The Student Activity & Academic Center (SAAC) on Clairmont Campus stopped selling $10 single-day guest passes on Monday, in favor of more expensive, longer-term access passes.
Individuals who are not associated with Emory now must either purchase a $120 14-visit pass that does not expire or an annual membership for $570. Summer and family memberships are also available.
The changes were made because “guest policies at the Woodruff Physical Education Center [WoodPEC] and [SAAC] were different and confusing for students, members and guests,” according to the SAAC website.
Members and students can still bring three guests per visit for $10.
The update for the SAAC guest pass policy will now match the current guest policy at the WoodPEC.
“Our priority is to serve Emory students, faculty, and staff,” Associate Director of Recreation Operations Walter Kolis wrote in a March 15 email to the Wheel. “Updating and aligning our guest policies at the SAAC to match the WoodPEC allows us to focus on providing consistent service to Emory students, faculty and staff and their guests.”
This policy change has been a part of the SAAC’s efforts to update and align its guest policies since Summer 2018, according to Kolis.
Kolis said no specific incidents inspired the policy change, although Emory Police Department has responded to disturbances at the SAAC involving non-Emory visitors. One altercation at the basketball court in September 2018 involved a gun threat.
Emily Rexer (20C), who uses the SAAC facilities as a student, said she does not support the change in guest pass policy because it detracts from the SAAC’s objective of improving health.
“It just kind of blocks entry to using the gym, which is not really the incentive, especially when people are just trying to get healthy,” Rexer said.
Kolis also said that other students and members have demonstrated concern over this policy change, expressing their desire to still bring friends as guests to the SAAC.
Correction (4/3/19 at 2:40 p.m.): A previous version of this article stated that members and students may bring guests for free. In fact, guests cost $10 each.
