University Bulletin 2001-02
Physical Education


Objectives


Movement and activity are basic functions necessary for the human body to grow, develop, and maintain health. Realizing that good health is largely self-controlled, the physical education department's curriculum focuses on fitness, dance, and lifetime sports to encourage lifestyle changes in its students.

Brandeis prides itself on education of the body as well as education of the intellect. The physical education department curriculum focuses on cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, body composition (percent of body fat), the maintenance of muscular strength, and endurance.

Students should complete the physical education requirement by the end of their sophomore year. Transfer students may offer toward the requirement physical education courses that appear on the transcript of their previous institutions. Most physical education courses meet for two hours per week and are limited in size; preference is given to first-year students.


Faculty


Denise Dallamora, Chair

Dance. Fitness. Individual sports.

Carol Ann Baer

Dance.

Bruce Bickford

Racquet sports. Fitness.

Richard Burr

Athletic training. Fitness.

Vincent Christiano

Karate.

Michael Coven

Team sports. Weight training.

Lisa DeNicola

Athletic training. Fitness.

Susan Dibble

Dance.

Judith Houde

Racquet sports.

Zabelle Margosian

Dance.

Mark Reytblat

Fitness. Team sports.

William Shipman

Fencing. Racquet sports. Golf.

Carol Simon

Fitness. Team sports. Racquet sports.

Kenneth Still

Fitness. Team sports.

Mary Sullivan

Aquatics. First aid. CPR.

Richard Varney

Team sports. Racquet sports.

James Zotz

Aquatics. Fitness.


Undergraduate Degree Requirements


Physical education is an undergraduate degree requirement at Brandeis. This requirement is satisfied by successful completion of two semester-long, noncredit courses, or by passing a fitness test taken the first year.

All students have two opportunities during their first year at Brandeis to exempt themselves from all or part of the physical education requirement by taking a battery of tests that measure muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and body composition. A student unable to pass the fitness test should enroll in a course in the Personal Fitness Group.

A grade of 60-79 percent will exempt you from one physical education class or half of your requirement. A grade of 80 percent or better will exempt you from two physical education classes or all of your requirement. Physical education classes meet the first day of regular classes and attendance is mandatory. A maximum of two absences is allowed in a class that meets once per week and a maximum of four absences for a class that meets twice per week.


Courses of Instruction



Aquatics Certification

PE 1a Beginner's Swimming

Enrollment limited to 16.

This course is designed to teach the non-swimmer the basic skills of floating, treading water, and the crawl stroke. Usually offered in the fall semester.

Ms. Sullivan


Dance

PE 26a Ballroom Dance

Enrollment limited to 40.

Each semester Latin dances will be covered: introduction to cha-cha, rumba, tango, and mambo. Also, swing, waltz, and fox-trot. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Evans-Baer

PE 26b Intermediate Ballroom Dance

Prerequisite: PE 26a or comparable dance experience. Enrollment limited to 40.

This course is a follow-up to Beginning Ballroom Dance. Learn new steps in cha-cha, rumba, tango, and waltz. Usually offered every spring semester.

Ms. Evans-Baer

PE 31a Ballet

Enrollment limited to 15.

Students will begin with warming-up exercises (barre work) and balance, control, stretch, and arm movements will be incorporated. When dancers become strong enough, class will proceed to center work, including balancing exercises, turns, and jumps. Dancers will learn stretching and cooling-down exercises. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Margosian

PE 31b Intermediate Ballet

Enrollment limited to 15.

Students need to have two to three years of recent ballet training to participate. Same material as beginning ballet will be covered at an accelerated pace. Russian style ballet, the Legat Technique, will be taught. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Margosian

PE 32a Modern Dance

Enrollment limited to 20.

This is a beginning course in modern dance technique, based on Martha Graham and Jose Lemon style. The course will offer stretching and alignment to dance sequences. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Dibble


Health and Safety

Note: Students with approved medical excuses should take courses from this area.

PE 5a First Aid and Community CPR

Enrollment limited to 12.

An instruction in the American Red Cross standard First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Upon course completion, certificates will be given to students who successfully complete the skills test and pass the written test with scores of 80 percent or better. Usually offered every semester.

Mr. Burr and Ms. Sullivan

PE 6a Sports Medicine

Enrollment limited to 20.

This course will be an introduction to sports medicine and a basic understanding of human anatomy and sports is required. The course will look at many facets of sports medicine including weight training, nutrition, drug education, flexibility, and rehabilitation. Each of the major joints of the body will be examined anatomically, based on injuries sustained. Class will also look briefly at surgical repair of certain joints. Usually offered every spring semester.

Mr. Burr

PE 40a Personal Safety/Self Defense

Enrollment limited to 25.

Learn how to assert yourself and deal with the natural excitement and fear that can cause you to "freeze-up" when faced with an aggressor. You'll be led through simple but effective drills and scenarios designed to help you overcome the uncomfortable feelings and fear that can mark you as an easy target for attack. Since fear and anger are tremendous sources of power when used in defense, understand how to use your emotions to help you become stronger and safe.

