By Laurie Braden, 2014-2015 NIRSA President

Being a member of NIRSA is like being a part of a family—and our diverse membership of leaders in collegiate recreation continues to gather annually at the NIRSA Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition as well as at a slew of other specialty-area Institutes. But in addition to enjoying national and even international opportunities, members have long been gathering with their more immediate NIRSA-neighbors and sharing knowledge year-round at local, state, provincial, and regional levels.

The current NIRSA regional alignment was set in 1981. But the NIRSA Board of Directors recognizes that the Association has grown and evolved significantly since then. So when Canadian collegiate recreation leaders approached NIRSA’s leadership to strengthen engagement with members and potential members in Canada using relevant programs, products, and services, the Board heard those requests and included in the most current NIRSA Strategic Plan a stated objective to increase membership among—and create stronger engagement with—Canadian recreation professionals.

As dialogue about how to best do this work evolved, NIRSA volunteer leaders from Canada proposed a distinct Canadian region within the NIRSA regional alignment structure as a way to support enhanced engagement with Canadian collegiate recreation students and professionals. Currently, members based in Canada may be aligned in four of NIRSA’s six regions.

I’m excited to announce that the Board has constituted a Regional Realignment Task Force to—with a look to the future—evaluate this proposal and its impact to NIRSA’s overall regional structure, and to propose options for realignment if necessary. While today’s considerations are primarily those of members in the United States and in Canada, the Task Force has been asked keep in mind a global perspective during their evaluation and recommendation process.

NIRSA’s regional networks exist to give members local opportunities to connect with their NIRSA neighbors and take advantage of nearby events, and that will continue to be the goal going forward. The Task Force comprises members from the Canadian Leadership Team, the Member Network, a Student Member, the NIRSA Bylaws Committee, and NIRSA Headquarters Team; appointments were made with an eye on regional representation as well. Serving on this important volunteer leadership group are some of the most respected members of our organization, including:

  • Chair: Tom Kirch, Director of Recreational Sports, Oregon State University, Region VI
  • Jess Adkisson, Facilities and Informal Recreation Graduate Assistant, Ball State University, Region III
  • Silvia Chan, CRSS, Associate Director, University of Connecticut, Region I
  • Chris Dawe, RCRSP, Recreation Director, Mount Royal University, Region V
  • Steve Erickson, CRSS, RCRSP, Director, Montana State University, Region V
  • Jen Gudaz, Assistant Director, Physical Education & Recreation, Cornell University, Region I
  • Christine Haluzak, Assistant Director for Leadership Programs, NIRSA, Region VI
  • Greg Jordan, CRSS, Director Campus Recreation, Oakland University, Region III
  • Perry Karnofsky, Manager, McGill University, Region I
  • Mary Ellen Milam, CRSS, Associate Director, Texas Christian University, Region IV
  • David Peters, RCRSP, Associate Director Campus Recreation, Florida State University, Region II

The Task Force is expected to engage in this work for as long as the work takes. Any proposed changes to the regional structures of the Association would require member approval through a vote to NIRSA Bylaws and so this work will require substantial member engagement. The Task Force, Member Network, and the NIRSA Board are currently collaborating on an outreach plan.

As the Task Force begins their initial efforts, they would like your input and good thinking to inform their work. Multiple communication channels have been set up to collect ideas and involve members in this process! If you would like to share your comments privately, please send them in via this Google Form. To share openly, post a discussion to the new Regional Realignment Discussion Community on Connect. And please feel welcome to reach out to any member of the Task Force.

 

For more information or if you have any questions, contact NIRSA’s Assistant Director for Leadership Programs, Christine Haluzak.