Starting this semester, UPJ implemented a recreation fee of $65 a semester for Wellness Center operations.

Amy Buxbaum, UPJ Finance and Administration vice president, said the fee was implemented more than a year after the center’s 2011 opening because it took that long to get the fee in place. While paying the fee is mandatory for students, it is optional for faculty and staff who want to use the center.

“Faculty and staff, who want to use the Wellness Center will subscribe for a membership,” said Buxbaum. “They are charged the same price, and there’s no discount for employees.”

Buxbaum also said fee proceeds will be used for annual operations, which include staff wages, building maintenance and center programing.

According to its website, the center features equipment such as a 30-foot climbing wall, more than two dozen pieces of strength-training machines and two courts for basketball and volleyball.

It also has a 1,000-square-foot dance studio and programs like Yoga and Zumba fitness classes.

Amber Frankel, a sophomore biology major, said she liked the center equipment.

“I do really like the gym. I like that they have a wide variety of machines and exercise equipment,” said Frankel. “I think having a gym is very beneficial for the students at UPJ.”