Three staff members in the office of intramural sports and Student Recreation and Wellness Center will not be returning next semester because of cuts.

The Rec Center will work closely with the intramural sports program this next school year, leading to stronger programs and lower costs for the university.

“Intramurals merging with the Rec Center just made sense,” said Dr. Jan Meyer, interim dean of Student Life. “It is a natural fit, and the staff from both offices work well together.”

Because both offices promote physical activity and wellness, working together will help the two groups achieve this goal more effectively. Kenli Edwards, director of intramural sports, believes collaboration and ideas between the two parties will create stronger programs.

“Right now, we are talking about what is going to benefit the students the most, because that is what the Rec Center is for and what intramurals are for,” she said.

Edwards will work with Joel Swedland, executive director of the SRWC, and Dr. Kerri Hart, assistant director of the SRWC, along with the rest of the SRWC staff.

“Joel, Kerri and I all work together well and know it’s going to be an easy transition,” Edwards said.

The merge led to two positions being cut – the assistant director of intramurals and administrative coordinator for intramurals. The plan is to merge the that coordinator position with the identical position in the Rec Center. However, neither of the two people in those positions are able to fill the merged position.

Meyer asked that the names Of those whose positions will be cut not be published, though their names and positions are available on the ACU website.

The cuts were needed because of budget cuts and the same positions existing at both the SRWC and intramural sports, Meyer said.

“There was an administrative position in the intramural office and the same administrative position in the Rec Center,” she said. “We did not need to support two of the same position, so we had to cut one.”

Neither current administrator at the SRWC or intramurals was able to take the administrative position for next year. That position will be an opportunity for a new candidate.

“The challenge about any eliminated position is that it is often painful,” Meyers said. “But it often provides an opportunity for someone else somewhere.”

Many of the intramural sports will continue to use the SRWC, namely the indoor intramurals requiring those facilities: waterball, volleyball and basketball. At this time, no new sports have been added to intramural program, Edwards said.