By Kevin Marbury and Keli Kuykendall

The Pac-12 campus recreation directors met in Eugene, Oregon last week to kick off their 2015 summer business meetings. The directors held a number of meetings at the University of Oregon campus and toured the new U of O Student Recreation Center—the $51 million expansion project includes a new aquatics center, additional 3-court gym, expanded fitness space, and many other additions—before heading to Corvallis, Oregon to visit NIRSA Headquarters.

On the afternoon of May 13, University of Oregon Director and NIRSA Past President Dr. Kevin Marbury brought the Pac-12 directors to NIRSA HQ to tour the building, visit with staff, and continue their meetings. Topics up for discussion included the upcoming Pac-12 Fitness Challenge, which will take place from October 26–30, and incorporate new features such as Twitter integration and hashtag tracking technology. The directors also took the opportunity to meet with NIRSA Corporate Accounts Manager Heidi Cleary about potentially garnering corporate support from NIRSA associate members for the Fitness Challenge.

The Pac-12 Fitness Challenge is a health event that capitalizes on the spirit of playful competition.  This event engages students in the fall as they are returning to campus, and is part of a larger Pac-12 strategy to promote lifelong habits of health and wellbeing.

After their meeting at NIRSA HQ, the directors went on to tour the Oregon State University Dixon Recreation Center and NIRSA-Outstanding-Sports-Facilities-Award-winning Student Legacy Park Outdoor Recreation Facility. They then headed back to the University of Oregon to conclude their business meetings.

Staff at NIRSA Headquarters would like to thank the Pac-12 directors for stopping by NIRSA HQ and for bringing a little sunshine with them!

The following Pac-12 campuses were represented at the May 13 visit to NIRSA HQ:

 

  • University of Arizona – Lynn Zwaagstra, Director
  • Arizona State University – Tamra Garstka, Director
  • University of Oregon – Kevin Marbury, Director
  • Oregon State University – Leah Hall Dorothy, Director
  • Washington State University – Joanne Greene, Director, Programming and  Jeff Elbracht, Director, Facilities
  • University of Washington – Gary Leonard, Interim Director
  • University of California Berkeley (Cal) – Michael Weinberger, Director
  • Stanford University – Eric Stein, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Physical Education, Recreation and Wellness  (currently a sitting NIRSA Foundation Board Member)
  • University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) – Mick Deluca, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Campus Life
  • University of Southern California – Justine Gilman, Senior Director
  • University of Utah – Cheri Jenkins, Associate Director, Operations
  • University of Colorado Boulder – Gary Chadwick, Director

 

For more information about the recent Pac-12 meetings or the upcoming Pac-12 Fitness Challenge, please contact NIRSA Campus Partnerships Coordinator Nick Zumbrun.