Feedback and FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions
Please note that if you would like a direct response you must include your email address in the form above.


Facility Hours

Q: What happens when there is a big snow storm?

A: During the Academic Year: If UMaine remains open, then all Campus Recreation programming runs as scheduled, and our facilities remain open.  If UMaine closes, then all Campus Recreation programming is canceled, but the Rec Center and Maine Bound will usually remain open. It’s a good idea to call ahead just to make sure.
During Breaks: If UMaine remains open, then all Campus Recreation programming runs as scheduled, and our facilities remain open.  If UMaine closes, our facilities may close or go to limited hours, so please call ahead.

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Q: Please open earlier / stay open later.

A: We base the building hours on usage statistics, the local trends, member feedback, and of course on budgetary realities. So your feedback is great to hear. Because we swipe each member into the building we can get accurate data on daily, hourly, and membership type facility usage. During the breaks we see between 400 – 600 people a day during the week and 300- 500 on weekend days. The majority of family members come after 1:00 pm on weekends with students still being the primary users. During the academic year we see around 2000 people on each weekday and around 1200 on each weekend day. The pressure and demands on the building vary, depending on the time of the year. We will look at the weekend morning hours since there is often a large group at the door ready to come in at opening time. This is a good indicator we should reconsider our opening time. Thank you.

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Q: Could you have the Wallace Pool open more for free swim?

A: Wallace Pool is an Athletic Department facility, and Campus Recreation’s use of it is limited by availability in the Athletic facility schedule. The lap lanes in the Rec Center leisure pool are a full 25 yards long, just like Wallace, and they are available anytime the leisure pool is open.

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Website

Q: How can I make a racquetball reservation online? We have memberships at the Rec Center.

A: Click here for instructions on using WebTrac.

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Q: You need to have a way to release court reservations online after they are made.

A: Thank you for your feedback. We agree that you should be able to cancel court reservations online! Unfortunately, Webtrac has some limitations, and that’s one of them. Please call 581-1082 to cancel; feel free to leave a message if we’re closed.

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Q: You should allow more than one reservation per family per day.

A: Because we only have two racquetball courts, we need to set some usage limitations. Unfortunately, the only way the software allows us to restrict reservations is at the family/household level, rather at the individual family member level. We have already suggested to the software company that these improvements be made, and are awaiting a response.

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Q: Please post  the various events on the website (birthday parties, middle school baskbetball games, etc.) so that those of us who would not rather be at the fitness center during these oftentimes loud events where little kids are allowed to run around the center.

A: Unfortunately we are unable to do this because of the frequency and unpredictable timing of these events.

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Indoor Temperature

Q: Please add fans and shades in the cardio area.

A: The ventilation system at the Rec Center is state-of-the-art; it exchanges all the air for fresh air once every couple of hours. We are monitoring the situation, and if we determine that it is necessary we will consider investing in some sort of fans. Regarding the shade issue, the facility’s design included frosted glass that was supposed to eliminate the need for shades, which do not fit in the architectural design or the budget.

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Q: Please lower the heat upstairs in the cardio area, and turn up the heat in the locker rooms.

A: Air temperature is one of the challenges of any large facility. In an effort to reduce utility costs and reduce our carbon footprint, we carefully monitor the HVAC system. We also follow UM regulations for temperature range as set forth by the UM Administration. The HVAC system requires us to choose a temperature, from which we can deviate by only four degrees in individual areas. If we turn it down too low, the locker rooms are too cold. If we turn it up too high, the locker rooms get too humid (slippery floors) and the workout areas get too warm. We adjust climate controls in all areas to fit everyone’s needs within the constraints of the facility and policy.

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Locker Rooms & Bathrooms

Q: Please turn up the heat in the locker rooms.

A: Air temperature is one of the challenges of any large facility. In an effort to reduce utility costs and reduce our carbon footprint, we carefully monitor the HVAC system. We also follow UM regulations for temperature range as set forth by the UM Administration. The HVAC system requires us to choose a temperature, from which we can deviate by only four degrees in individual areas. If we turn it down too low, the locker rooms are too cold. If we turn it up too high, the locker rooms get too humid (slippery floors) and the workout areas get too warm. We adjust climate controls in all areas to fit everyone’s needs within the constraints of the facility and policy.

