Beginning this fall, Dartmouth Athletics will offer free swim lessons for all undergraduate and graduate students, according to College spokesperson Jana Barnello. Beginner swim classes were previously offered for $60 per term through the Physical Education and Recreation program.
According to Barnello, the new offering has “connection points” to the death of Won Jang ’26. Jang, who did not know how to swim, was recovered from the Connecticut River on July 7. His death was ruled an accidental drowning on Sept. 18, while authorities continue to investigate potential hazing.
“We can’t talk about [swim lessons] without also remembering and talking about this tragic loss,” she said. “…[Jang’s drowning has] certainly raised [swim lessons] to the top of many people’s radars this summer. It sparked a lot of … thoughtful conversation [and] discussions that are still ongoing.”
According to chief health and wellness officer Estevan Garcia, the free swim lessons also reflect the College’s efforts to make the outdoors more accessible to students. During the spring term, the Outdoor Engagement Committee brought up “remov[ing] the cost” from outdoor activities, Garcia said. He added that the College ultimately eliminated costs for the pickleball, tennis, golf and fly fishing physical education classes and subsidized boat rentals at Ledyard over the summer.
The free swim lessons are a continuation of that trend, he said.
“Our goal is to cover as many students [as possible] and to offer [swim lessons] to as many students as interested,” he said.
The move to free lessons comes two years after the College eliminated its swim requirement, which mandated that all undergraduates pass a swim test in order to graduate. Prior to 2022, the College offered the test — an untimed 50-yard swim using any stroke — at the start of First-Year Trips and during subsequent terms. Students could take a swimming class to help them pass.
Dartmouth temporarily suspended the swim test, along with other physical education requirements, in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the College eliminated the swim requirement altogether, sparking controversy among students.
Implemented more than a century ago, the swim test originally sought to prepare Dartmouth’s all male student body for military service, The Dartmouth reported in 2022. While some have called for the test’s reinstatement — highlighting its safety benefits — the test has been argued to disproportionately impact students of color, who have historically predominantly filled the beginner swim class.
Two years after its elimination, the test remains controversial. Ledyard junior business manager Aksel Paul ’27 said that it is a “tricky” issue.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea [to reinstate the requirement],” he said. “But Dartmouth is a very busy campus. Some people take a long time to learn how to swim if they haven’t been exposed to it at all before, and it’s a very big commitment to make mandatory for people that can also be discriminating in some ways.”
While Garcia said he is unsure about ultimately reinstating the requirement, he added that his first priority is to eliminate any barriers students face in learning how to swim. In addition to financial obstacles, some students, such as international students, come from regions where swimming is less common, he explained.
“I want to make sure right away [that] we’re offering swimming to anybody who’s interested,” Garcia said. “I want to make sure that anybody that wants to learn to swim should learn to swim, and there shouldn’t be costs to interfere with [that].”
Paul agreed that offering free swim lessons is “important,” noting Dartmouth’s proximity to the Connecticut River. He added that students disregard the no swimming policy by the Ledyard Canoe Club docks “quite a lot,” despite some not knowing how to swim.
“The river is also a very social space,” he said. “I’ve been surprised by how many students don’t swim. So, I think it’s pretty important that they provide — if not [mandate] — free swimming lessons.”
Camille Weinstein ’28 said the College should not reinstate the requirement but supported the free swim lessons.
“I think [swim lessons] are a good idea because some people definitely don’t know how to swim,” Weinstein said. “People are going to go in the river regardless of whether it’s allowed or not, so I think swim lessons would definitely make it safer.”
Barnello noted that the free lessons are popular among several different stakeholders.
“There’s interest in this from pretty much every constituency at Dartmouth — faculty, students, staff, alumni,” Barnello said. “We’re all engaged and interested in access to swim lessons and swim abilities for our students at Dartmouth.”
