Laying Down New Tracks in Kinesiology
Written By Daisy Willis
Dr. Gotshalk performs a full body scan. Photo provided by the UH Hilo Chancellorʻs Blog at, http://hilo.hawaii.edu/keaohou/2013/10/08/gotshalk-kinesiology/
In college, we all face the difficult decision of which classes we will take every semester and how they will coordinate with our degree goals. In the department of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences, they are expanding their options so that students are able to choose from a more diverse pool of classes and work towards attaining a more specified major.
In the words of the Chair of the department, Lincoln Gotshalk, “Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences sprouted out of Health and Physical Education (from the 1990s), and incorporated students with varying interests, from teaching, coaching, personal training, to therapy and medicine. As (Kinesiology commonly known as),KES grew, it became obvious that we were too generic a program (with a rigid curriculum) for the disparate needs of our students. So we have proposed for fall 2015 a three-track program so that students can, after completing 20 credits of core courses, pick the track most appropriate for them to complete their KES degree. The proposed and accepted program outlines the three tracks: KESE (Kinesiology and Exercise), KESM (Sports Medicine and Therapy), and KESH (Health Promotion). The old "option" required the students to take 62 credits of KES courses, with no options, to complete their degrees.”
With this new program in place, students are able to work for and achieve a degree that will target the exact type of exercise science they want to work in. Abigail Mahnke is a sophomore in the Kinesiology program and has had the good fortune to experience the benefits of this new three track system. She has spent her years in college split between Oregon and Hawaii, and she is currently experimenting with the different types of classes the University of Hawaii at Hilo has to offer. UHH is still transitioning between their old system of generalized courses to their new three track system, and Abigail spoke about the two options that are currently available, saying that “There are two options now available for Kinesiology Students here at the UH. The first option is to take kinesiology specific classes, such as KES anatomy and physiology, sports nutrition, statistics in sport, etc. The second option is to take the general education courses. For those who plan on furthering their education, generalized courses can prove to be beneficial. These generalized courses open doors to many opportunities as they give a broader view of classes such as Anatomy and Physiology, Statistics, etc.”
Sophomore and Kinesiology major, Abigail Mahnke. Photo provided by Abigail.
Abigail spoke about the benefits of the generalized classes that she chose to take, however she strongly believes that the three track system is very beneficial. She mentioned that, for her, taking the more specific classes would had been better, as she is planning to work directly in her field of study after graduation. She spoke about all the wonderful knowledge she has gained while being in the KES program, saying that “As a kinesiology major, I have learned many things about how the body works and have been able to apply this to my everyday life. I chose this major because I enjoy working out and wanted to gain a better understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle. My favorite thing about the kinesiology program at UH Hilo is that professors provide hands-on application to the subjects being taught. This program has also helped me by putting my future goals into perspective and gaining more knowledge about health-related topics.”
If you are in the KES program, or you want to be, make sure to take full advantage of the new system that has been put into place this semester. For more information on the program and it’s recent changes you can contact the Kinesiology Department Chair, Lincoln Gotshalk at gotshalk@hawaii.edu
