Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_25307" align="alignright" width="550"] A dance class practices in Graff Main Hall gymnasium in 1913.[/caption]

Exercise and Sport Science celebrates centennial

Since 1913, the department now named Exercise and Sport Science (ESS) has offered professional education programs related to health, physical education and sport. Now is the time to celebrate that history. In 1913, the mission was to educate teacher by first offering a certificate, then a degree in physical education. With the graduating of qualified physical educators, the number of students in the department continued to increase. In the 1970’s the number of students in the UW-L Department of Physical Education reached its peak of approximately 1,500 undergraduates. Program development in the 1970s and 1980s included adding cardiac rehabilitation, athletic training, sport management and exercise science. The programs have reached a level of national and in some cases international, recognition. The department employs 15 ranked faculty members, 12 instructional academic staff and one non-instructional academic staff member. Four undergraduate programs are available: athletic training, exercise science, physical education and sport management; along with three graduate programs: clinical exercise physiology, human performance and physical education. Faculty are continually updating course work and developing pedagogical innovations. New teaching materials are developed annually for general education and professional courses. Directed student learning is a continual and vital component of the department with involvement in both undergraduate and graduate research projects. There were approximately 35 graduate thesis and nearly 20 undergraduate research projects completed in 2011-2012. These projects resulted in 20 scholarly reports with another 15 currently under review. Department faculty members also serve on the editorial boards of four journals. Internal and external grants are proposed and funded. Continuation grants were also awarded for approximately $150,000. The departmental faculty members are active in state, regional, and national organizations. Committees, task forces and work groups of various national associations benefit from the expertise of faculty and staff in the department. Take a look at the department's history throughout the years.

Celebrating the Exercise and Sport Science Department’s centennial in 2013-14

The Centennial Celebration will be a series of activities throughout the academic year, including as follows:

• Aug. 28… A kick-off social hosted by the departmental faculty.
• Oct. 5… Alumni Weekend, Wittich Hall tours; AB Culver will highlight the 1913-35 period.
• Nov. 7-9… Physical Education Program. Mary Lou Thornton will highlight 1935-55 and L-Bar X dance presentations.
• Dec. 11… Adult Fitness/Cardiac Rehabilitation and Adapted Physical Education highlights, and holiday social. Speakers Phil Wilson, John Porcari, Lane Goodwin and Pat DiRocco will highlight these programs and the years 1955-75.
• Feb. 7… Athletic Training, Sport Management and Fitness. Sandy Price will highlight these programs and the period of 1975-95.
• April 25… Future of the Exercise and Sport Science Department. Mark Gibson will highlight the period of 1995 to now, and the future.

100 percent pass rate

Athletic training students consistently earn high scores All 14 seniors in UW-L’s athletic training program passed the Board of Certification Exam in April to be eligible to become future athletic trainers. This is the fourth straight year that the program has had a 100 percent first-time pass rate — placing it consistently above the national pass rate. During this same time period, the national first-time pass rate for the exam was 75 percent. “This outcome is a direct measure of the quality of the academic preparation that students receive at UW-L,” says Mark Gibson, director, Athletic Training Program and chair, Department of Exercise and Sport Science. “We are thankful that our students have excellent instruction outside of our athletic training courses as well as within. The university provides an optimal learning environment for the students we select.” UW-L’s athletic training program was the first accredited athletic training program in the state of Wisconsin, and offers one of the most competitive, in-depth and hands-on athletic training programs in the country.