Issue 3, 2007
Campus Life
Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre officially opens
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Vice-Chancellor Steven Schwartz, U@MQ Chief Executive Deidre Anderson and Chancellor Maurice Newman at the launch of the Sport and Aquatic Centre. |
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At the official opening of the new Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre last month Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Schwartz unveiled the Healthy People, Healthy Campus Program which will enable staff, students and members of the local community to lead healthier and more productive lives and achieve a better work/life balance.
With a new 50 metre FINA-compliant outdoor pool and 25 metre indoor pool; state-of-the-art gymnasium; group fitness, cycling and lifestyle studios; and a pool side café to add to the existing six squash courts, eight badminton courts, basketball court, martial arts hall and recreation hall, the Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre is arguably the best facility of its type on any Australian university campus. More importantly, however, says Schwartz, the Centre will play a crucial role in Macquarie's new healthy campus plan.
"A few leading universities in the UK and US have taken on the responsibility of not only shaping the wellbeing of those who work and study in the organisation - which has had a positive effect on staff and on the retention and academic success of students - but also of promoting health in their local region beyond the limits of the campus," he explains.
"We know that 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day can make a significant individual health improvement and yet only around 56 per cent of men and 47 per cent of women in NSW participate in sufficient physical activity. This new program will help position Macquarie as a world class leader in the field of sustainable health promotion."