The Athletic/Recreation Center (ARC) reduced its hours for the fall 2024 semester, staying closed on Saturdays and some weekday mornings.
The ARC is currently open Monday and Wednesday mornings from 7-10 a.m., Monday through Thursday from noon to 10 p.m., Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. This amounts to 60 hours per week, compared to the 89.5 hours per week in the spring 2024 semester.
Jack Jumper, associate athletics director for external relations, wrote in an email to The Hawk that these changes were made based on the opening of the O’Pake Fitness & Recreation Center on the Hawk Hill campus and the diminished number of students on the University City campus.
Originally, the ARC was intended to be closed entirely on weekends, but Sunday hours were added in response to survey data received from UCity students, Jumper said.
“Past usage trends have generally shown that less students visit the ARC on the weekend,” Jumper said. “… [But] of those who would use the facility on the weekend, most said they would likely do so on Sunday. As such, Sunday hours were added to support those users.”
All areas of the ARC have seen reduced participation during the fall 2024 semester compared to spring 2024, but this is likely due to factors other than the reduced hours, Jumper wrote.
“Due to the opening of O’Pake and continued migration of undergraduate students to Hawk Hill, the ARC usage data from Spring 2024 is not a reliable predictor of future use,” Jumper said.
Jumper added that the ARC’s highest usage numbers occur Monday-Thursday between 5-7 p.m.
Physical therapy student Josh Yang, DPT ’27, said his heavy class schedule makes it difficult to work around the ARC’s new hours.
“We’re usually in class anywhere from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and there are some breaks in between those classes where we’d like to go to the ARC, but then it doesn’t even open until 12 in the afternoon,” Yang said. “It can be a little stressful trying to work around that.”
Rachel Chan ’24, PharmD ’26, said she has not been able to use the ARC at all this semester because of the new hours.
“I’m a P3 pharmacy student, so it’s my last year in classes for grad school, and I’m so busy during the week because I work and then I have rotations to go to,” Chan said. “The gym hours just don’t really fit in my schedule anymore.”
Jumper said no schedule changes are permanent, as usage, feedback and staffing are constantly being evaluated. There are currently no details about whether St. Joe’s will sell or lease the ARC in the future.
