The Physical Activity Course Program has experienced challenges amid declining course enrollment after one year of Oregon State University’s new Core Education course requirements comes toward an end.
PAC courses are physical activity-based classes and include hundreds of offerings ranging from bowling to mountaineering.
A one-credit PAC class was required to graduate from OSU under the Baccalaureate Core requirements, which remains in place for students who enrolled at OSU before the summer of 2025.
PAC courses are no longer required as part of the new Core Ed general education curriculum.
According to Katelyn Kirk, the director of physical activity programs, enrollment in PAC courses has declined 15-25% since the new Core Ed requirements were implemented. The decrease in student enrollment has led to the cancellation of many PAC courses.
Kirk says that the course cancellations have been seen across the range of PAC’s course offerings, in turn causing less diversity in PAC courses provided. When they are offered, the number of sections per course is fewer.
Kirk noted that another challenge posed by a change in requirements is letting new students know that PAC exists.
“Previously, a freshman would come to campus, they would do their launch session over summer. And part of that would include, ‘Hey, you’re going to have this PAC class that you’re going to need to take as a requirement,’” Kirk said.
Kirk also said that since the change in requirements, students are having trouble finding out about PAC courses in the first place, leading to a deficit in newcomers and, in turn, fewer students returning to PAC courses.
While enrollment in courses has declined since the change in requirements, Kirk said that students still do enroll in PAC courses for various reasons, ranging from finding a way to de-stress, trying something new or filling an extra elective credit for graduation or financial aid.
Kirk also noted that many students take PAC classes for non-credit, where one to two credit courses can be taken for $175 or $245 a term, respectively.
Students might also work towards one of PAC’s certification programs in adventure leadership, dance, yoga teacher training, scuba training or fitness leadership, to name a few.
According to Kirk, the PAC program has been shifting towards these programs with the change in requirements.
Ella Henely, a fifth-year mathematics major, started taking ballroom and country western dance PAC classes during the winter term of her first year.
Henley met her partner as well as many of her friends in her PAC courses, and has since completed the dance teacher training and become a partner dance PAC classes teaching assistant.
According to Henley, several artistic dance courses — such as ballet and jazz — as well as partner dance courses have been canceled after the change in requirements.
She also noted that student numbers dwindling in lower-level courses could mean that more higher-level course offerings could be on the chopping block in the coming years.
While Henley sees potential benefits in the change in Core Ed requirements, she expressed disappointment that PAC courses didn’t make the cut when the new Core Ed curriculum was designed.
“Why wouldn’t you have a fitness requirement for college students, because we’re incredibly busy and stressed?” Henley said. “I always found it really weird that they were taking away the fitness requirement. I know not a lot of colleges have it anymore, but I think it’s a good thing (to have).”
Nicole Kurth, the faculty staff fitness coordinator, is also an instructor of several weight training PAC classes and the transitions course, a new required course added this year for students following Core Ed.
On top of the ability to de-stress and build community in her weight training courses, Kurth said that her students have reported gaining confidence to exercise on their own.
While Kurth’s courses have not experienced declining enrollment, she notes that she has heard frustration from students about the change.
“I am talking to students who had me through the Bacc Core. Those who have been making comments are like ‘Why is that health requirement gone? That health requirement was so important, I would never have done X,’” Kurth said.
Kirk urged students to find ways to incorporate a PAC course into their schedule and emphasized that PAC is here to stay.
“Even though (PAC classes) are not part of the Core Ed and the Bacc Core is being phased out, we’re not going anywhere. We are still providing hundreds of classes for students. We’re still providing as wide of a breadth of topics as we can,” Kirk said. “Do we have less enrollment? Yes, but we’re not gone,” Kirk said.
