Group+Three+09s

**__ SERVICE IMPROVEMENT CONSULTING FIRM__**

P.O. Box 74 Newark, DE 19711 (302) 831-5555

April 20, 2009

Barry Miller Interim Assoc. Director- Athletics & Recreation UD Program Office 160B Carpenters Sports Building Newark, DE 19711

Dear Mr. Miller:

It has come to the attention of our consulting firm that the UD Fitness Program is currently seeking a solution to some issues concerning the fitness services being offered to students at the University of Delaware. The Service Improvement Consulting firm believes that we have the expertise and skills to perform and analyze the proper research needed to discover the best plan to make the necessary improvements. The enclosed proposal provides and overview of how our services could improve the fitness program and determine the specifc changes that will be the most beneficial to the UD fitness program.

The proposal outlines how we plan to approach our research and development, along with a brief summary of our expertise and project consulting rates. We have also included a schedule of activities that we will perform for you throughout the proect development.

If there any additional questions regarding the proposal, please feel free to telephone our offices. I look forward to hearing from you and hope to be working with you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Dawn Delle Bovi Program Improvement Specialist 

 
 * //PROPOSAL// **

**__Introduction :__** The current exercise facilities being offered to students at the University of Delaware are in need of improvement. The main issue with the facilities is that they are not big enough for the amount of students who wish to utilize them. Unfortunately the current location of the main student gym at the Little Bob does not have any available surrounding space to expand the size of the building. We feel that if the proper research is done, a solution to this problem can be developed and implemented by the university. Our goal is to reach a solution that will lead to the university offering facilities that will more efficiently meet the needs of the students by having the ability to handle a higher usage amount.

**__Background of Problem: __** The primary problem with the university’s exercise facilities is that they are unable to serve the amount of students that want to use them. The university has four different student gyms located on campus. Our main focus will be on the biggest facility, The Hen House, located in the center of campus. In addition to the Hen House, the campus also has three smaller gyms located near the student dormitories: the Rodney Fitness Center, the Harrington Fitness Center, and the Independence Fitness Center.

The Hen House is the only gym opened seven days a week; it is also the only gym that is open before 12 p.m. Additionally, of the three smaller gyms, Independence is the only one that operates on weekends. The lack of hours offered by the smaller gyms limits their use and forces students to all use the Hen House and leads to that facility becoming over crowded at times. If the Hen House were bigger it would be able to handle the high volumes of users during these times when the other gyms are not open. However, the current location does not have enough surrounding area to expand the building

Another issue we plan to investigate is the equipment utilized in the facilities and if there may be more efficient machines that can replace the old ones and offer more space to add additional ones. Many of the more modern exercise machines offer more alternative uses and combine the exercise activities that previously were found in separate pieces of equipment.

**__Objectives: __** <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255,255,255);">Our objective is to determine the best plan to offer more exercise facilities to students and to improve the current facilities so that they can serve a larger number<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"> <span style="color: rgb(0,0,255);"> of students at one time. By understanding the specific problem areas currently present within the university's facilities and the exercise needs of the students, we will search for the solution that will offer the most benefits in comparison to its costs. <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"> By the end of our research we will be able to develop a plan which may involve one or more of the following: eliminating facilities, extending facility hours, relocating the main gym, and replacing current equipment with more efficient, modern equipment. Other options may present themselves during the research process. The end result will be a more efficient fitness program for university students.<span style="color: rgb(0,0,255);"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(64,64,64);">Procedures: __** <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. We will meet with you and the fitness coordinators to discuss: //-What specific equipment is currently being used in each facility and the frequency with which each type of equipment is used - The hours and days that the facilities are used most by students - The staff requirements needed for operation and the current availability of gym employees - The reason for the lack of operating hours at the smaller gyms// 2. We will conduct a survey of 50 university students that utilize the gym facilities. An email will be sent out to members of the student body with an attached link for students to access the survey. Students polled will be part of the UD greek life. The survey will determine: //- Most popular days and times students attend the gym - Which facility locations they attend most and why - Which equipment and exercises are most popular - Students' overall satisfaction with gym facilities//. 3. We will determine which equipment can be replaced with newer multi-functional machines in order to eliminate the amount of equipment needed. We will also calculate the amount of space created after eliminating this equipment that can be used for additional equipment that has the highest usage 5. We will analyze the student survey and determine what exercise location and hours students prefer most; and then we will explore the possibility of closing down facilities rarely used and using the staff of those facilities in order to extend the operating hours of the more popular locations. 6. We will research possible locations to build a new exercise facility and the costs and time required to do so.<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"> 7. We will closely examine the benefits and costs of building a new facility in a new location, replacing equipment, and eliminating a particular facility. We will then create and present to you: <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(64,64,64);">//<span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255,255,255);">- A list of suggested equipment purchases that will be the most cost effective and will utilize the available space best - Our suggested actions with a detailed overview of why we are suggesting and the costs and benefits involved with it // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">
 * __<span style="color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(255,0,0);">

