Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 11/18/04 Section: Campus News

One of the oldest departments on campus, which has seen the likes of NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil, has changed its name.

For the first time since 1976, the human performance department has changed its name to the department of kinesiology.

Greg Payne, the chair of human performance, said the name change was decided about a month ago when the department voted it on. He said the prefix name of department and classes would change from "HUP," for human performance to "KIN" for kinesiology in Fall 2005.

Payne said the department, which is located at the Spartan Complex and Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, decided to change its name because it did not match the degree name. He said the department was gradually moving away from the name human performance.

"It is a very specific term," Payne said. "We want to be accurate about what we do in the department."

Chris Wong, a freshman computer engineering major, said he is not really sure what kinesiology is.

"I don't think it's a bad idea. I would have to look up the word, honestly," Wong said. "It would just confuse me a bit. I don't offhand know what the word means. Other than that, it doesn't seem to be hurting anything."

Daniel Camarillo, a junior majoring in psychology, also said some people might not understand what it is.

"As far as students are concerned, it's kind of an unusual change because I think most people aren't going to know what kinesiology is," Camarillo said. "It sounds like it's more of a scientific name, so I guess they have a good reason changing it."

The term kinesiology is about the movement of the body, Payne said. Payne said the name change was not difficult to do.

"It was really pretty simple," Payne said. He said the department wrote a proposal about the name being changed, gave it to Michael Ego, the dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, and he approved it.

The proposal was then taken to Robert Cooper, the associate vice president of the Undergraduate Studies Office, and he approved it, Payne said. It was finally taken to Marshall Goodman, the former provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, and he approved it, Payne said.

Payne said they want the department name change to be easy for people to handle.

"You don't want to lose that when you change your name," Payne said.

"When you change your name, you have to build a new legacy."

Chris Pabelico, a freshman chemical engineering major, said the name change does not make sense.

"Human performance would be easier to identify than kinesiology," Pabelico said.

Jesse Herrera, a senior majoring in business marketing, said the name change would be pointless.

"They should just leave it the way it is," Herrera said.

The name change was widely accepted and the only resistance was within the department, Payne said. He said the name was actually kicked around for several years.

Payne said the department has been around since 1862 and is one of the oldest on campus.

James Smith, a junior majoring in television, radio, film and theatre, said the name change would be beneficial.

"I actually like it," Smith said.

"Human performance is not so wide known as kinesiology. My minor is going to be kinesiology, so to be able to put that on my resume speaks volumes than human performance, it's not universal."

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