU campuses
• Staffing fitness and recreation facilities on all TWU campuses
• Fitness and recreation services and programs on all TWU campuses

Currently, a portion of the TWU student service fee funds fitness and recreation at the university. The student service fee is an umbrella fee, which means that many services and programs are funded from it, such as athletics, the counseling center, student government, the student newspaper, etc.

Dr. Richard Nicholas, TWU vice president for student life, said that students will not be double charged, because the fitness and recreation fee will be subtracted from the student services fee.

"Our current facility at Jones Hall on the Denton campus is more than 20-years-old and cramped, with students often having to wait for access to a machine or arriving to find there is not enough space for them in a group exercise class," Dr. Nicholas said. "Our goal is to eventually build a state-of-the-art fitness center that includes cardio-vascular exercise equipment, strength training machines, free weights and group exercise rooms."

The proposed expansion could also include a climbing wall; gymnasiums for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and badminton; and an outdoor adventure program for the renting of camping equipment, safe and inexpensive trips, leadership development and the teaching of lifetime skills.

The target date for opening new facilities on the Denton campus is 2009.

In addition to a new fitness and recreation facility in Denton, the fee also impacts campuses in Dallas and Houston.

The fee will be used to pay for and maintain the equipment in the fitness center in the proposed new TWU Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center. It also will be used to provide services such as group exercise classes and intramurals to students in Dallas and to improve upon the existing facilities and services as needed.

In Houston, the fee will help equip, staff and maintain the fitness center included in the new TWU Houston Institute of Health Sciences-Houston Center, which opened in August, 2006.