<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Our company has successfully provided project research and development services for 25 years to numerous organizations in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. We work with mostly larger organizations, such as colleges and universities, to create or improve various programs operated by the organization. We have assisted several universities in developing and implementing plans to improve services offered to students. A list of our past and present clients is available upon request. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(64,64,64);">**__<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(64,64,64);">Budget: __**<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Since the research in analyzing, we propose that the final cost of our services will equal $560. This number is subject to change based upon the actual amount of time involved with this project requires limited funds to implement, we will charge only a daily rate for the time and effort put forth towards our research. Based on an $80 per day of labor fee and an estimation of a total of 7 days throughout the next three weeks required to complete research and develop plans. If you decide to continue use of our service throughout the implementation of our suggested solution, additional fees will be charged. Schedule: __**<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif;">Week of 4/20-4/27 <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">-<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Initial meeting with fitness coordinators //<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Develop and conduct Student Survey //<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">//<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Collect information on functions and costs of various exercise equipment //<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Week of 4/28- 5/5 //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Determine equipment replacement suggestions //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> //<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Analyze student survey results // <span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">//<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Research costs and time requirements, as well as possible locations for building a new gym facility // <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Week of 5/6-5/13 <span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Analyze costs and benefits of different options and determine the best plan //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> //<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Present UD fitness coordinators with our finalized suggested actions with a report to back up our decision //<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">
 * __<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(64,64,64);">Record of Service: __** <span style="font-size: 9.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">
 * __<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(255,255,255); font-family: Georgia,serif; background-color: rgb(64,64,64);">

<span style="display: block; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**__SERVICE IMPROVEMENT CONSULTING FIRM__**

P.O. Box 74 Newark, DE 19711 (302) 831-555 <span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">May 22, 2009

Barry Miller Interim Assoc. Director- Athletics & Recreation UD Program Office 160B Carpenters Sports Building Newark, DE 19711

Dear Mr. Miller:

Enclosed is the University of Delaware's Student Fitness Program Improvements Report. The report includes a detailed description of the research performed, as well as an analysis of the data collected. The report also provides our firm's recommended plans for your department in order to improve the facilities.

Our recommendations are based on data collected from student surveys and a careful examination of the university's current facilities and operations. Our team has used this data to determine specific problems and the methods available to eliminate these problems.

Our research and analysis provided in the report will prove that our recommendations could greatly benefit the university in terms of student recruitment and satisfaction. If you have any questions please feel free to call our offices. We hope that we will continue working with you in the near future to implement our suggested plan.

Sincerely,

Dawn Delle Bovi Program Improvement Specialist

_

= REPORT =

<span style="display: block; font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 200%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE'S STUDENT FITNESS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS**

Prepared for University of Delaware's Athletic & Recreation Department

Report Distributed: May 22, 2009


 * Service Improvement Consulting Firm**

Prepared by: Dawn Delle Bovi, Erick Martinez, Brian Murtagh, & Daniel Jonathan


 * __ Table of Contents __**

1. Abstract

2. Introduction

3. Procedure

4. Results

5. Recommendations

<span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">6. Appendix


 * 1. __ABSTRACT:__

The focus of our research is to identify possible ways to improve the fitness facilities here at UD. Currently, more students want to use the facilities than can be presently served. We conducted our research in two principal ways, with interviews and also a survey/questionnaire. The first interview was a meeting with the graduate assistant for the Carpenter Sports Building, to discuss the potential options for the future of the UD fitness facilities. The second interview was a meeting with the fitness coordinator for UD fitness, to discuss some specific aspects of the Hen House gym facility and also discuss future options. We then distributed a survey amongst students to determine how they feel about UD fitness facilities, specifically the Hen House, and to explore some options for improving the UD facilities.<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"> **


