University of Virginia Library

Faculty Rejects Motion
Allowing PE Degree Credit

By Donn Kessler
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Faculty of the College of Arts and
Sciences last Tuesday took a long step
towards banning degree credit in the
College for physical education courses in
the Education School by rejecting a
resolution allowing College students to
apply such courses toward their degree.

The discussion on the issue began with
the presenting of three resolutions to the
faculty by William Abbot, chairman of
the Committee on Curriculum and
Educational Policy.

The first committee resolution stated
that a College student could "present two
semester hours of Service Physical Education
(gym) to satisfy requirements for a degree."

The resolution continued that "no physical
education courses other than service physical
education will carry credit toward a degree."
The effect of the resolution would ban
all degree credit for physical education in the
Education School.

Two Types

Mr. Abbot differentiated between two types
of physical education. He stated that service
physical education was that type conducted by
the Physical Education Department. The
second type was 'professional' physical
education courses conducted by the Education
School.

In addition, the Abbot resolution would
allow only pass-fail grades for the service
physical education courses and would include
the credits within the fifteen hours outside of
the College that a student can apply towards his
degree.

Service Physical Education

Finally, the Abbot resolution stated that
service physical education would be "listed in
the undergraduate catalog as a part of the
College's course offerings and would be under
the supervision of the Dean of the College."

Immediately after the presentation of the
Abbot resolution, Robert Huskey and
Theodore Wright of the Biology Department
proposed a substitute motion.

The substitute resolution differed from the
Abbot resolution in that it allowed students to
take physical education courses in the
Education School for degree credit.

In addition, the substitute motion asked the
President of the University to "establish the
Department of Physical Education as a
university-wide department outside of any
specific school or college as of June 1971."

Last spring, during faculty reform of the
College curriculum, the faculty ended the
no-credit service physical education
requirement for all College students.

The faculty at that time received a
committee resolution that service physical
education be allowed two degree credit hours in
the College The faculty sent the proposal back
to committee and the committee made their
request again during last Tuesday's meeting.

In a debate over the two motions, James Cole
of the Chemistry Department stated that the
motions concerned two issues. One issue was to
allow a limited credit for service physical
education courses.

Closing Loophole

The other issue, he explained, was closing
the loophole that allowed students to receive
degree credit for health and safety, coaching,
and sport and game courses in the School of
Education.

Irby Cauthen, Dean of the College, stated
that although the Dean is supposed to approve
all courses taken for degree credit outside of
the College, his office could not check every
student's record and some students had insisted
on taking 15 hours of physical education
courses in the Education School.

Donald MacInnis of the Music Department
stated that incorporation of the Department of
Physical Education Department into the
College could raise problems on faculty rules,
promotions, and tenure.

Robert Harris of the Government
Department then moved to amend the
substitute motion to read that "no physical
education courses other than service physical
education could carry credit toward a degree" in
the College.

The amendment was passed. This made the
establishment of a physical education
department separate from the College and the
listing of the department's courses in the
college catalogue the only two points of
difference between the two motions.

Third Resolution

Robert Kretsinger of the Biology
Department then proposed a third resolution
that would allow "no degree credit for any
physical education course." The motion was
defeated 28-14.

A vote was then taken on the substitute
motion. The resolution failed 21-15.

Before a vote could be taken on the Abbot
resolution, Mr. Haskey stated that a quorum
was not present.

John Sullivan, the Parliamentarian of the
Faculty, stated that no more votes could be
taken but that any votes already taken before
the call for a quorum would stand.

One professor noted after the meeting that
the Abbot motion would probably be voted
upon during the next faculty meeting in
December.

Additional Resolutions

In addition to the resolution on physical
education, the Abbot committee presented two
other resolutions. One called for a reduction in
the number of hours outside the College that
could be applied to a degree from 15 to 12.

The other resolution stated that "pluses
and minuses recorded by the registrar would be
given no numerical value-in the computing of
grade point averages."