By Erin O’Sullivan

As 2014, and our campus’ winter terms, get underway, the excitement of getting ‘back in the swing of things’ is infectious!

Whether you’re most looking forward to new seasons of intramural and club sports, trying out fresh programming ideas, or harmonizing our values at NIRSA 2014 in Nashville, there’s a lot to be excited about in collegiate recreation!

Among the many innovative tools NIRSA members are utilizing to help the profession keep evolving and pushing forward is social media. Now, whether your peers are across the campus or across the country, the #RecChat hashtag offers a way to streamline conversation, resources, idea bouncing, and networking among our little corner of the Twitter world. And, for one hour each month, it also offers the chance to “meet up” and have a real-time, topical conversation with peers.

On Wednesday, February 12, 3PM EST join your colleagues for the first #RecChat of 2014! The discussion will center on a topic that’s paramount to many NIRSA professionals—“Building Human Capital with Our Students.” Scheduled in the midst of the many campus’ GA search and in the week leading up to the Emerging Recreational Sports Leaders Conference, the time has never been better to circle up with colleagues and discuss the reason so many chose the profession of collegiate recreation in the first place.

Whether your peers are across the campus or across the country, the #RecChat hashtag offers a way to streamline conversation and resource sharing.

If you’re new to #RecChat, or are just feeling a bit rusty on the process, the #RecChat page on the NIRSA website offers step by step directions on how to participate, as well as a short video introduction by #RecChat crew member Bill Ling.

Want to get caught up on past #RecChats? Bummed you missed a particular session? We’ve got you covered! Shortly after each chat is over, a transcript of the hour’s conversation is uploaded to the NIRSA Resource Library.

Occasionally, the #RecChat crew will engage other social media—such as having a video “Hangout” on Google+, like the November session on “Innovation in Technology and Leadership” with David Bowles, Director of Recreational Sports at the University of Florida. And, if you happen to miss a Google Hangout, they’re all viewable on the #RecChat Youtube page.

The tentative dates for future #RecChats are March 12, April 16, and May 7. However, you can stay up-to-date on any and all changing or new information by following @NIRSAlive and @RecChat on Twitter, “liking” NIRSA on Facebook, and checking in with the NIRSA calendar.