 * __ REPORT __**

**2.** __ **INTRODUCTION** :__ <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> “I’m sorry, there is a line right now. It is one in, one out. We are at capacity.” This is a reoccurring scenario at the University of Delaware gym facilities over the past 4 years. It is time to find a solution to this problem and finally cater to the students at this campus. We at Service Improving Consulting Firm have visited the University of Delaware gym facilities, particularly the Bob Carpenter Sports Building, to research the issue of space and equipment management, and devise a solution to one of the major issue to college students within this campus.

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The fitness facilities and services currently offered to students at the University of Delaware are in need of improvements to better serve the students. The main issue with the facilities is its' inability to serve the amount of students that which to utilize it. The university offers students four different exercise facilities on campus: the Carpenters Sports Building, the Rodney Fitness Center, the Harrington Fitness Center, and the Independence Fitness Center. The Carpenters Sports Building, located in the center of campus, is the largest of the four facilities. The building contains a swimming pool, four basketball courts, five raquetball courts, one squash court, an employee fitness center, and the Hen House student fitness center. This report will focus on the 5,000 sq.ft. Hen House. The three additional fitness centers are much smaller in size and are not as frequently used by students. The majority of students utilize the Hen House because of its size and location. The three smaller facilities are meant to serve students living in the dormatories located a substantial distance from the core of campus. Independence is the newest of the facilities and has the most up to date equipment available. Rodney is the oldest of these facilties, offers the fewest machines, and incurs the least amount of student use.

The Hen House offers three main types of exercise equipment: cardio machines, free-weights, and muscle fitness machines. The three smaller gyms offer a variation of this type of equipment, but on a smaller scale. (<span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">//Refer to Appendix 1A)//. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Hen House is the only gym on campus that opens before 12 p.m. and operates seven days a week. Of the three smaller facilities, Independence is the only one that offers any weekend hours. (//Refer to Appendix 1B)//. (University of Delaware: UD Fitness Center). As mentioned above, the Hen House covers 5,000 sq.ft. It is required that for every 50 student occupants that there be at least one employee working. There are usually two employees working, and at times only one, during the operating hours. Therefore, the fitness center can only hold 100 students at one time. In addition, the gym operates about 14 hours per day. So if it is assumed that one student spends approximately an hour using the fitness center, the facility can only serve 1,400 students per day. (Klimik) This number makes up only 7% of the entire student body at UD. The Hen House also offers group classes to students such as yoga, spin, zumba, pilates, kickboxing, and weight training. These classes can hold up to 50 students for one class and are held Sunday through Friday//. (Refer to Appendix 1C).// So far this academic year about 6,000 students have participated in at least one of these classes (Klimik).

Health and fitness concerns are becoming more and more popular amongst our society, so it is important that the University offer facilities that are of equal or higher quality than those offered at competeing colleges and universities. According to "The Impact of Facilities on Recruitment and Retention of Students" out of 16 possible facilities typically found on college campuses, exercise facilities was ranked number six as a facility surveyed students were most concerned about ( The Impact of Facilities on Recruitment and Retention For Students ). Currently, Penn State, one of UD's leading competitors, offers two facilities that are triple the size of the Hen House ("The Official Site for Penn State Weight Lifting, Aerobic and Cardiovascular Training"). If the university fails to improve their facilities they could risk losing potential enrollments in the future. <span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
 * 3. __PROCEDURE:__**

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Our research to this problem occurred in three stages, with a visit to both the graduate assistant and director of the gym facilities, Laura Jane Penneys and Christine Climik, and following up with a survey based on these two meetings. The purpose of the survey was to determine what the students at the University of Delaware thought of the facility issues addressed in these meetings. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In our meeting on April 18, 2009, with the Graduate Assistant for the Carpenter Sports Building, Laura Jane Penneys, we discussed some of the major goals for the University of Delaware fitness program for the future. During our discussion, we primarily focused on the Carpenter Sports Building as a whole. The discussion touched on the dimensions of the entire building, focusing primarily on the Hen House, the most popular times and dates of gym usage by both the student and faculty body, the different gym facility locations around campus, staff requirements at all gymnasiums, and reasoning for a lack of operating areas at the smaller gyms around campus.