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Q: Add more lockers (and/or locker rooms).

A: The size of our locker rooms was dictated by recommendations from a professional consulting firm. It is unfortunate that the firm underestimated the demand for lockers at this facility and price. Lockers expire at the end of May, August, and December… so watch for notices! We also have added a new changing room next to the pool, which has day lockers but no toilet/sink/shower.

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Q: Please mop the locker room floor more often.

A: We clean the locker rooms twice per day based on staffing availability, and they are checked throughout the day as well. We will be sure to verify that our employees are doing this as scheduled.

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Q: Mirrors in the shower because the faucets in front of the mirror do not run hot. It would be easier to shave in the shower if there were small mirrors there.

A: Thank you for your suggestion, we are looking into it.

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Q: The new electronic day locks are great and very convenient! But every time I come in a lot of them are locked, with nothing inside of them. I have the feeling people are claiming them and locking them so they are certain of having a locker when they come back. I think you should check this a couple of times a day (and not just once, at the end of the day) and unlock lockers that are empty, so people can use them.

A: This is a new system for us and we are working to solve a few concerns we have had so your feedback is valuable to us. We have noticed a few situations which create locked lockers that are not in use.  I just did a survey in the Men’s Room and found 3 locked lockers with nothing in them.  One was truly locked and the 2 others were un-openable because of jammed locker door issues caused by slamming the doors shut.  We are certainly concerned about this and will be doing more frequent checks and working to make this new system as customer friendly as possible.

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Pool Area

Q: If the lifeguards see people not swimming laps in the lap lanes, it would be nice if they can ask them to splash around in the open-pool area.

A: We will make sure the lifeguards are more responsive to those situations.

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Q: A couple pairs of flippers in the pool equipment bin, like the ones at Wallace, would be great.

A: We will look into the possibility of providing them here.

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Q: I really like the Whirlpool. I really enjoy going here because of it and the running track.

A: That’s great, we’re pleased to hear it!

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Q: Stronger Whirlpool would be better exercise and more fun.

A: Unfortunately, the vortex strength is not adjustable. However, the closer you are to the wall, the stronger it is.

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Q: There should be a handle to help in exiting the vortex (whirlpool), and padding on the end of the walls at the opening to the pool. Children have trouble getting out against the current. Also, the two small nozzles in the vortex protrude and it’s easy to jam into them while going around.

A: Thank you for your feedback, we will look into these issues.

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Q: The Sauna and hot tub are not hot enough.

A: We test regularly to ensure that they are operating within the required temperature parameters, but due to health and safety regulations those parameters may be lower than some of our members would prefer.

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Track & Courts

Q: My coworkers and I enjoy walking at lunch time and used to be able to use the old gym for free. We would love to have the option of walking inside someplace on campus for FREE or a nominal fee. Are we still allowed to walk on the old track?

A: Because of the open concept layout at the rec center, there isn’t any way for us to control access to individual parts of the facility. Therefore, we can’t sell a pass just to walk on the track here. For information about use of the fieldhouse track, please contact the Athletic Department.

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Q: Please permanently lower the volume on the electronic basketball scoreboard by a substantial amount!

A: We will look at the horn sound levels on the scoreboards and work to limit the horn use to only what is necessary to run the specific event to which it is needed. The boards and horn are not used during open rec time. They are used by our Intramural Sports program. The horns sound automatically at the end of a period of play. The IM Sports program provides a competitive sports environment for over 14,000 participants a year, and is a vital and traditional part of all University recreation programs across the country. IM sports are played seasonally in the Rec Center on Sunday – Thursday nights from 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm. At certain points in the year, the IM games actually draw spectators and do create some extra noise. This is a part of the campus community and is a positive sign of a vibrant and engaged campus. Campus Recreation works to meet the needs of all of our members, whether they use a only certain part of the facility or participate in all facets of the facility. We do ask that all members help create a positive environment for all and respect all users of the facility. If a specific issue occurs in which others are making your experience unsafe or unpleasant please bring it to the Building Manager’s attention at the time so they may deal with the particular situation first-hand. The Building Managers wear green staff shirts and can often be found at the front desk.

