The University Faculty Senate will discuss whether Penn State should continue to mandate the Health and Physical Activity (GHA) requirement at its meeting next Tuesday in Harrisburg.

Currently, students must take three GHA credits to graduate.

Dawn Blasko, Senate secretary, said this week's Senate report reviews the GHA requirement, benchmarking Penn State with other Big Ten and state universities.

According to the report, studies show most other schools do not require students to take health and physical education courses.

Blasko said the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education, which formed the report, did not make any recommendations about the requirement, but has opened up the issue to the university for discussion.

"We're almost alone in this requirement," Senate chair Kim Steiner said during a discussion at the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Academic Assembly meeting Monday. "Some people may want this to disappear."

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said the university often compares itself with other respected institutions to evaluate its curricula and policies.

"We have to ask ourselves why Big Ten schools don't have [the requirement]," he said.

Kendig added that taking away the requirement is only an idea at this stage.

"It's too preliminary to get into," he said. "It will have to be studied over the next few months or even years."

Assembly President Mark Levin said the assembly has not provided a position on whether the requirement should remain in place, but has considered the possibility.

"I think that it's something that's going to be considered in the future," he said.

Some fitness educators said they believe the requirement is an essential component to a student's schedule.

"There are students from this university who would not take it if it were not required," said Clarence Stoner, a kinesiology professor. "It can open up a whole new world to fitness and life-long activities."

Kinesiology instructor Jim Sullivan agreed with Stoner and added that he also feels the requirement is important.

"If it's totally open to student preferences, they may not take requirements," he said, adding that students should have multiple options on what courses to schedule.

"Within those requirements there should be some flexibility," he said.

Student expressed different ideas about whether the requirement is necessary based on their personal experiences.

Kristy Owens (senior-commercial recreation management) said the requirement should be instituted at Penn State.

She said she recently earned a two-year associate's degree in physical education and recognizes the importance of fitness.

"If you take it away, it may make people more sedentary," she said.

Owens added that our society does not give students many options for physical activity.

"It may make things worse for the whole population of the school," she said.

However, Megan Kohut (sophomore-engineering) provided a different view.

"It's OK to take it away," she said. "None of my friends at other schools have to take it."

However, Kohut did say she enjoys the fitness classes she scheduled, including karate and scuba diving. "It breaks up the schedule," she said.