Why not a Phys Ed major?

[SkilletHead2]

The issue was raised about why RU does not have a phys ed major and how that hurts JUCO recruiting. It may also hurt recruiting at the undergrad level as well.

The answer, as far as I know (I was a prof in the Grad School of Ed at RU for 29 years), there is no reason other than there just never was one. One could be started. BUT, in order to do that, you need a better argument than, "It would really help in recruiting JUCOs."

You would need to show how it would help the University in general, and that it would more than pay for itself. I think both of those arguments could be made. You would probably also need a source of start up funds. Such a major would require a number of new faculty and support staff, and a place to be. So it wouldn't come cheap, but it certainly could be done.

 

[Rokodesh]

So they can grow up to become a gym teacher?

 

[RUtix4me]

I thought there was a sports management major at one point…same thing essentially?

 

[SkilletHead2]

So they can grow up to become a gym teacher?

There's something wrong with being a gym teacher? A lot of young people who realize they are good enough to play college ball, but not good enough to play pro, choose to coach and teach at the high school level.

I thought there was a sports management major at one point…same thing essentially?

I think there might have been, but completely different majors. Sports management is more admin, where as phys ed major (going into teaching) would require a lot courses on learning, development, classroom management, assessment, etc. You couldn't get teacher certificaiton from sports management.

And btw, I'm not necessarily arguing for a PE major, just saying it could be done.

 

[koleszar]

The issue was raised about why RU does not have a phys ed major and how that hurts JUCO recruiting. It may also hurt recruiting at the undergrad level as well.

The answer, as far as I know (I was a prof in the Grad School of Ed at RU for 29 years), there is no reason other than there just never was one. One could be started. BUT, in order to do that, you need a better argument than, "It would really help in recruiting JUCOs."

You would need to show how it would help the University in general, and that it would more than pay for itself. I think both of those arguments could be made. You would probably also need a source of start up funds. Such a major would require a number of new faculty and support staff, and a place to be. So it wouldn't come cheap, but it certainly could be done.

I'm still wondering why they never started a Veterinary Medicine school. There's only 32 in the country and they offer pretty much everything for one already. It would only attract more of the best and brightest.

 

[ashokan]

A lot of SUNY players get phys ed degrees
Coaches think it helps to have PE teachers as school employed recruiters who can steer players
Seems to me I've seen a fair amount of RU players (including Teel) going for degrees in labor relations

 

[SkilletHead2]

I'm still wondering why they never started a Veterinary Medicine school. There's only 32 in the country and they offer pretty much everything for one already. It would only attract more of the best and brightest.

Good question! I've always heard vet schools are hard as hell to get into. Moms Skillethead always wanted to be a vet. Ended up coming over to the dark side and became a dean.

We now have a cat, chickens, alpacas, and there are usually about 200 sheep and three cows in my front yard (not mine, we let local farmer graze on our land).

 

[T2Kplus20]

The issue was raised about why RU does not have a phys ed major and how that hurts JUCO recruiting. It may also hurt recruiting at the undergrad level as well.

The answer, as far as I know (I was a prof in the Grad School of Ed at RU for 29 years), there is no reason other than there just never was one. One could be started. BUT, in order to do that, you need a better argument than, "It would really help in recruiting JUCOs."

You would need to show how it would help the University in general, and that it would more than pay for itself. I think both of those arguments could be made. You would probably also need a source of start up funds. Such a major would require a number of new faculty and support staff, and a place to be. So it wouldn't come cheap, but it certainly could be done.

PE = stupid major

RU needs to improve academic standards, which would be helped by eliminating most majors that end in the word "studies". That's a clear sign of being BS.

 

[RUScrew85]

The issue was raised about why RU does not have a phys ed major and how that hurts JUCO recruiting. It may also hurt recruiting at the undergrad level as well.

The answer, as far as I know (I was a prof in the Grad School of Ed at RU for 29 years), there is no reason other than there just never was one. One could be started. BUT, in order to do that, you need a better argument than, "It would really help in recruiting JUCOs."

You would need to show how it would help the University in general, and that it would more than pay for itself. I think both of those arguments could be made. You would probably also need a source of start up funds. Such a major would require a number of new faculty and support staff, and a place to be. So it wouldn't come cheap, but it certainly could be done.

Rutgers has any number of non-STEM easy to graduate by just regurgitating the crap your professor preaches to you majors. No need for more crap majors.

See response just above too.

 

[Plum Street]

I'm still wondering why they never started a Veterinary Medicine school. There's only 32 in the country and they offer pretty much everything for one already. It would only attract more of the best and brightest.

Yeah well attracting the “best and brightest “, is not really going to help us in the transfer portal for football and basketball players.