On May 12, 2009, we met with the Fitness coordinator for the Bob Carpenter Sports Building, Christine Klimik, to discuss the specifics of the Hen House to see what was present in the weight room and aerobics rooms specifically. Questions posed during this discussion focused on the most popular equipment and exercises used in the gym, the functions of all of the equipment in the Carpenter Sports Building, and if there has been any research done by the employees of the Carpenter Sports Building on equipment that combines the functions of various machines to reduce space issues in the gym. We also discussed the available space in the Fitness Center, other services offered, and some general points about the facilitiy's operation.

For the third stage of our research we created and distributed an online survey. There were 50 invitations (note: 50 was the max) sent out to Greek life organizations <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">and 35 responded. The survey was aimed to gather information about user preference to gain a better understanding of what the user expects from the university facility. (//Refer to Appendix 2A for survey questions and results).//

In addition to the steps mentioned above, we also independently researched UD's facilities, as well as other university facilities, using internet sources. We also examined universities that have recenetly improved their facilities and the actions they took to do so. By analyzing the information gained through our research, we were able to determine what the main problems are with the fitness facilities and what areas need the most improvement. After analyzing the data we developed possible solutions that will be discussed in the remainder of this report.


 * 4. __RESULTS:__ **

//APRIL 18, 2009 MEETING WITH LAURA JANE PENNEYS, GRADUATE ASSISTANT://

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In our meetings with Graduate Assistant, Laura Jane Penneys we focused on the future of the fitness program at the University under two possible conditions. One condition was considering the economy striking back to a normal level, allowing for the University to be able to come out of its almost spending freeze to support upgrades to the campus. The other condition was considering the economy remaining the way it is now, with the the University not being able to spend the amount it needs to properly fix the issues faced by its fitness program.

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">According to Ms. Penneys, if the University of Delaware had the money to spend, the ultimate goal for the fitness program is to build a new, larger, and more modernized sports complex on campus. Currently, the Bob Carpenter Sports Building is greatly lacking in space, and limits what the staff can do within to accommodate the 17,000+ students that have the option of using the building on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is presently, this option does not look feasible for the near future. Ms. Penney was also able to provide a general overview of attendance records at each of the gym complexes on campus, which are carried out every hour of operation by staff. According to these records, there is a great difference in the number of students who use each of the gym facilities on campus. Most of the student body uses either the Bob Carpenter Sports Building or the Independence Gym for its daily workout, with a very small amount of students using the Rodney gym. This is most likely due to a lack of space and adequate equipment. According to Ms. Penneys the time frame where most student are going to the gym is during the afternoon hours from 3-7 PM. In addition, she also noted that the gym equipment that is present at the Harrington gym, which is used by a decent amount of students, is very out of date and inefficient. The equipment takes up a lot of space and each machine only serves for one exercise purpose. (Penneys).

//MAY 12, 2009 MEETING WITH CHRISTINE KLIMIK, FITNESS COORDINATOR, BOB CARPENTER SPORTS BUILDING//

In our meeting with Christine Klimik we discussed the facilities and services currently offered to students at the Bob Carpenter Sports Builiding, as well as the equipment in all four fitness centers on campus. She provided us with some basic facts concerning these facilities: <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(Klimik).
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Size of Hen House//: 5,000 sqare feet
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Number of Cardio Machines//:*
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Hen House: 40
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Independence: 29
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Harrington: 27
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Rodney: 19
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Number of Muscle Fitness Machines:*//
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Hen House: 14
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Independence: 12
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Harrington: 15
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Rodney: 0
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Hen House Fitness Classes Offered to Students:*//
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Yoga
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Pilates
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Spin
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Kickboxing
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Cardio Muscle
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Zumba
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Buts & Guts
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Women Weight Training
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Free Abs
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Boot Camp
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Body Conditioning
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Approximate Number of Students that have Participated in Fitness Classes so far for 2008-09 Academic Year:// 6,000
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Hen House Staffing Requirements:// 1 employee for every 50 students occupants (usually 2 employees working at one time)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Approximate Hen House Maximum Capacity for One Day:// 1,400 students per day

