Dear Answer Girl,
I heard there is an orienteering course next semester in the PE department. What is that?
-Just InterestedGreat question.
The “PE department” is short for the department of physical education exercise and sport sciences.
This is where those physical education courses that are currently required as part of the general education requirements but will not be after a year or so come from. Yeah, you heard me. They’re planning on getting rid of the physical education requirement.
According to the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the people who actually sit down and tinker with general education requirements for every TBR school in the state, general education is intended to “ensure that college students have the broad knowledge and skills to become lifelong learners in a global community.”
They go on to explain that “educated people … are literate in the various methods of communication, … recognize their place in … history, … are prepared for the responsibilities of an engaged citizenship” and so on.
However, as of the next year or so, it is apparently not important for educated people to exercise.
I personally am shocked by the TBR’s rejection of the physical education requirement, especially in this, the Era of American Fat.
And further, I question how any physical education course that is not required for the physical education and exercise science major can hope to even exist within a few years of this change.

So now it is doubly bad: not only will those college students who exercise very little not even have a semester or two to learn and possibly grow to like a sport or activity, but also those individuals that live to take a new PE course every semester will be forced to go elsewhere for their fitness fun.
For some extreme extremists, elsewhere may even be to another school in another state. But oh well, right?
If you ask me, they should have raised the PE requirement to three or four hours.
Think about it: that’s just one credit hour per year! (Even less than that if you are on the five- or six-year graduation plan.)
Okay, sure, some people don’t like to exercise. Some people aren’t very good at sports. This is all true. But, study after study after study has shown that exercise is one of the best possible things a person can do to stay healthy.
No, I guess maybe it’s not entirely justifiable to try and force students to take something (like PE) that they don’t like just because it’ll be good for them.
But then again, TBR’s general education requirements force students to take courses that involve “oral communication” intensive activities, for example, just so they can be better public speakers.
Sure, most people will probably find this oral communication experience useful at some point in their adult lives.
But more people would find good health from their habit of exercising that was supplemented in college by a diverse array of physical education options to be much more relevant.
Anyway, can we change this policy? I don’t know. I’ll have to get back with you on that one. But until then, we can continue to support the PE department by enrolling in lots and lots of fun PE classes, like orienteering.
Orienteering, by the way, is when you take a map and compass into the woods/wilderness/wherever and attempt to “orient” yourself.
When you go orienteering, there is typically a course that you are trying to follow by finding successive landmarks during your map and compass hike.
It’s fun, and it’s a fairly useful skill, especially if you ever plan to be lost with only a map and a compass.
Enroll, enroll, enroll and save PE!

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