Mr. True


Personal Fitness

PE 2a Swim Fitness

Enrollment limited to 20.

Course is designed to improve overall fitness levels through lap swimming. Emphasis is on using the heart rate to improve cardiovascular endurance level. The instruction will be geared more to understanding and implementing swimming as a vehicle to fitness and less toward teaching individual swimming stroke mechanics. Usually offered every semester.

Mr. Zotz

PE 2b Water Aerobics

Enrollment limited to 20.

Course is designed to improve overall fitness levels through water exercise. Emphasis will be on improving cardiovascular endurance through a cross-section of exercises done in the water. Usually offered every semester.

Mr. Zotz

PE 11a Nautilus/Free Weights

Enrollment limited to 25.

Course will be an instruction of proper use of Nautilus, Body Master, and free weight training. Classes will also include aerobic activity such as use of Lifecycles and Tru-Climb 450. Usually offered every semester.

Staff

PE 12a Step Aerobics

Enrollment limited to 30.

Step aerobics is a program that includes stepping up and down on an adjustable platform while performing upper body movements to music. Unlike aerobics, it is low impact and can be moderated to any fitness level. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. DeNicola

PE 13a Aerobics Medley

Enrollment limited to 30.

This class is basic exercise and dance movements executed to music. Light weights will be used and proper stretching techniques, warm-up, abdominal work, and cool-down also included. Variations of step aerobics may also be included. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Dallamora

PE 14a Yoga

Enrollment limited to 15.

Hatha yoga is physical in nature and is based on proper body alignment and is distinctive in its use of props such as belts, walls, and blankets. Classes start with gentle stretches and work toward more challenging poses. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Dallamora

PE 27a Keeping Stress in Check

Enrollment limited to 25.

This course is designed to help students achieve wellness through exercise, nutrition, and health education. Students will be taught to recognize components of their lifestyles that are detrimental to their health while developing a personal fitness program. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. DeNicola

PE 33a Walking for Fitness

Enrollment unlimited.

This course is designed to improve your overall fitness level through walking. Emphasis will be on improving cardiovascular endurance level. Instruction will be given on how to develop a personal fitness program. Usually offered every semester.

Staff

PE 35a Power Walking

Enrollment limited to 25.

Designed to help increase the fitness level of the students through a high-intensity, low-impact workout. The workout consists of walking with hand-held weights. Usually offered every semester.

Mr. Zotz


Sport Appreciation

PE 9a Volleyball

Enrollment limited to 40.

An introduction to the fundamentals of volleyball--scoring, rotation, rules, and the basic skills of passing, serving, hitting, and setting. Methodology includes lectures, demonstrations, drills, but mostly play. Course is intended to be fun through active participation. Usually offered every fall.

Staff

PE 10a Basketball

Enrollment limited to 30.

Class will be structured to meet needs of students with an overview of offensive and defensive skills. Methods used are lecture, demonstrations, drills, and play. Usually offered every semester.

Staff

PE 16a Golf

Enrollment limited to 12.

This is a beginning golf group instructional course. Techniques such as grip, set-up, swing, chipping, pitching, and putting will be covered. Some discussion on golf rules and etiquette will be introduced. Usually offered every semester.

Staff

PE 17a Beginner's Fencing

Enrollment limited to 20.

This course will cover basic mobility, offensive and defensive strategy, and tactics. Competitive bouting will be done, with a class tournament scheduled for the end of the semester. Usually offered every semester.

Mr. Shipman

PE 21a Tennis

Enrollment limited to 16.

This course will be an overview of grips, groundstrokes, serve, return of serve, and net play. Basic singles and doubles strategy, rules, and scoring of the game will be introduced. Usually offered every semester.

Staff

PE 22a Squash

For sections that are one-hour in length, enrollment is limited to 16; for sections that are one-and-a-half hours in length, enrollment is limited to 25.

This course will cover rules for softball. The serve, return of serve, grip, forehand, backhand, and other basic strokes will be introduced. Strategy and play will be emphasized. Usually offered every semester.

Staff

PE 24a Beginner's Karate

Enrollment limited to 25.

The first three Kata of Uechi-Ryu will be taught. Application to kanshiwa and kanshu will be explored. Students will begin slow speed, focused free-fighting, with emphasis on technique from Uechi-Ryu Kata. Usually offered every semester.

Mr. Christiano

PE 25a Intermediate Karate

Prerequisite: PE 24a. Enrollment limited to 25.

Advanced Kotekitae and body conditioning, especially shin and toe development, will be practiced. Study of self-defense will focus on multiple, unarmed attackers. Usually offered every spring semester.

Mr. Christiano

PE 38a Indoor Soccer

Enrollment limited to 18.

An introduction to the fundamentals of soccer--skill development, dribbling, passing, shooting, offense and defense. Intended to be fun through participation in elementary games and exercises.


Courses of Related Interest


These courses count as activity courses towards the Physical Education requirement.

THA 9a

Movement for the Stage I

THA 9b

Movement for the Stage II

THA 10b

Stage Combat

THA 110b

Modern Dance and Movement

THA 120b

Movement and Dance Theater Composition