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Q: Please do not have the youth basketball games in the rec center anymore. It is impossible to get into the locker rooms with the spectators standing around. And the sound of the buzzer and referees whistle is deafening.

A: Thank you for your comment. The youth basketball tournaments are an outside facility rental that provides area residents the opportunity to experience the University in a positive light and create a chance for the youth to play their games in a state-of-the-art facility. The rentals also create revenue for Campus Recreation. The Recreation Center operates as an Auxiliary function of the University, which means Campus Recreation pays for all the expenses of the facility, from heat and lights to payroll, and is not dependent on University and State funds to operate. While the vast majority of our funding comes from the student fee, our secondary sources such as memberships, programs, and services such as facility rentals are all part of the financial picture and are necessary to maintain the hours of operation, quality of equipment, and the cleanliness of the facility. While we recognize that facility rentals do cause disruption to the “normal” day-to-day experience of the Recreation Center for its members, we make a tremendous effort to minimize the disturbance. This year’s youth tournaments were our first and we learned a lot about the dos and don’ts of this type of rental. IF we decide to do these again we will apply what we learned form these first tourneys in an effort to be less disruptive to our members experience. Additionally, the score board buzzers have been lowered in volume and the blast has been shortened.

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Q: You should allow more than one racquetball court reservation per family per day. Thank you.

A: Because we only have two racquetball courts, we need to set some usage limitations. Unfortunately, the only way the software allows us to restrict reservations is at the family/household level, rather at the individual family member level. We have already suggested to the software company that these improvements be made, and are awaiting a response.

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Q: The MAC court needs to be washed badly. I play on it 3-4 times per week and it’s really slippery with that fine dust out there. People will stop slipping, rolling ankles, etc. I ref like 4 times a week and see people falling all over the place when they try to change direction.

A: Thank you for bringing this to our attention, we will take another look at our cleaning schedule.

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Q: Over booking the MAC court is frustrating for people who want to use the facilities. If every Monday through Thursday is booked why not leave Friday open. It is very discouraging never being able to have a soccer game.

A: Thank you for the feedback. Our Intramural Sports program does use the MAC for IM events Monday – Thursday. This program has over 14,000 student participants a year and is exclusively focused on our student members. That said we understand the need for more free playtime on the MAC and are working to limit the scheduling of that space to create as much free play as possible.

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Weight & Cardio Areas

Q: We need more clocks.

A: There are at least 15 clocks in the Rec Center’s public areas.

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Q: One thing I would add to the abs area would be a decline bench, I used to use the one at Latti all the time, but can not seem to find one at the new rec center, is there one in the building?

A: We do have a small decline bench in the lower weight room. We will look at buying another one for the functional area, in the future.

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Q: Why do the lights in the cardio area not turn off now that we have bright sunny days? isn’t this supposed to be a green building which uses less energy?

A: The row of lights furthest from the windows in the cardio/weight areas remains on all the time, but the rest do shut off via sensor during the day. If this isn’t happening, it means the light sensors are malfunctioning, so please bring it to our attention.

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Q: Please add a straight pull up bar.

A: Each squat rack and cable crossover machine has pull-up bars attached, for a total of 6 pull-up bars. On each of these, there is a substantial section in the middle that is straight. If you place your hands a little bit closer together, you will achieve the same effects as if you have an all-straight bar.

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Q: The Elastic bands upstairs are great exercise but there is nothing to hook them to when I want to use them. Just some kind of rigid support with places to put the bands would be great, Thanks

A: Thank you for the suggestion, we will look into it. Meanwhile, you’re welcome to stand on the the 2nd floor “bridge” walkway and put the band around the metal support that suspends it from the ceiling.

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Multipurpose Rooms

Q: Please let me use the LeMond spin bikes when there’s no class.

A: Our current policy on not allowing use of the LeMond cycles outside of class time is based on two safety-related issues. First and foremost, our multipurpose rooms are difficult for our building managers to monitor easily, and we wouldn’t want someone using the cycles to undergo a heart attack (for example) and not be discovered quickly. To a lesser degree, we are also concerned that unsupervised use of the flywheel may result in user injury.

