RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Troy, New York December l2, 1944 Dear Fellow Member of the College Physical Education Association; Recently our Dean of Students wrote me that the American Council on Education has recommended that returning veterans, who have completed basic military training, be given credit for . physical education. He also wrote that the War Department has asked him whether the Institute intends to implement the recommendation, The Dean notified the War Department that the matter has not yet been considered by the Institute. The Dean suggested, "that we had better let the matter rest until. we know more definitely where we stand. Because the advance guard of veterans has already ar- rived in some collerés, including ours, the staff in the Physical Education Department at his Institute feels that now is the time to study and take action on this issuc,. Iam attaching a copy of our reply to the Dean's letter, giving several reasons why we do not believe veterans should be exempt from physical education. We also sent a copy to interested members of our faculty, as well as to some other members of the College Physical Education Assocfation, se eho expect colleges to schedule physical. education classes for veterans during their entire stay in-college. We. believe, however, that they should fulfill the requirements in physical education that is recommended for other students, as in- . dicated in the attached letter, Yours very sincerely, Ata, Gy. Van Uecker. Harry A. Van Velsor, : Director of Physical Education. RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION TROY, NEW YORK December 12, 1944 Dr. Ray Palmer Baker Dean of Students Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York Dear Dr. Baker: You informed me in your letter of November 8 that, at a recent meeting, the American Council on Education went on record as recommending that veterans going to college, who have completed Army basic training, should be given credit for physical education. The Association of Colleges and Universities also gave its unan- imous approval of this recommendation. You said that the members believe "that veterans who will be older than ordinary civilian students and who, in most cases, have exercised authority as com- missioned officers, will resent the assumption that they are not competent to determine what exercise and recreation they should take, Since the transition will be difficult at best, the weight of opinion favors the removal of what appears to be a psychological obstacle that is likely to be unfortunate. It was recommended by these educational bodies that the recreation for veterans be placed on a purely voluntary basis." The physical education staff at Rensselacr Polytechnic Institute has advanced the following reasons why veterans should not be exempt from physical education: A RECREATIONAL PROGRAM IS BEST SUITED FOR VETERANS ~ + It is not the intention of the physical education staff at this Institute to give veterans a repetition of the army or navy basic physical training course. The nature of the course for veterans would be entirely recreational and the activities elective. At this Institute, where we have a varicty of recreational facil- ities, the veterans could elect either handball, swimming, bag punching, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis or softball. The only request made would be thet they. attend Regularly and at a eomeiried time? =. ° : = , te ‘the reaction of the few present veterans now tine physical education is a criterion of the attitude of future veterans, we feel that none will take a positive’ stand egainst an interesting, beneficial, compulsory recreational program such a8 we are ina position to give. The ‘few. members of the advance guard of. eterdhs who are now here enjoy their activities. ace oe Le , VOLUNTARY vs COMPULSORY PHYSICAL EDUCATION . If physical “education were placed on a voluntary basis, those veterans who need ‘physical recreation most would not take ade vantage of it. Also, many of the physicall y fit would exercise only irregularly, We must safefuard this latter group from a sudden tet dowm in physical training and a resultant physical softening-up. Dr. Bilik, a physician and physiotherapist, with thirty years exe perience in physical education, now in charge of rehabilitation in a large Army hospital, has this to say e "Under normal circumstances very few men voluntarily participate in physical. education, It almost appears that you haye to be born with some sort of a hormone in the body that compels you to exercise, I have never been suce cessful in inducing anyone to adhere to constant Dy #t cad, education," LACK OF TRAINING IN PHYSICAL SKILIS | Je Those ‘veterans whe were in college before going ‘into the service had a “skills” program there, The majority of veterans,. however, are going to college for the first time. Many of these have no athletic skills due to the peor physical facilities of the high school attended. While in the service they were taught few, if any, athletic skills which could now be used in college, Physical training in the military camps is a toughening process, It consists princinally of calisthenics and running over and under obstacles. The average college physical education pro- gram, on the other hand, offers such skills as basketball, hardball, volleyball, tennis, softball, swimming, etc. - skills that can be enjoyed not only during their undergraduate days but later in life. This lack of athletic skills will deter many vetcrans from using the physical education department. Since