Get documents about "CONCEPT PAPER - DOC
Document Sample
Discussion Paper Total Wellness at The Australian National University Amenities for the Next Generation of The ANU Community Submitted by: The ANU Sport and Recreation Sports Council 1 April 2005 D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 1 of 16 D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 2 of 16 Abstract This document contributes to the ANU’s goal of providing for the wellbeing of its students and staff. The SRA would like to discuss with the ANU administration and other interested bodies, how we all might choose to offer, in partnership, a well integrated set of physical and social support amenities to enhance the environment at ANU for existing and future members of the ANU community. The likelihood that the historical mechanism of funding such amenities will no longer remain applicable after implementation of VSU legislation renders this discussion especially timely. The SRA takes as its starting point the assumption that such facilities as sports and recreation activities, venues for social interactions, support services and amenities will achieve the best and most cost effective results if well integrated into the broader development plans of the ANU. It is the aspiration of the SRA that it can assist in creating an environment where the conditions of campus-based recreation, leisure, wellness and social interaction are raised to match the highly esteemed international academic reputation of the ANU. The ANUSRA makes three immediate primary assumptions regarding the benefits it sees in delivering enhanced services for university lifestyle and wellness outcomes: 1. That ANU students desire and deserve the highest level of support and assistance that will ultimately provide the most beneficial tertiary educational experience and outcomes. This requires the provision of a physical environment that contributes to learning and enhances their quality of lifestyle as a member of the University community. 2. That ANU staff desire and deserve the highest level of support and assistance to deliver their utmost capacity in tertiary education so they can meet the needs of our students. Lifestyle and wellness outcomes provide a real focus on staff occupational health and safety strategies that offer tangible preventative, relaxation, rejuvenation, de-stress and refocus programs and opportunities within the workplace. They also encourage a greater sense of community and appreciation that translates into higher staff productivity and retention. 3. Lifestyle and wellness outcomes potentially provide the ANU with unique attributes that will differentiate us from the rest of our competitors in the international recruitment market. The paper has two parts. The first describes a vision for the ANU. We identify the range of existing wellness-related activities that could form the basis of a better integrated system, and we suggest that these needs be accommodated into a sound developmental planning process. The second part suggests some potential models through which the ANU might deliver these outcomes. We think that our recommendations are operationally and financially realistic, and could help to create an integrated, efficient and cost effective delivery of the services the ANU requires and deserves. The ANU has not solicited these views, but we believe that the D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 3 of 16 importance of these issues encourages us to express our views, hoping that they will contribute usefully to the discussion of, and planning for, the future of ANU. We believe any significant development of ANU’s capacity to provide for its existing community and to recruit the very best of faculty, staff and students will require the following: High-level coordination and administration Commitment from and joint participation by existing ANU service providers and users Commercial partnerships for service provision Collaboration with the ACT government in land utilization and the undertaking of major works. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 4 of 16 PART ONE: A VISION FOR OUR FUTURE A Short Mapping of Existing Services We identify the following units that provide the bulk of the present non-academic activities and services at the ANU: * The ANU Sport and Recreation Association - Competitive and leisure sport and recreation opportunities - Socialisation opportunities through sport and recreation (inc. clubs) - Sport and lifestyle education - Personal fitness testing and development - Sports facility and sports service provision. * Student Organisations - PARSA and the SA * ANU Union * ANU Student and Academic Services * ANU Staff Human Resource Division * * ANU Marketing and Communication Division * University Accommodation Services (UAS) * University House * Other and General - Crèches - Financial Services - Restaurants, eateries and other small commercial establishments - Careers Centre. The majority of the above list, as well as other service areas not identified, have the shared intention to deliver the most valuable possible outcomes / advantages for their segment of the University Community. Most providers perform their role on a not-for-profit or forced cost-recovery basis. Clearly, many of these units are internally complex and contribute to the ANU community in equally complex ways. We suspect that their many and varied contributions are currently not well integrated or delivered as a well considered package. We imagine a University that can offer its entire community excellence in each of these domains, in order to ensure that all members feel nurtured, valued, encouraged, and appreciated. We fully concur with the Vice Chancellor that “this University is its people”, and we wish to explore ways by which the ANU can ultimately enhance each person’s experience of life on campus. In order to foster a discussion, we address what we see as important contributing factors and especially consider the delivery of the ANU Sport and Recreation’s ongoing functions and responsibilities. