Let’s talk: Notes from the NIRSA Member Network

Hello NIRSA members! Scott and Riley here, and we are beyond ecstatic to begin our terms as your NIRSA Member Network Chair and NIRSA Student Leader! We both have felt and seen the value of campus recreation as students and in professional roles, and together we hope to bring our perspectives to our fellow members with enthusiasm. We want to express our gratitude and thanks to the mentors and friends we have made through our NIRSA involvement. Your energy and support are just a few reasons why we enjoy volunteering for this historic association!

We hope your summer is off to a great start, and that you are finding the time you need to relax and rejuvenate. With our academic and fiscal years ending, we hope you are taking moments to reflect on the progress you’ve made, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the milestones you’ve achieved both as an individual and as a part of your bigger team. In higher education, summer tends to present an opportunity to review ideas and refine goals by examining participation metrics and anecdotal data from stakeholders. When our community returns in fall, we will be prepared to bring a refreshed and polished version of your institution’s programs and services.

Much like your offices and departments, the Member Network has also been reviewing and reflecting upon the data we have collected from our membership over the last couple of years. We have heard your feedback and concerns, your expectations and suggestions, and ultimately what you want from NIRSA as a member. This year, we will be working to move forward with actions and opportunities that address the foremost themes we’ve received: communication, value, and purpose.

The professional take

Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Scott Flickinger. Many of you know me as “Flick,” and some of you maybe didn’t even know I had an actual first name until now. I got my start in campus recreation and with NIRSA as a student official at The Ohio State University, way back in 2007. I served as an official at a NIRSA Regional Flag Football Championships tournament and had such an amazing experience. It’s what led me to a career in collegiate recreation and down the road of volunteering in NIRSA. You, my fellow NIRSA members, are all such fantastic people—why wouldn’t I want to volunteer!?

The Member Network has been gathering data and insights for the last two years regarding what NIRSA membership means to you. We have received positive feedback on what holding a membership has done for many people’s careers and we’ve also received a fair few concerns and questions about what the Member Network does for NIRSA and about the perceived value of membership.

We’ve learned that one of the most valued perks associated with NIRSA membership is seen in the opportunities to network with other members, institutions, and vendors. I couldn’t agree more! Connection is one of the most important aspects of successful leaders in our field. The ability to reach out and establish meaningful relationships with colleagues and peers allows us to share knowledge, benchmark our programs, and offer advice and mentorship. As one of your volunteer leaders, I am proud that NIRSA facilitates these lines of connection.

A perfect dovetail to networking is volunteering. NIRSA provides pathways to leadership, both regionally and association-wide, to help elevate our field and tackle important issues in collegiate recreation and higher education alongside of other professionals and students with similar ambition, goals, and passion.

Volunteering in NIRSA provides the organization and our field with a compass for advancement, growth, and innovation. Some opportunities take time to develop, and when they do, great things occur. Some opportunities come with immediate personal, professional, and organizational fulfillment. NIRSA service promises both and with that comes skill development in leadership, organization, and execution in ways that are not available in our everyday positions. It is a difference that can lead to more confidence and greater contributions!

The opportunities for networking, development, and impact can be fantastic. At the same time, we recognize and appreciate the feedback shared by members who have expressed experiences that run counter to these intentions. Some say they want to better understand the Member Network’s role within NIRSA. We’ve also heard from members about their desire for stronger sense of return on investment for the Member Network. We are committed to acting on these concerns moving forward.

Our goal for addressing these concerns is simple: actionable and tangible solutions.

We hope we are starting with a bang by publishing these “Member Network Notes” each month. Through our shared blog, we’ll have another avenue for the Member Network to relay information and opportunities, and higher visibility leads to more communication and chances to engage with members.

Our team is looking at more ways to show why and how NIRSA is valuable. We want to present more engagements around learning for more audiences and the specific knowledge they need or want. We want to encourage students to explore collegiate recreation as a rewarding vocation and encourage experienced professionals to be advocates of NIRSA and how it can support students and early career professionals through their journey. Like you, we have many wants, and we are already working toward making them happen.

As for who we are and our purpose? The short answer is that we are here to engage with you, the membership, about NIRSA and what we can do to make engagement valuable. We are here to bring collegiate recreation professionals and students further into our field and support members who are informed, who deliver, and who are willing to take a chance on opportunities to further their careers. We are here to be liaisons and bring your concerns to the forefront of Association leadership for acknowledgement and discussion. We are here for you, so take us up on it!

The student take

Hi, everyone! My name is Riley Feiner, I use she/her pronouns, and I have the pleasure of serving as the 2025-2026 NIRSA Student Leader. If you’re unfamiliar with what that title means, that’s okay! Raising awareness is high up on our list of why Scott and I decided to share our monthly “Member Network Notes.” We want to use this platform to create transparent and streamlined communication for all things related to NIRSA membership. Read on to learn a bit more about what the Member Network does and how student involvement is a key part of it.

The Member Network focuses its efforts on recruitment, retention, engagement, advocacy, networking, oversight of NIRSA’s State/Provincial Directors and Student Leaders, and the facilitation of regional opportunities. Within the Member Network, Regional Representatives work alongside the Regional Student Leaders of the Student Leadership Team to ensure members in their area have the information and resources they need to do their jobs well.

Now, allow me to introduce what Member Network involvement looks like from the student perspective. Since NIRSA has hundreds of student members, it is important to keep a pulse on what students want from their membership. This is why we elect Regional Student Leaders who serve on the Member Network. Their job is to listen to and engage with students in their region, create and implement goals, while providing leadership and guidance to state/provincial student leaders. This group of students is uniquely known as the Student Leadership Team (SLT) and includes all Regional Student Leaders and the NIRSA Student Leader. The NIRSA Student Leader is charged with the responsibility to lead the SLT and advocate for the wants and needs of NIRSA students across the United States and Canada. To meet this year’s SLT, check out our NIRSA Students Instagram (@nirsastudents)!

Now that you know about the Member Network, here’s a little bit about me…I am a first-generation college student who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Science and Rhetorical Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That is where I stumbled upon campus recreation. After graduation in 2023, I completed the UCLA Recreation summer internship program and later returned to UW-Madison Recreation & Wellbeing in the fall to complete an academic year professional internship. Currently, I serve as the Member Services Graduate Assistant for the Office of Student Life Recreational Sports at The Ohio State University. In the fall, I will be a second-year graduate student studying to earn my Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport Management.

As I mentioned before, I am the current NIRSA Student Leader, and I am thrilled to continue my tenure on the Member Network. I just finished my term as the Region III Student Leader, and I am beyond excited to be stepping into this new role. Being part of this community means a lot to me, and I’m incredibly excited to represent student voices across the Association!

Throughout my term, I’m committed to listening, learning, and working alongside all of you to strengthen the NIRSA experience among student members. Whether it’s through creating new opportunities for involvement, enhancing communication, or amplifying student perspectives, my goal is to help ensure that every student feels connected and supported within NIRSA.