people like to do the things thoy do well, these unskilled veterans will not enjoy the activities in which they are always beaten, In physical edu- cation we try and get our students out of the "dub" class in each sport befoke we put thom on thcir own, Time should be made aveilable during school hours when these veterans may be given instruction in any chosen skill so they may become proficient enough to want to return to the physical education building as long as they are in the Institute, COMMISSIONED OFFICERS' RESPONSE TO AUTHORITY There will be very fow officers coming to the Institute who have not fulfilled our requirement of two years of physical education. Many will be our own previous students and we know that they will not resent the authority of their "old" instructors, Those officers who were not former students of this Institute will not be "ordered around", as is necessary in a basic physical train- ing course, All officers will be notified that they are to fulfill the physical education requirements by attending a recreational class on specified days, and at a certain hour, for clective ac- tivities. AVAILABILITY OF ATHLETIC FACILITIES If physical education wore voluntary for veterans, many would take advantage of our athletic facilitics. They would use our basketball and handball courts and swimming pool, but they | would of necessity use these facilitics after school... Unfortunately, at that time, especially from 5 to 6 P.M., all of our athletic facilities are strained. At this Institute we have two years of compulsory physical education. This is supplemcnted by a comprehensive intra- mural program. One purpose of this program is to provide recreation for juniors and seniors. Freshmen and sophomores are also cligible for this competition. The result is that our facilities are over- crowded after school. If we add to our present load several hundred veterans who will occasionally use our facilities after school, it might be impossible to accommodate all groups. One solution is to stagger the load throughout the day. INDIVIDUAL'S CHOICE OF AMOUNT AND KIND OF RECREATION We beliove that many individuals are not competent to determine what exercise and amount of recreation they should have. They will readily admit that exercise is good for thom; that they feel better after competition; that it has psychological, social as well as physical values, — If physical education wore made optional, many would put off taking exercise regularly and only a few would receive these recognised benefits. This statement is evidenecd by an order issued by the Commanding Officer of a V-12 unit. He requested that all his officers and enlisted personnel under his command participate in some form of physical recreation three times a weck. When some of these officers were interviewed by the writer, they acknowledged that they were in necd of exercise. Their reason for not taking it was because they got out of the habit. By nature the human animal is lazy when it comes to teking exercise regularly. He just has to be ordered to take it, REMEDIAL EXERCISES AND PEYSIOTHERAPY FOR VETERANS It is expected that some veterans will need special body building exercises and physiotherapy. In this Institute, where we have the facilities for this work, the best time to give veterans special exercises, heat and massage would be during the period scheduled for their physical cducation, It would be impossible for us to give attention to in- dividual veterans or to small groups efter school. At this time, Mr. Knight, our trainer, is working with injured athletes giving them heat treatments, diathermy, massage and bandaging. TEMPORARY EXCUSES FOR VETERANS As now evidenced, some veterans are finding it difficult to finish their daily assignments. Some have asked that their burden be reduced.. When students are excused from physical education tem- porarily, we have found it difficult to get some of them to return and also to make up their absences until pressure has been put upon them. One purpose of physical cducation is to give young men a little regular exercise severel times a weck to keep them physically and mentally keen and healthy. If we excuse veterans temporarily and permit them to crowd their physical education into a short space of time just to fulfill the requirements, we are dee feating this purpose. | CREDITS FOR ARMY COURSES It is hoped that the American Council on Education has not singled out physical education as the only subject for veteran exemption. Many veterans going to college have taken other courses in the Army and Navy, some of which might parallel those in col- leges, If veterans receive credit for these courses, we feel that the American Council on Education has a point in recommending that veterans be given credit for their physical training course in the service. However, physical cducation is not a subject that can be learned once and dropped. It must bo a continuing experience IF IT IS TO ACCOMPLISH ITS PURPOS!. oe sore : if it becomes imperative for a slow learing veteran to drop physical education for the benefit of his studies, it is héped that he will make good use of this extra time and will not spend it in the Club House, playing pool, cards, listening to the radio, or i. ee Scot ee EO eee ees | The physical education staff at this Institute respect fully requests that the curriculum committee seriously consider the advisability of having all future veterans, unless excused by the college physician, report resularly for physical education which will be in the form of recreation, * Harry As Van Velsor