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 5 of 16 Service and Amenity Integration, Partnerships and Progress What might we hope to achieve? As an example, the SRA has, for many years, considered the possibility of providing a swimming pool. While the capital cost of building such a facility is well beyond the SRA’s current capacity, we see that an opportunity exists to build such a facility into, for instance, the development of the City West/Campus East complex with its suggested mix of commercial and academic activities. A swimming pool located in the City West area could replace the existing city pool, (thought to be considered for demolition in the foreseeable future), and be funded in partnership with the ACT government. * As well, we see other collaborative synergies that emerge when we consider the expansion of the SRA’s core function from a “sport and recreation” provider to an important contributor to a “total wellness” provider in an integrated services model. Some supplementary amenities that have been suggested include; - Addition of pool-related reinvigoration services such as spas, saunas, spring baths, steam baths, floatation tanks, aqua group-fitness programs - Personal care treatments such as day spa services, hair styling, nail care, make-up and perfumery salons - Motivation lounges and meditation rooms - Expansion of Sport and Recreation programs to encompass a greater range of “lifeenhancement” courses * Adjunct educational facilities for Faculties (such as Medicine), including: - human and biomedical sciences and - a university/community-based cardiac testing unit, providing not only a service to the ANU community but also a research opportunity for relevant faculties * Provision of a new, permanent home for a number of SAS Health and Counselling Services, including the Medical Centre, Disability and Psychological support services * Provision of “in-appreciation” services to the University Staff through involvement of the HR Unit: - Staff-appreciation gift vouchers from Faculty heads to reward effort / contributions, - Faculty Heads Executive Lounge / Club with Silver Service Dining Room - Multi-purpose rooms that can double as holiday child-minding facilities for full-time staff with children - Short-care Crèche to accommodate facility-related occasional staff and student childcare needs during Wellness-related activities of parents. * University Marketing and Communications Unit involvement: - Prominent Point of Contact shopfront, - Facility acting as a “best-practice” show-case to prospective future members of the University community * Other University Service Provider amenities: - Shopfronts for PARSA and the SA - Eateries and commercial services - Student Club meeting and equipment storage rooms. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 6 of 16 An example of the SRA vision of service integration Taking the concept of an ANU swimming pool as an example, we suggest how some variants of its design and levels of related services could be configured. We appreciate the fact that a swimming pool is perhaps one of the most expensive and difficult undertakings the University might consider, and for this reason we think it provides an interesting and useful example of how an integrated service model could be made to work, taking into account an innovative range of funding source alternatives, and the desired to maximise ANU community-exclusive usage of facilities: Level 1. Minimum enhancement: 25m heated indoor pool with its own change rooms and reception area. In order to provide such a facility, we would hope that the Capital Development Loan fund and the University itself, will make a substantial contribution to the building capital costs. Being restrictive in size and function, this basic facility would need to be exclusively reserved for the core ANU user group only, and the SRA (ongoing service provider) would therefore not be able to revenue-generate / cost recover by leasing it to the general public in any way, shape or form. In addition to a subsidised user-pays element, an annual GSF contribution and Staff Amenities Fund contribution would therefore be necessary in order to financially deliver such a facility on an ongoing basis. Level 2: Stand-alone 50m heated indoor swimming pool with moving bulkhead. Being larger in size, the cost of building this facility would be greater, (almost double), therefore the start-up capital contributions would need to increase proportionately. A 50m pool could, however, provide a cost-recovery service in that it would have a larger lapswimming capacity, be configurable for multi-purpose usage, could be used for learn-toswim activities and leased out for swimming carnivals. The involvement of ACT government funds in such a venture, may, (while seeming attractive at start-up), however, force the same subsidies to be applied to the general public as the university community member, therefore actually working against the ANU’s interests in our attempts to costrecover on the recurrent running costs to serve the University community. Level 3: 50m heated indoor pool with Fitness Facilities. The incorporation of fitness facilities into the pool proposal opens up the capacity to crossleverage the value of a pool / fitness membership, allowing financial surpluses on the fitness component to offset the pool component. In such a scenario, the new fitness centre might be reserved