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Q: Please let us have access to the multi-purpose rooms when there is no class in session.

A: The downstairs multipurpose room is unlocked between classes.

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Other Facility/Amenity Feedback

Q: Could you please have your staff wash and wipe out the wooden storage cubicles on a regular basis? With all the slush and sand many of these cubes have dried up slush and dirt in them which then makes them unusable for storing one’s things unless one is willing to get them all dirty.

A: The cubbies are on our staff’s regular cleaning list; we will assess whether a more frequent cleaning schedule is needed.

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Q: Do you rent parts of the Rec Center out to groups?

A: Absolutely! Ernest “Eric” Swett is the contact person for facility rentals. You can reach him via email at the link above or call him at 581-3485.

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Q: Sell milk, chocolate milk, protein shakes, and smoothies.

A: The products we can sell are limited to those available to us through University contractual agreements and our capacity to store inventory. Additionally, we want to sell products that have real value and are safe for the consumers. We have considered milk products in the past and have determined that the expiration and storage issues are prohibitive due to the need for additional cold storage. We are looking into products that need no refrigeration and have a longer shelf life.

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Programs & Services

Q: Does UMaine offer public skating?

A: The Alfond Arena is open at certain times for Public Skating and for Stick & Puck. Click here for details.

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Q: I have not yet been to the Fitness Center, and I have never been to ANY fitness center in my life! I was curious about receiving assistance in what I should do for a personal fitness program, and the proper use of the available machines. What do you offer? Thanks!

A: For general information about how to use the various machines, you can get a free equipment orientation. For personal recommendations, you could either purchase a Fitness Consultation, or a Fitness Assessment and Personal Training session(s). Please click here for detailed explanations and rates.

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Q: Do I need to register for classes, or just show up?

A: Only the classes listed as “Instructional” or “Specialty” require registration. All group exercise classes are first-come / first-served, except Cycling classes. For those we have a Cycle Signup notebook at the front counter, which you can put your name in up to 24 hours before each class. Phone reservations are accepted.

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Policies & Rates

Q: How do I use my new UMS Employee Voucher at the Rec Center?

A: Voucher policies and procedures can be found here.

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Q: Is the climbing tower and bouldering wall open to the public? If so, what are the hours and cost to non-students?

A: Yes, it is open to the public. Information can be found here.

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Q: I am a UMaine student but I never use the Rec Center, do I still have to pay for it?

A: All UMaine students enrolled for classes on the Orono campus are required to pay the Rec Center fee.  Any questions can be directed to Jeff Hunt, Director of UMaine Campus Recreation.  All waiver requests should be directed to Kristie Deschesne, Associate Director for Programming.

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Q: It would be really great if there was a pass *just* for adults to use the leisure pool. Even a lower rate “daily pass” would be nice.

A: The Rec Center’s open layout, while it does allow plenty of sunshine and outdoor views, prevents us from offering a pool-only pass for adults. There just isn’t any way for us to control access to the rest of the facility. We do offer the $3 kids’ swim pass to children who are too young to use the other areas of the facility anyway.

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Q: Where do my membership dollars go?

A: The following is a breakdown of our main expenses:

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Family and Youth

Q: Have you considered programs for children younger than 1st grade?

A: The “Grades 1-8” specification for RAD Camps was put in place because we believe the staffing and program are best for children who are accustomed to being away from their parents for a full day. We are open to considering the possibility of future programming designed specifically for a younger age group.

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Q: Where can I find information on Summer Camps?

A: Right here!

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Q: Daycare.

A: We do not hold a daycare facility license.

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Staff

Q: I love the Rec. Center! The staff is helpful and friendly. Keep up the good work.

A: We’re glad to hear it, thank you!

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Q: Every time I walk into the Rec. center I smile and say hi to whoever is working at the desk. Unfortunately they are not always quick to smile back, or even say hi. What happened to having the best customer service on campus?

A: Thank you for your feedback, this is an ongoing training issue. Our student employees are young, and their classes are their main priority, but we do strive to help them understand that their attitude has a definite impact on our members.

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Q: Great staff!

A: Thank you!

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