Student Wellness Center now open

Ready to Get In Shape, CU?

After years of waiting, the Lola and Rob Salazar Student Wellnes Center is open.
Photo: Olivia Couch • The Sentry

On Aug. 1, CU Denver opened the doors to the Lola and Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center. Now, students can get and stay in shape with other CU Denver students right on campus. After a vote from students to build the center, years of waiting for approval to get funding, years of accumulating enough money to build the facility, and approximately one year to build it, students and staff are thoroughly excited to finally get to use the center.

“The Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center has been busy since opening on July 11,” Amber Long, executive director of the Wellness Center, said. “Some of the most popular amenities have been the kitchen, pool, game room, study lounge, and climbing wall. Wellness & Recreation Services will be offering a wide array of programming this fall to include group and personal training, outdoor adventures, intramural sports, and group fitness classes. Events and programming will be presented around the seven dimensions of wellness, representing the holistic nature of the space. The opening of the facility has been an exciting time and worth the wait.”

The Wellness Center features three levels. For students who want the chance to explore the state of Colorado, the Wellness Center offers an Adventure Rental Shop that includes climbing and adventure trip information and registration.

The first level also features four large study rooms, a student kitchen, a six-lane pool, and weight lifting. On this level, there is also a bike repair shop for students who already use their bikes around campus. On the second floor, there are three full-sized gyms, the Den (which is a lounge, study space, table tennis, and gaming area), a fitness area, and a climbing wall.

The third level features The Loft, a functional training space overlooking the Tivoli quad; The Mezzanine which is a space for private workouts or stretching; The Wellness Suite, featuring a quiet room, seminar room, food pantry, massage therapy space, and two reflection rooms; The Terrace, which is an outdoor patio for yoga classes, studying, personal workouts, or lunch breaks; and finally, two large group fitness studios.

As far as memberships go, all current CU Denver students already have access to the facility. The cost is factored into tuition at $12 per credit hour (up to 15 credit hours). And since students already have been paying for the Wellness Center through student fees, all students enrolled and paying fees “between fall 2015 and spring 2018 will have membership retroactively to the number of semesters they paid for. Each semester is equivalent to four months of access,” according to the Wellness Center’s website.

The Wellness Center also employs over 150 CU Denver students. For those looking for a job, openings available include member service, wellness and fitness, aquatic, outdoor adventure, and competitive sports positions.

To learn more about the Wellness Center, visit ucdenver.edu/wellness and follow CUDwellness on social media.