//<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">*A further breakdown of this data can be found in Appendix 1 //

//<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">STUDENT SURVEY: //

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">The survey results provide information about the usage preference from Hen House attendees. It's findings back up what the interviews have stated and provide extra information on how to allocate certain equipment in the gym. The entire questionnaire, including the results, can be found in Appendix B. Some information provided by the surveys include:


 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Number of times per week most students attend the Hen House:// 2-3 times/week (40%) and 3-4 times/week (37.14%)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Time of day most students attend the gym//: Afternoon (51.3%)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Cardio machine that the lowest percentage of students prefer//: Rowing Machine (2.86%)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//How often most students find the Hen House too crowded:// Always (25.7%), Very Often (45.7%), Sometimes (25.7%)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Recreational area most students would like to see improved//: Adding additional basketball courts (37.14%)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Exercise areas most students would like to see improved:// Free weight area (40%) and Cardio area (22.86%)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">//Percentage who have or have considered joining a gym off-campus//: 65.71%

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Through this information we were able to draw conclusions about what areas and operations need to be addressed and further examined. First, it is important to note that the majority of respondents already have or have considered joining off-campus gyms. This proves that changes to the facilities are absolutely necessary. It is also important to know that the Hen House's highest volume is in the afternoon and it can be assumed that this is when students are finding the facility over-crowded. The results also support the assumption that the main issue with the facility is that there is not enough space, thus leading to over-crowding. In addition, the survey results suggest that the areas requiring the most improvements are the free-weight area and the cardio area. Another concept to keep in mind is that treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals are the preferred cardio machines. There are other cardio machines like the rowing machine and steppers that take up considerable amount of space and are not used often. Finally, the results suggests that there is a lack of basketball courts since just under 40% of the respondents said they wanted to add more courts. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">** 5. __RECOMMENDATIONS:__ **

By analyzing the survey results and the information obtained in the two meetings we were able to construct several possible plans that could improve the UD fitness facilities. We are suggesting that after you review our reccomendations that you choose one or a combination of several ones to implement.

We chose to not include information addressing the option of building an entirely new facility because it was determined during our research that it currently is not a financially feasible option. Brown University recently started a project to build a new fitness facility that would be similar to the one we would reccommend; they're budgeted costs for just building and equipping 11,500 sq. ft. of exercise machines and weights, plus 3 gymnasiums, equaled $35 million (Gottlieb). However, if the economic situation improves in the near future we would examine the possibility of building an entirely new, larger facility in the location that the Perkins Student Center currently stands. The Perkins site could house a fitness facility approximately double the size of the Little Bob, with more equipment, recreation rooms, basketball courts, an indoor track, and a public pool. We are certain that creating this new facility would likely solve any overcrowding issues and would offer many more possibilities for improvement, but would also require a great deal of additional research and analysis. Therefore, the following suggestions focus on improvements within the facilities presently found on campus.

//CARDIO EQUIPMENT://

Over 50% of our survey respondents stated that very often they find the Little Bob to be too crowded. A solution to this problem would be to offer exercise machines that are more efficient. For example, its been observed that there is often a line to use the treadmills, while there are an excessive amount of unused rowers and steppers. The highest percentage of survey respondents in our survey stated they favor using a treadmill, eliptical, or stationary bike for their cardio workout. The 7 rowers and 13 steppers amongst the four facilities are rarely used and it could be benificial to replace some of them with equipment more preferred by students. The highest percentage of students indicated that they use a treadmill the most out of all the cardio equipment. However, there are the least amount of these machines currently found in all four facilities. All four gyms also currently have the highest amount of bikes in the cardio areas. Since almost equal percentages of survey respondents prefer standing bikes that do treadmills, we suggest that a few of the bikes be removed and treadmills be added to that space.