exclusively for ANU community members, for example, giving the existing fitness centre the capacity to “off-load” many of the current clientele, and “top-up” with general public fitness centre memberships. These higher-priced, general public memberships would help recover costs for usage by the ANU community / pool members. Level 4: Indoor Aquatic Centre with Fitness Facilities – General Community-Based. The Aquatic Centre concept includes a wider range of de-stress facilities (spa baths, saunas, steam rooms, spring baths, floatation tanks, etc.), leisure pools, exclusive learn to D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 7 of 16 swim pool / rehabilitation pool (uniform shallow depth, water jets, disability access and heated to 32°C), and possibly multiple lap swimming pools / water-polo compatible facilities. This concept would be viable in a scenario where the ACT Government wishes to relocate the Civic Pool to City West (or City South-West) and financially contribute accordingly. The inclusion of an exclusive learn to swim pool increases the flexibility of the facility to deliver a wide range of revenue-generating services. Level 5: University-exclusive Indoor Aquatic Centre with Fitness Facilities and commercial wellness facilities. Here we prioritise staff rehabilitation activities instead of community learn-to-swim programs. The addition of “commercial wellness services” (ie: day spa, hair dressers, nail technicians, perfumery, skin care and make-up salon), deliver lease payments that crosssubsidise staff wellness programs and pool delivery costs. The prime location for a facility of this nature would be Campus Central (eastern side of South Oval). In such a development, we would also probably consider the relocation of change rooms to this side of South Oval. Level 6: Aquatic and Wellness facility with additional support agencies. The inclusion of SAS Health and Counselling services into the facility, as well as medical research (JCSM) and cardiac testing units (ACT Health), and a dietetics / nutrition unit dramatically expanding the “wellness” theme and, possibly, recruiting external funding incentives for ongoing, out-patient cardiac research. (Possibly also attached lecturing and teaching facilities might be valuable if the ANU is to go down this path). Level 7: Aquatic and Wellness facility with support agencies and Revitalisation. The inclusion of extended relaxation and revitalisation services such as eateries, meditation rooms, motivation lounges, motivational resource shop, health foods, Staff Club, staff executive club. Level 8: Aquatic and Total Wellness facility with additional support to ANU Service units. The inclusion of office shopfronts and showcase for ANUHR, ANUMAC, Alumni, SA, PARSA. Additionally, provide multi-purpose rooms that double as club rooms, Multi purpose rooms and holiday ANU Staff child-minding facilities, as well as a short-term crèche unit to accommodate facility-related occasional staff and student childcare needs during Wellness-related activities of parents. In all, this vision encompasses, in various configurations, the following University services: OFFICES ANU Sport & Recreation Association Administration staff ANU Sport & Recreation Association Program staff ANU Sports Club Administration ANU Cultural & Hobby Club Administration ANU Human and Biomedical Sciences (JCSM) ANU SAS - Health and Counselling Services ANU Marketing & Communication ANU HR Division PARSA D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 8 of 16 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES TO INCLUDE: Physiology, Biomechanics and Medical Science Labs Canberra Hospital Cardiac Testing Unit Lecture and Tutorial Hall ACTIVE LIFESTYLE SERVICES ANU Pool, including change rooms / Saunas / Steam Rooms / Spring Baths (Both General usage and Executive) Spa Pool Fitness Centre, Cardio Theatre, Group Fitness Rooms Sporting facilities Recreation facilities Leisure facilities Sport, Recreation and Leisure courses, clubs, programs Buildings that promote a relaxation / revitalisation / nurturement ambiance Club Meeting Rooms Club Storage Rooms Crèche / Childcare Centre STAFF SERVICES Faculty Amenities - Executive’s Lounge / Club / Relaxation - Refreshment Area - Restaurant - Silver Service Dining Room RELAXATION / RE-VITALISATION SERVICES Café Restaurant Lounges / rest areas Meditation rooms Motivation audio-visual lounges Ambient / piped music Flotation Tanks Day Spa - Skin Care, Body packs and wraps, Exfoliation, Cellulite, Body toning/contouring, Waxing - Tanning - Hand and Foot treatments - Manicures / Pedicures - Body Massage Swedish, Lymph Drainage and Reflexology, Shiatsu, Polarity, Sports, Deep tissue, Deep muscle, Kinesiology Hair styling Make-up consultation / application / sales outlet Perfumery Personal Help / Motivation - Books - Tapes / CD’s - Aromatherapy - Scented Candles Dietetics / Nutrition Health foods Personal Trainers Life Coaches Psychiatry / emotional support Reiki / Feldenkrais / Alexander Technique Occasional-care crèche (available to real-time appointment clients only) D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 9 of 16 PART TWO: ADMINISTRATION OF THE TOTAL WELLNESS MODEL AT THE ANU The integration of the services and activities that we hope to see in a newly integrated ANU model will, no doubt, demand an administrative structure that efficiently coordinates its development and provides oversight for its programs. The primary intention of this document is not to stipulate the structure, other than to reinforce that the individual service providers maintain their own autonomy to deliver each of their unique services. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 10 of 16 Geographic integration of service provision The SRA recognises the need to distribute amenities across the campus, and to build capacity at any new Campus developments. Opportunities exist, both on a central and decentralized model, (or in the best case long-term scenario, a combination of both), to provide these integrated services. Centralised Model In the Central Model, we foresee a new sports and support service precinct to the east of South Oval, the geographic centre of campus. Already established as an open leisure and lifestyle zone, this precinct includes South Oval, tennis courts and the nearby rowing shed. Due to its proximity to halls of residence, the Research Schools, University House and some of the Faculties, this site might be a good choice for the University’s community swimming pool and a number of lifestyle support facilities that will enhance lifestyle services. If part of a planned future was to focus resources in this area, it would provide a “sanctuary” for members of the university to re-charge efficiently in modern and well equipped facilities in new buildings at this site. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 11 of 16 Decentralised Model In a Decentralised Model, we see the University support services placed in areas that, while not physically unified, are planned in an integrated manner that maximised utility for the greatest number of members of the university community. We see the need for wellness services in these precincts: Campus North Campus West Heart of the ANU Campus East (City-West) Campus South Kialoa Expanding on this concept, we see several opportunities at each of the different geographic precincts. As such, complementarity of amenities and programs, rather than duplication, may best suit the community. While the exact location of facilities would need to be determined by predicted user participation, we suggest one way in which the different precincts of the ANU could be used to satisfy the complex needs of the community. Some Precinct based scenarios Campus North * North Oval: Develop for Rugby and Cricket * Area between Barry Drive, McCaughey, and Masson Streets; - Enter into a partnership with Canberra City for an outdoor mixed activity complex. - Possibly collaborate with ACT Rugby for a Brumbies Training facility. * SRA Building: (Fitness Centre, Dojo, 2 x Sports halls, Multi-Purpose Room, Squash Courts), Tennis Courts, Willows Oval – North Road; - Retain Current sport and recreation facilities for their currently-designated purpose - Consider the likelihood of the Fitness Centre being one of several on campus, in which case public access might be extended at this particular location (at premium rates) to assist in the cross-subsidisation of other lifestyle-based facilities (eg: pool). D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 12 of 16 Campus East (previously known as City West) * Develop Commercial Collaborative partners; - Restaurant and Café zone - Bookstore, cinema, theatre - Range of nurturing / relaxation services (ie: hair dressers, nail artists, pedicure, day spa, massage, perfumery type services) where rent assists in the delivery of staffappreciation rewards. - Secondary site for University pool / sports precinct. (Public usage would necessarily need to restrict university community usage) - Offer some non-University membership services Campus Central (Heart of the ANU) * Offer some non-University membership service facilities; - Preferred site for the University pool, in the event that the pool is made exclusively for ANU community usage (central and easy for all to reach). - Support sport and lifestyle facilities (ie: Fitness Centre, new sports field change rooms, new South Oval Pavilion) - PARSA Headquarters - Possibly offices for M&C, HR - SAS services - Upgrade Fellows Oval to International Soccer standard (2 x pitches) with lighting and associated amenities * Develop South Oval sub-surface car-park Campus South * Cafe and Faculty Club - Receptions centre and meetings rooms - Emeritus Wellness Centre Kialoa * Develop conference facilities, orientation/welcome locus for overseas students and visiting researchers, build joint research capacity for domestic and overseas partners. * Provide integrated exercise and wellness opportunities for visitors. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 13 of 16 Summary The SRA council would welcome a chance to take part in the discussions that will help to inform the directions, pace and details of the activities and facilities that will complement the continuing development of academic programs at the ANU. We see a compelling opportunity to rationalize and integrate existing and future wellnessrelated programs in order to provide maximum benefits to ANU staff and students, (and possibly others), and to do so with significant cost efficiencies. (The likelihood that VSU legislation will necessitate reshaping of many campus services now requires an early approach.) A well considered draft plan should be developed to better identify opportunities and possibilities. A mature plan would support efforts to find commercial partners to invest in the future of the ANU. A significant move toward achieving a well considered plan will provide the ANU with important additional amenities to attract and support faculty, staff, students and their families. D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 14 of 16 NOTES / SUGGESTIONS / OBSERVATIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS / IDEAS: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 15 of 16 NOTES / SUGGESTIONS / OBSERVATIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS / IDEAS: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\c73d9915-202f-4710-b657-b26bdbd4e0db.doc Page 16 of 16
