1969 - 1972: AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
AND RECREATION IS ESTABLISHED
Beginning in the mid 1960s, those individuals who were teaching Physical Education to the Acadia student body (as well as coaching), began to advocate for the establishment of an academic degree program focused on physical education. UNB and St FX already had Physical Education degree programs so in order to be granted permission to offer a program at Acadia, the proposed program would need to be distinctive, and therefore it was determined that the Acadia program would focus on ‘recreation’ as well as physical education. At the time, the well-established P.E. program at UNB was considered the standard and with two UNB graduates on faculty, the Acadia program followed a similar framework.
In 1969, the Department of Physical Education changed its name to the Department of Physical Education and Recreation, and became an academic degree granting unit offering a Bachelor of Science with a focus on Recreation and Physical Education. The actual degree awarded was a BSc. Most of the faculty who taught in the degree program had been hired as coaches and instructors under the athletics-based Department of Physical Education, and they were responsible for delivering the required PE credit that all Acadia students were required to take. Those faculty considered to be the founders of the academic program are Elizabeth Vermeulen, Donald Wells, Robert Vespaziani, David Joos, and Gib Chapman.
For the initial 3 years of the program (1969-1972), the calendar description read as follows: Students majoring with a BSc degree (in Recreation and Physical Education) will take courses in consultation with the Head of the Department (Gib Chapman). This programme places emphasize on the field of recreation and is the first such programme established in the Atlantic Provinces. It provides for an expansion of courses now being offered by the Department of Physical Education and includes the certification requirements necessary for teaching in the public school system.
In 1969, the Department of Physical Education changed its name to the Department of Physical Education and Recreation, and became an academic degree granting unit offering a Bachelor of Science with a focus on Recreation and Physical Education. The actual degree awarded was a BSc. Most of the faculty who taught in the degree program had been hired as coaches and instructors under the athletics-based Department of Physical Education, and they were responsible for delivering the required PE credit that all Acadia students were required to take. Those faculty considered to be the founders of the academic program are Elizabeth Vermeulen, Donald Wells, Robert Vespaziani, David Joos, and Gib Chapman.
For the initial 3 years of the program (1969-1972), the calendar description read as follows: Students majoring with a BSc degree (in Recreation and Physical Education) will take courses in consultation with the Head of the Department (Gib Chapman). This programme places emphasize on the field of recreation and is the first such programme established in the Atlantic Provinces. It provides for an expansion of courses now being offered by the Department of Physical Education and includes the certification requirements necessary for teaching in the public school system.
Whether academic interest was in physical education or recreation, the prescribed curriculum was the same with the exception of Physical Education students taking PER 142 (Methods for Teaching Physical Education) rather than PER 172 (Recreation Methods in Social Recreation); PER 341 (Coaching Foundations) rather than PER 371 (Planning/Administration of Recreation Facilities), and PER 441 (Organization and Administration of Physical Education) rather than PER 471 (Organization and Administration of Recreation). The curriculum reflected the knowledge of the faculty at the time, all of whom had been hired by the athletic department, and included the following courses:
|
English 100, 200
Biology 100 Mathematics 100 Language other than English 100, 200 Psychology 101, 112 Education 520, 511 4.5 hrs electives PER 370 Elements of Social Development PER 402 Community Programming PER 451 Adapted Physical Education PER101 Introduction to Recreation and Physical Education |
PER 172 Recreation Methods in Social Recreation
PER 201 Introduction to Community Recreation PER 202 Care/Prevention of Athletic Injuries PER 211 Anatomy PER 212 Kinesiology PER 311 Physiology of Exercise PER 452 Advanced Skills PER 371 Planning/Administration of Recreation Facilities PER 302 Outdoor Recreation PER 471 Organization and Administration of Recreation |