The 12 upright stationary bikes used in the Hen House require 4 feet of space in length and 3.5 in width, ensuring enough room between bikes (FitnessEquipmentandMore.com). This translates to 14 square feet of space required for a stationary bike. The 6 recumbent stationary bikes size requires 16 sqft of space. A typical treadmill would require 15 sqare feet (Klimik). If the Hen House decreased the number of upright bikes by three and recumbent bikes by one, it would result in 58 sq.ft. of free space in which four new treadmills could be placed. In addition,<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> a<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> rowing machine takes up a significant amount of space, nearly 20 sq.ft., and eliminating two of the rowing machines could free up 40 sq.ft. of space which could be used for two more treadmills. We believe that by offering twice as many treadmills as the six currently offered in the Hen House it would lessen lines and waiting times, thus reducing the perception that the facility is overcrowded.

//UTILIZING AVAILABLE SPACE MORE EFFCIENTLY//

Recently, the University of Missouri was encountering similar issues to the ones being faced by UD. There was a need for more fitness facility space but no actual space available. They reacted by assessing thier current space, as we have done for UD through our research, and then brainstorming alternatives to utilize the space more efficiently. Director of Rec Facilities at the University of Missouri, Diane Dahlmann, stated that the most commonly under used spaces in fitness centers are the lobby, entry areas, corners, and hallways. We believe that this holds true for the Hen House and that there is a large amount of space utilized for the hallways and lobbies that through reconstruction could be consolidated, thus creating additional space for exercise areas. (Peavey).

In addition, Dahlmann also suggests that space currently being used for less popular activities should be reconsidered for a different purpose (Peavey). The Hen House currently has five raquetball courts and a squash court. Both these activities are increasingly becoming less popular among younger generations and are rarely used. Therefore, the six courts could serve several different purposes. Through our research we found that many of the students would like to see a punching bag/boxing area added. One of the six possible courts would be ample space to create such an area. This space could also be used for additional cardio equipment, as well as an entirely new area for free weights. Construction costs would have to be considered as well as the cost for the equipment filling these spaces.

//ELIMINATING/IMPROVING SMALLER FACILITIES//

We found that the smaller facilities do not get used often and it would be beneficial to eliminate one or two of these smaller spaces, specifically Rodney. If the suggested plan of replacing cardio equipment was implemented and the Rodney facility were to stop operating, the four treadmills currently in Rodney could be used and only two, rather than six, new peices of equipment would need to be purchased. This would result in the university saving the money that would've been needed to buy new equipment. Another finding from our survey was that of the activity areas, students would like to see additional basketball courts be built. By shutting down one of the smaller gyms, it not only gives the Hen House new equipment, but that space could be used to build two additional basketball courts.

Another advantage of shutting down one or two of the smaller facilities is the additional staff resources that would become available at no extra costs for the university. The employees currently working shifts for the Rodney gym could instead be used to fill shifts at the Hen House. This addition of staff could lead to the Hen House operating additional hours per day without the university having to pay for more staff. By adding hours, we expect that it will decrease the volume of students wanting to use the facility for all times of the day. <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The addional staff members could also be used in the 3 other gyms and therefore increase the maximum capacity of students. For example, the Hen House typically has two staff members working at one time, and the facility can serve 50 students per staff member. If for some reason there is only one staff member present, the facility can serve a maximum of only 50 students at any given time instead of the usual 100. By closing the Rodney Gym and making more staff available, this problem could be averted and the Hen House could be working at full capacity.

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">An alternative to completely eliminating Rodney gym is to make the three smaller gyms on campus more attractive, as over 95% of our respondents said they are aware there are three other smaller gyms on campus. There are several ways this can be accomplished. One way is by adding modernized equipment. Out-of-date equipment is especially an issue at the Rodney Gym, which is not used much anymore. Another way is by making these smaller gyms more accessible, especially for students with cars. We found that there is very little parking available in the areas surrounding all three of the smaller facilities, thus discouraging students from using them.

