ASHLAND – Beginning with the fall 2016 semester, Ashland University’s Recreation Center will offer a limited number of memberships to those in the Ashland area community.
“This fall, we will be opening our facility for a limited number of community memberships, which will provide all of the amenities and services which were previously granted only to University-affiliated members,” said Janel Molnar, director of AU’s Recreational Services.
“We are excited to provide another opportunity to engage and interact with the Ashland community,” Molnar added. “This new initiative comes on the heels of the University’s new strategic plan, with pillar 5 of that plan addressing enhanced community engagement.”
Molnar said membership prices for community members are $240 per semester for an individual member or $600 for a family membership per semester. The dates for the Recreation Center’s fall semester are Aug. 22 to Dec. 19.
According to Molnar, the policies related to the community memberships include:
· A total of 30 individual memberships and 10 family memberships will be available to the community each semester. Memberships will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
· Individuals 18 and older are able to purchase individual memberships.
· An initiation fee of $20 per person (18 and older) is required every four years to conduct a background check.
· Community memberships will not be made active until a background check is cleared, which could take one to two weeks. An e-mail will be sent to the prospective member once the background check is cleared.
· Individuals who do not pass their background check will be reimbursed for all membership fees paid, except their initiation fee.
· Background check clearance is determined through the Rec Service Office.
· Memberships do not become prorated under the community membership option.
“This community initiative is in addition to the number of programs and services that we continue to offer community members, including a winter youth indoor soccer league, summer youth camps, learn-to-swim, facility rentals, First Aid/CPR/AED certification as well as lifeguard certification and re-certification,” Molnar said. “We look forward to additional interactions with our community members and continuing to build our relationship with the larger Ashland community.”
The Recreation Center, which is part of the 110,000-square-foot Arthur L. & Maxine Sheets Rybolt Health Sciences and Recreation Center, opened in 2006 and is located on the southwest corner of the AU campus.
The Recreation Center portion of the building houses one competition swimming pool and diving well, a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, two basketball courts, one multi-purpose activity court, an aerobics room, two racquetball courts, indoor running track, climbing wall, game room and golf simulator.
