By Pam Watts and Simon Bravo
NIRSA President, Kathleen Hatch; NIRSA President Elect, Stacey Hall; and recently appointed NIRSA Annual Director, Don Stenta, joined NIRSA Executive Director, Pam Watts, at last month’s 2014 NACA National Convention in Boston.
This group of NIRSA leaders met and engaged with campus activities leaders from around the globe; they also presented on the impact of collegiate recreation and worked to further several of NIRSA’s strategic objectives.
NIRSA’s strategic objectives, as set forth in the association’s strategic plan, serve as key stepping stones in helping NIRSA achieve its mission and extend the reach of the association. During this convention, NIRSA leaders were able to further the goals of our strategic alliance with NACA by developing and improving content around common competencies; advance research and reports demonstrative of the value of collegiate recreation; perform an environmental scan for opportunities for the Global Perspectives Commission.
As NIRSA and NACA members share a common goal of developing students through co-curricular experiences, the strategic alliance offers pathways to increase the effectiveness and awareness of student development practices among campus activities and recreation professionals. There is compelling evidence that ‘out-of-classroom’ learning will make the different in distinguishing college graduates. President Kathleen Hatch talked about the value for members of this strategic alliance with our partners at NACA, “I see every indication that NIRSA members will have new opportunities to intentionally collaborate, share expertise, and build important bridges in supporting students on campus.”
NIRSA President Kathleen Hatch presents at the 2014 NACA Conference. Photo courtesy of NACA.Stacey and Kathleen also presented a session entitled, “The Influence of Campus Recreation Employment on Student Learning,” as part of the conference education program. The pair shared study results that revealed students attributed learning to their work experience in campus recreation; discussion ensued about how the study implications can inform strategies for supervision and training of student staff by campus activities professionals.
“As one of the largest student employers on campus, the capacity of a recreation program to have real evidence about what their student employees are learning and can demonstrate their skills development is invaluable,” explains Kathleen. “Whether in budget hearings, initiatives to advance student success and graduation rates, developing the skill future employers are seeking, or simply creating a healthier environment for your institution, campus recreation professionals need that compelling story…and there is no one better qualified to tell that story than those we work closest with, our student employees across all program areas of the department.”
Kathleen also represented NIRSA on a panel of international leaders from NACA, CACUSS (Canadian Association of College and University Student Services), and IASAS (International Association of Student Affairs and Services) to discuss critical issues in higher education systems and new ways to frame experiential opportunities for students. This panel will be offered at the 2014 NIRSA Annual Conference as well.
Additionally, Kathleen, Stacey, and Pam attended a reception of international delegates at the NACA National Convention. Higher education professionals from United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Brussels, and Barbados were on hand to network and discuss common goals for student development. Information gleaned from the networking session was shared with NIRSA’s Global Perspectives Commission, who is currently conducting an environmental scan of opportunities and practices to enhance the knowledge base necessary for NIRSA Professionals to be successful in serving and an increasingly global student body.
What’s next?
NACA leaders will attend the 2014 NIRSA Annual Conference to present, network, and engage with NIRSA members, offering them the opportunity to interact with, learn from, and explore the expertise of our strategic partner.
NACA leaders Matt Morin, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg and NACA Board Chair; Dave DeAngelis, Suffolk University and NACA Board Immediate Past Chair; and Ken Brill, Augustana College and NACA Chair-elect, will present a session at NIRSA 2014 entitled, “Recreation and Campus Activities: Partners in Developing Students.” The presenters will share powerful examples of on campus collaborations between campus recreation and campus activities that enhance student development and learning.
Beyond NIRSA 2014, our strategic partnership will continue to grow, as for the second consecutive year, NACA and NIRSA will partner with Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland to offer the International Experiential Learning Institute. Susan Komives, member of the teams that wrote Learning Reconsidered and the ensemble that developed the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, will serve as Scholar-in-Residence.
The latest and most exciting result of this partnership is the NIRSA-NACA project that has launched to demonstrate the connection between the ‘soft skills’ attained in campus activities and recreation and career success. This connection is based on the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) research and data surrounding these competencies and ‘soft skills’ and demonstrating their desirability by employers and proven contributions to career success.
NIRSA Members Cat Cramp, Associate Director for Programs, Department of Recreational Sports University of Florida, and David Hall, PhD, Director of Campus Recreation, Springfield College, join NACA representatives Adam Peck, PhD, Dean of Student Affairs at Stephen F. Austin State University, and Peggy Hnatusko, Director of Student Activities, Programming at University of Notre Dame, on the task force to collaborate on this project.