 

[SkilletHead2]

PE = stupid major

RU needs to improve academic standards, which would be helped by eliminating most majors that end in the word "studies". That's a clear sign of being BS.

Fortunately, not everybody wants to spend their lives accumulating as much money as possible and investing in pyramid schemes.

Just like a great music teacher or a great shop teacher can enrich the lives of countless students, so can a great gym teacher, (or gym teacher and coach).

As I said, I'm not advocating for such a major at RU, but it is a respectable career to pursue.

Rutgers has any number of non-STEM easy to graduate by just regurgitating the crap your professor preaches to you majors. No need for more crap majors.

See response just above too.

Again, fortunately, Rutgers is not just a trade school.

 

[sct1111]

Rutgers has any number of non-STEM easy to graduate by just regurgitating the crap your professor preaches to you majors. No need for more crap majors.

See response just above too.

At least you're employable with a teaching degree. Same can't be said for African American studies, which is a popular major on the team. Also Rutgers has a graduate school of education. What exactly is stopping students from going that route?

 

[hoquat63]

Grad School of Ed doesn’t offer PE certificate.
Back in the dark ages, aka the good old days, when I was in school in the 60’s I am pretty sure RU did offer a PE degree. Of course back then Rutgers College wa. Somewhat smaller and all male institution.

 

[sct1111]

Grad School of Ed doesn’t offer PE certificate.
Back in the dark ages, aka the good old days, when I was in school in the 60’s I am pretty sure RU did offer a PE degree. Of course back then Rutgers College wa. Somewhat smaller and all male institution.

Ah ok I didn't know that. Feel like there is no reason why they can't offer that again though the graduate school.

 

[RUScrew85]

Fortunately, not everybody wants to spend their lives accumulating as much money as possible and investing in pyramid schemes.

Just like a great music teacher or a great shop teacher can enrich the lives of countless students, so can a great gym teacher, (or gym teacher and coach).

As I said, I'm not advocating for such a major at RU, but it is a respectable career to pursue.

Again, fortunately, Rutgers is not just a trade school.

Yeah why allow the student to get a marketable degree when they can be indoctrinated in SJ BS instead. And if you think the "studies" majors are useful you might be the problem.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Fortunately, not everybody wants to spend their lives accumulating as much money as possible and investing in pyramid schemes.

Just like a great music teacher or a great shop teacher can enrich the lives of countless students, so can a great gym teacher, (or gym teacher and coach).

As I said, I'm not advocating for such a major at RU, but it is a respectable career to pursue.

Again, fortunately, Rutgers is not just a trade school.

Spending $100k on a degree to be a gym teacher. LOL.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Yeah why allow the student to get a marketable degree when they can be indoctrinated in SJ BS instead. And if you think the "studies" majors are useful you might be the problem.

 

[Plum Street]

Spending $100k on a degree to be a gym teacher. LOL.

Get in the right district and after 10 years that gym teacher is making six figures , with great health benefits, pension, job security, tons of time off and wearing sweat pants and rutgers jerseys to work.
Might even coach and send us some 4 star recruits to pay it back b

 

[sct1111]

Spending $100k on a degree to be a gym teacher. LOL.

Summers off, great benefits, easy job, plenty of exercise, pension. You won't need to spend $100k for the degree but even if you do there are programs for loan forgiveness for teachers.

Very easy job to supplement with part time work.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Get in the right district and after 10 years that gym teacher is making six figures

HA! HA! Let's keep this a serious conversation.

 

[SkilletHead2]

Ah ok I didn't know that. Feel like there is no reason why they can't offer that again though the graduate school.

Difficult, but probably not impossible. State regs on teacher certification require a lot of time being spent in schools (observing, student teaching, etc.) that RU has no control over. It makes it difficult. We had some athletes doing it back when I was at RU, but it took a lot of work to coordinate the school schedule with the playing/practice schedule.

 

[Plum Street]

HA! HA! Let's keep this a serious conversation.

Serious

 

[SkilletHead2]

Yeah why allow the student to get a marketable degree when they can be indoctrinated in SJ BS instead. And if you think the "studies" majors are useful you might be the problem.

Nobody is stopping anybody from going the trade route. But some folks like to study history, English, philosophy, psychology, the arts, the classics, etc., and college is a great place to do that. It's what makes us a civilized society. So yeah, I'm definitely part of the problem and proudly so.

Spending $100k on a degree to be a gym teacher. LOL.

Says the guy who told people to buy bitcoin at over $50k.

 

[Scarlet4Shore]

HA! HA! Let's keep this a serious conversation.

Gym teachers at my old high school were making close to $100K last time I looked.

 

[vkj91]

I'm still wondering why they never started a Veterinary Medicine school. There's only 32 in the country and they offer pretty much everything for one already. It would only attract more of the best and brightest.

