NIRSA is pleased to announce plans for a State of the Industry report to be published this fall, made possible through critical funding from the NIRSA Foundation. The report will be informed by responses to a survey of campus recreation professionals (including current and former industry professionals who are not necessarily  members of NIRSA). The report will highlight key issues in campus recreation, identify significant trends, and explore potential implications for the field.

The survey administration and analysis will be conducted by Association Laboratory Inc., a  research and consulting firm whose work throughout the association industry is highly regarded.

“The field really is at a critical juncture,” says Wendy Windsor, Director of Campus Recreation at Tulane University. “Campus recreation and higher education are emerging from the turbulent past few years, and we’re still facing formidable challenges on the horizon. Supplementing what we are hearing from members and utilizing focused data will give us a clearer picture of the opportunities and challenges ahead. With that perspective in hand, we can then do what NIRSA does best: come together to collectively learn, strategize, and problem solve so that we continue to support student development and wellbeing and serve the missions of our campuses,” she adds.

We need your help

We are counting on professionals in the field to inform this important work by spending a few minutes next month responding to the survey. The survey is scheduled to launch in July and will remain open for approximately two weeks.  To ensure the survey reaches your inbox, you can add noreply@qemailserver.com to your list of safe senders.

NIRSA Foundation support

We couldn’t do this critical work without the support of the NIRSA Foundation and the generosity of NIRSA Foundation donors.

“The NIRSA Foundation is pleased to support this project. The work of this survey and its accompanying report falls directly within our mission to enhance the effectiveness of collegiate recreation” says Sophia Marshall, Director of the Center for Wellness Promotion at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and NIRSA Foundation President.

Strategic Planning

NIRSA’s current strategic plan will culminate in March of 2024. This fall, the NIRSA Board will lead a process to iterate the Association’s strategic plan and strategic priorities for 20242027.

The State of the Industry report will make plain for the field where the Association needs to focus effort, resources, advocacy, and engagement to successfully navigate through the next several years. The report will be a key source of information for the strategic planning process; make sure your ideas are represented in that process by responding to the survey.

  • For more information, contact Pam Watts, CAE, NIRSA Executive Director.
Pam Watts

Pam Watts is Executive Director of NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation, headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon. Pam is a Certified Association Executive and she can be reached at Pam.Watts@nirsa.org