Wellbeing is all the buzz in higher education right now and it seems everyone is striving to be part of it. But what does wellbeing actually mean? How does it show up in the work of campus recreation? How does recreation’s work impact campus wellbeing?
Whether you’re a director or a coordinator, whether you’ve been in the field for decades or are just starting your recreation career, whether your department has long been a part of campus wellbeing efforts or if it’s just starting out, there is so much to learn in this dynamic and ever-evolving area.
Recreation for Wellbeing: Elevating our impact
Recreation for Wellbeing guides participants through understanding the foundations of wellbeing, why wellbeing is critical to and inherent in all areas of campus recreation, and how to understand the broader landscape of wellbeing on your campus.
As a result of participating in the Recreation for Wellbeing course, participants will raise their own literacy around essential, foundational concepts thereby being better prepared to engage meaningfully in the work of wellbeing. They’ll understand how to think systemically and substantively about their work in recreation and how that work connects to the larger campus wellbeing journey. Join us for study, critical examination, and growth; we’re always stronger when we move forward together.
New course format
This iteration of the Recreation for Wellbeing course—led once again by previous NIRSA Health & Wellbeing Task Force members Lindsay Brookey, Assistant Director, Fitness for Wellness and Recreation at North Carolina State University and Mark Ferguson, Assistant Vice President, Well-Being at Ohio University—is a fully online, asynchronous experience so participants can engage with the material as their schedule allows and move through it at their own pace.
The course is anchored by two, approximately 75-minute on-demand modules: “Foundations of Wellbeing & Systems Thinking” and “Applying Systems Thinking to Impact Wellbeing.” Attendees are provided with resources, including suggested readings, pre- and post-module questions, and worksheets for deeper, personalized engagement with the material. Furthermore, attendees will have access to bonus video content to help further their learning amidst the wider context of this work.
The course will launch on Wednesday, February 12 when both modules become available.
Institutional bundle registrants
While individuals are always welcome, there’s a special magic in bringing several—or all!—of your team members together for a shared professional development experience. As the topic of wellbeing becomes ever more prominent on campuses, it’s important to make sure your team is working with a shared foundation and understanding.
“We felt like it was not just symbolic, but functionally important that all of our full-time folks go through that training because this is the language we’re going to speak going forward,” says Chris Arvin, Executive Director of IU Recreational Sports. Chris and almost 50 IU professional staff members committed to going through the first iteration of the course together.
“One of the things I really valued is shifting my mindset to the system level rather than remaining fixated on the individual level,” says Chris Geary, Service Director for Student Personnel, Evaluation, and Special Projects at IU RecSports. “System level change is where it’s at for a sustained, scalable impact.”
The IU team has continued to utilize their shared participation in the course to shape the future of their work.
Continuing Education credits
Participants who complete the course will be eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits in either the Core Student Affairs Educator Certification (CSAEd™) or the Certified Student Affairs Educator-Campus Recreation (CSAEd-CR™) certification.
The two course modules qualify for the following amount and types of CE credits:
- Module 1 = 1.5 Core Credits in the Foundations of the Profession domain
- Module 2 = 1.5 Campus Recreation Specialty Credits in the Leadership domain
How to get CE credits for attending this course
- Complete the online modules (which will become available on Wednesday, February 12).
- Upon completion, submit a program evaluation for each module.
- You should receive a certificate of completion via email within two weeks of completing the survey.
Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.