Heard Rowan is getting one

 

[vkj91]

This has been discussed here for years. Pretty sure RU doesn’t offer PE because another state school does. As usual, NJ politics

 

[SkilletHead2]

This has been discussed here for years. Pretty sure RU doesn’t offer PE because another state school does. As usual, NJ politics

For the 29 years I was there, there was never any effort to get one. Whether it is needed statewide is always an issue for new programs, but usually not an insurmountable obstacle. I think if RU wanted one, it could put a sufficient twist on it, or make a business case for it, to get it approved. But who knows?

 

[mikebal9]

HA! HA! Let's keep this a serious conversation.

You do know that PE teachers are paid on the same scale as every other teacher, right? Yep, a calculus teacher makes the exact same salary as an elementary PE teacher on the same step. So yes, in many districts, this is attainable.

 

[RULoyal]

Heard Rowan is getting one

Yes, there is a thread regarding Rowan opening a vet school on the RU Issues Board
Rowan to open first NJ Vet school

 

[Unionst]

We clearly already have places to put marginal students; no doubt there are many of those students playing sports at RU. Labor Relations seems to be a particularly popular major for that. We don’t need to add a major to get JUCOS, particularly in the new portal environment.

 

[mikebal9]

Why is there this sentiment that marginal students enter a PE major? When considering my graduate track, I looked into PE before settling on elementary ed. I can say without reservation that the PE major requirements were much more rigorous.

 

[RU205]

A friend of mine has been a HS PE teacher in NJ for over 20 years, recently became the drivers ed teacher and is also the schools basketball coach. He loves everything about his job, he is well known in the community, and many students and basketball players over the years have considered him a role model. Why would anyone degrade this job? He helps shape the lives of these students as they enter the world.

 

[Zak57]

A friend of mine has been a HS PE teacher in NJ for over 20 years, recently became the drivers ed teacher and is also the schools basketball coach. He loves everything about his job, he is well known in the community, and many students and basketball players over the years have considered him a role model. Why would anyone degrade this job? He helps shape the lives of these students as they enter the world.

It's the usual lot who think they know everything when in fact they know nothing.

Good for your friend!

 

[RUfinally2008]

Seems one moron in this thread has a hard on for HS gym teachers. He must have been mocked for lack of coordination and picked last for everything, lol. I have nothing but great memories of HS and most of my HS coaches, baseball, football and basketball were my gym teachers. Learned plenty of life lessons from them. One even lent me his car to use to drive from Raritan HS to Mater Dei HS everyday for 2 weeks to use a whirlpool they had to treat a deep bruise I had on my thigh. Set me up with one of his football stars to meet me and allow me to use it. That gym/teacher was my Varsity baseball coach at RHS but was the Varsity football coach at MDHS. The kid I would meet there was none other than Billy Devaney, who I knew as a co-worker in Fine Fair, a grocery store in East Keansburg, NJ. He went on to a pretty good NFL career I might add!!!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Devaney PS. Back story, Billy met Don Shula in church during his years at Elon University, was invited to do odd jobs for the Dolphins. On staff was Bobby Beathard, they both loved to surf and became close friends. The rest is history.

 

[mikelongo]

Grad School of Ed doesn’t offer PE certificate.
Back in the dark ages, aka the good old days, when I was in school in the 60’s I am pretty sure RU did offer a PE degree. Of course back then Rutgers College wa. Somewhat smaller and all male institution.

Yes they did. I knew some guys who were PE majors back then. I don't believe it wasall that easy.

 

[RUBOB72]

Would you consider a degree in Kinesiology from Rutgers a worthy degree?

 

[RUBOB72]

Yes they did. I knew some guys who were PE majors back then. I don't believe it wasall that easy.

That is true if my memory is working this morning.

 

[RUBOB72]

Nobody is stopping anybody from going the trade route. But some folks like to study history, English, philosophy, psychology, the arts, the classics, etc., and college is a great place to do that. It's what makes us a civilized society. So yeah, I'm definitely part of the problem and proudly so.


Says the guy who told people to buy bitcoin at over $50k.

That would depend upon what one’s definition of a civilized society is or what it should look like. What we do see today is a civilization which consistently does not measure up to what the book definition says it should be. There are African and South American tribes still who are more civilized than what we see around the globe and in this country. They are more civilized than the country we live in today . Their respect of life itself is the greatest factor. Someone claiming we are a civilized world are living in their private protective bubble.

 

[ruinac]

It's the usual lot who think they know everything when in fact they know nothing.

Good for your friend!

They are in their late 40s and 50s and the way they talk you’d think they are masters of the universe. One is just a manager and one is a director in a small company. And they live in middle class homes.

 

[REDRICH65]

Have a Jersey friend who was a PE teacher, became a school teacher eventuality superintendent of schools in his district. Probably retired by now.