By Matthew Keck–
The University of Louisville is closing the Humana faculty gym on June 30. Its closing comes along with U of L’s plan to fix their current budget situation.
Director of Media Relations John Karman said that there were significant operating costs associated with the facility. In the release from U of L, they stated that the gym’s closing will save them more than $1 million each year.
U of L’s wellness program, Get Healthy Now, will not be affected in this process. Get Healthy Now’s director Patricia Benson was laid off with these cuts. The rest of the programs staff will be relocated to the human resource department.
Mark Watkins, senior associate vice president for operations, will be the new director for the Get Healthy Now program. U of L’s human resource department is also the new home for this program.
With the closing of the Humana gym U of L has partnered with Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness currently has a sponsorship deal with U of L athletics.
Faculty and staff will receive a discounted rate of $15 per month. The membership they will receive is known as Planet Fitness’ “black card” deluxe membership. Faculty and staff who purchase this membership will have access to over 1,700 locations and can bring guests for free, along with other benefits.
The deluxe membership cost is the same amount as the Humana gym membership. Faculty and staff may also opt for a cheaper membership for $10, but with less perks.
Another option for faculty and staff is to pay $24 a month for a membership at U of L’s Student Recreation Center (SRC). U of L’s SRC membership fee is $7 higher than the University of Kentucky’s faculty gym membership. On average, U of L faculty would spend more than $84 per year on gym fees compared to UK staff.
The new partnership with Planet Fitness is effective immediately. Faculty and staff must present their U of L ID and checking account information at Planet Fitness to get signed up.
This announcement also came on the same day the U of L board of trustees agreed to to raise President Neeli Bendapudi’s salary.
Photo Courtesy / The University of Louisville