//UPDATING WEBSITE//

While conducting our research we spent a substantial amount of time on UD's fitness webpage, as well as several other universitys' webpages. We noticed that the UD website is extremely outdated and does not utilize the technology currently available to enhance navigating on the website. The survey results indicate that there is an over crowding issue at the Hen House, and besides building a brand new facility there is little ways to improve the issue at this time. However, while on Penn State's University we discovered a feature that could assist with students allocating the times they decide to visit the campus fitness facilities here at UD. Penn State provides a list of all their campus fitness facilities and underneath each one there is up-to-date information indicating the following for each facility: number of patrons currently using facility, maximum capacity of patrons, and the current wait time to enter that facility (if any). The page is easily accessed through the university website and is a simple addition that could be very helpful to UD students. By adding this feature, students will be able to see how crowded the facility is before deciding whether or not use it at that time. This could decrease waiting times and avoid the frustration incurred by many students when they have to wait to enter the gym. In example is presented in the figure below, taken directly from the Penn State website. (The Official Site for Penn State Weight Lifting, Aerobic and Cardiovascular Training).

Room Occupancy: 210 Current Wait: 0 minutes || Number of Patrons Using Facility: CLOSED Room Occupancy: 60 Current Wait: 0 minutes ||  || Room Occupancy: 240 Current Wait: 0 minutes ||  || Room Occupancy: 40 Current Wait: 0 minutes ||  ||
 * White Bldg. Fitness Center - Number of Patrons Using Facility: 38
 * IM Fitness Center -
 * Rec Hall Fitness Center - Number of Patrons Using Facility: 29
 * The Fitness Loft - Number of Patrons Using Facility: CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER


 * 6. __APPENDIX:__ **

APPENDIX 1A: EQUIPMENT IN UD FITNESS CENTERS * // The machines present in Harrington gym are by the company Cybex, while the other gyms contain Strive machines. Please note that Cybex machines are older than the Strive machines and individually offer fewer functions resulting in the line containing more pieces of equipment. // APPENDIX 1B: UD FITNESS CENTERS HOURS OF OPERATION- SPRING 2009
 * || ** HEN HOUSE ** || ** INDEPENDENCE ** || ** HARRINGTON ** || ** RODNEY ** ||
 * // TREADMILLS // || 6 || 6 || 4 || 4 ||
 * // ROWERS // || 3 || 2 || 2 || -- ||
 * // BIKES // || 18 || 10 || 8 || 6 ||
 * // STEPPERS // || 3 || 2 || 5 || 3 ||
 * // ARCTRAINERS/ELIPTICALS // || 10 || 9 || 8 || 6 ||
 * // MUSCLE FITNESS MACHINES // || 14 || 12 || 15* || ||
 * || ** HEN HOUSE ** || ** INDEPENDENCE ** || ** HARRINGTON ** || ** RODNEY ** ||
 * // MONDAY // || 6:45AM-11PM || 12-10PM || 12:15-10PM || 4-8PM ||
 * // TUESDAY // || 6:45AM-11PM || 12-10PM || 12:15-10PM || 4-8PM ||
 * // WEDNESDAY // || 6:45AM-11PM || 12-10PM || 12:15-10PM || 4-8PM ||
 * // THURSDAY // || 6:45AM-11PM || 12-10PM || 12:15-10PM || 4-8PM ||
 * // FRIDAY // || 6:45AM-9PM || 12-6PM || 12-6PM || CLOSED ||
 * // SATURDAY // || 10AM-8PM || CLOSED || CLOSED || CLOSED ||
 * // SUNDAY // || 12-10PM || 5-10PM || CLOSED || CLSOED ||

APPENDIX 1C: HEN HOUSE FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE- SPRING 2009
 * || **// MON //** || **// TUES //** || **// WED //** || **// THUR //** || **// FRI //** || **// SUN //** ||
 * // 6-7AM // || || SUNRISE YOGA || || || || ||
 * // 7-8AM // || || YOGA || || YOGA || || ||
 * // 12-1PM // || YOGA || PILATES || YOGA || PILATES || CARDIO-MUSCLE || CARDIO-MUSCLE ||
 * // 12:05-12:55PM // || UD SPIN || WEIGHT TRAINING FOR WOMEN || UD SPIN || WEIGHT TRAINING FOR WOMEN || UD SPIN || ||
 * // 4:15-5:15PM // || KICKBOXING || FLOW YOGA || ZUMBA || UD SPIN || BOOT CAMP || ||
 * // 5:15-6:15PM // || CARDIO MUSCLE || BUTTS & GUTS

