Guest passes translate into lost revenue for Rec Center

Considered policy changes include charging guests for a one-day pass.

By Krystin Arneson

Published March 19, 2010

An increase in the number of guest passes requested each week is putting the Student Recreation Complex's free pass system in jeopardy.

"You, as students, have the ability to bring in one guest at no charge once a month," Recreation Services and Facilities Director Diane Dahlmann said.

She said the number of passes issued has led to overcrowding and $55,000 to $75,000 in unrecovered income.

Dahlmann said they anticipated and dealt with a "manageable" 12 requests on a weekly basis when the free guest passes started in the 2004-2005 academic year.

"I personally think that in the beginning, it was really terrific, really terrific, to show off the facility when it was brand new," Dahlmann said.

But Dahlmann said the number of guest pass requests is between 150 and 275 each week.

That doesn't include parents who work out for free and or friends of students who sign in for a tour around the recreation center.

Laura Salerno, assistant director of membership and events, said part of the reason behind the high number of guest passes is many students want to show it off to visitors.

But since the program's inception, school year, the awareness of the free program has spread.

"It's become more of an awareness that the benefit is here," Salerno said.

Salerno said the recreation center saw a "large jump" of more than 100 passes per week in 2007. Dahlmann called the situation "a far cry from what we ever anticipated it to be."

Salerno also said student traffic in the recreation center has increased sharply. She said a year ago it saw 4,000 to 6,000 visits per day from members. This has now shifted to 5,000 to 7,000 members per day.

Now, the nearly 300 extra visitors each week translates into about 60 free-riders at the center each day, meaning longer wait times.

"If something does change with that guideline, I can see a benefit for looking at over crowding," Salerno said.

Dahlmann said the agreement with Stephens College to let its students use the recreational center isn't the cause of the crowding -- only 18 students have signed up for memberships since the program started, she said.

Dahlmann said instead, the guest passes contribute to extra traffic in the building for no return.

"If we look at our numbers at those who are coming in at no charge, and we charge (them instead) our one-day membership ($10), that's what the numbers come out to," Salerno said.

Dahlmann said this dilemma comes at a time when operational expenses at the recreation center are rising, and the $133.11 recreational fee each student paid per semester this year stays stagnant.

Besides having a larger source of income, Salerno said she could see additional benefits in doing away with the free guest pass. If fewer people came because they would have to pay for the passes, it would mean lower cleaning and staffing costs, she said.

"We don't know if people would still be willing to pay the $10," she said.

A recreation advisory committee is looking at the situation. Dahlmann said it should have a recommendation made by late April.