UD SPIN || CARDIO-MUSCLE

YOGA || KICKBOXING

FREE ABS || ZUMBA || ||
 * // 5:30-6:30PM // || ZUMBA || FREE ABS || UD SPIN || ZUMBA

BODY CONDITIONING || || ||
 * // 6:20-7:30PM // || PILATES || ZUMBA || || PILATES || || ||

APPENDIX 2: SURVEY QUESTIONS & RESULTS

Respondents || Number of Respondents ||  ||
 * 1. How often do you exercise at a gym? || % of
 * || 2-3 times/ week [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark40.gif align="right"]] || 40.00% || 14 ||  ||
 * || 3-4 times/ week [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light37.gif align="right"]] || 37.14% || 13 ||  ||
 * || 5-6 times/ week [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark17.gif align="right"]] || 17.14% || 6 ||  ||
 * || 6-7 times/ week [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light0.gif align="right"]] || 0.00% || 0 ||  ||
 * || Other (specify)[[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark6.gif align="right"]] || 5.71% || 2 ||  ||
 * Number of respondents ||< 35 ||  ||

Respondents || Number of Respondents || Respondents || Number of Respondents ||
 * 2. Which of these is your preferred cardio machine? || % of
 * || Stationary Bike [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark29.gif align="right"]] || 28.57% || 10 ||
 * || Elliptical [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light29.gif align="right"]] || 28.57% || 10 ||
 * || Treadmill [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark31.gif align="right"]] || 31.43% || 11 ||
 * || Rowing Machine [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light3.gif align="right"]] || 2.86% || 1 ||
 * || Other (Specify) [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark9.gif align="right"]] || 8.57% || 3 ||  ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||
 * 3. During what time of the day do you prefer to attend the gym? || % of
 * || Morning [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark20.gif align="right"]] || 20.00% || 7 ||  ||
 * || Afternoon [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light51.gif align="right"]] || 51.43% || 18 ||  ||
 * || Evening [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark29.gif align="right"]] || 28.57% || 10 ||  ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||

Respondents || Number of Respondents ||
 * 4. If you exercise at the Little Bob, how often do you find it to be too crowded? || % of
 * || Always [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark26.gif align="right"]] || 25.71% || 9 ||
 * || Very Often [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light46.gif align="right"]] || 45.71% || 16 ||
 * || Sometimes [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark26.gif align="right"]] || 25.71% || 9 ||
 * || Rarely [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light3.gif align="right"]] || 2.86% || 1 ||
 * || Never [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark0.gif align="right"]] || 0.00% || 0 ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||

Respondents || Number of Respondents ||
 * 5. Are you aware that there are three other smaller gyms on campus? || % of
 * || Yes [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark97.gif align="right"]] || 97.14% || 34 ||  ||
 * || No [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light3.gif align="right"]] || 2.86% || 1 ||  ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||

Respondents || Number of Respondents ||
 * 6. Which of these would you prefer to see a change in? || % of
 * || Adding an Indoor Track [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark26.gif align="right"]] || 25.71% || 9 || ||
 * || Adding a Public Pool [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light29.gif align="right"]] || 28.57% || 10 || ||
 * || Adding a Boxing/ Punching Bag area [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark9.gif align="right"]] || 8.57% || 3 || ||
 * || Adding More Basketball Courts [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light37.gif align="right"]] || 37.14% || 13 || ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||

Respondents || Number of Respondents ||
 * 7. Which area needs the most improvement in the Little Bob gym? || % of
 * || Free Weight area [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark40.gif align="right"]] || 40.00% || 14 || ||
 * || Abdominal workout area [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light20.gif align="right"]] || 20.00% || 7 || ||
 * || Cardio area [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark23.gif align="right"]] || 22.86% || 8 || ||
 * || Muscle Fitness Machines [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light17.gif align="right"]] || 17.14% || 6 || ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||

Respondents || Number of Respondents ||
 * 8. Have you considered getting or have a membership for an off campus gym? || % of
 * || Yes [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/dark66.gif]] || 65.71% || 23 || ||
 * || No [[image:http://www.esurveyspro.com/Temp/light34.gif]] || 34.29% || 12 || ||
 * Number of respondents || 35 ||

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