By Sierra Smith

NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation opened registration for this year’s Level II experience on December 3 to brisk enrollment.

With well over half the spots already filled, this highly-anticipated event is expected to again sell out well in advance.

Registration information and fees are listed on the website.

The NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation Level II curriculum is designed specifically for experienced mid- and upper-level administrators (five or more years of experience or four years and completion of The School Level I) who want to sharpen their management skills. And it delivers!

2011 NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation attendees.

The last NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation Level II was held in 2011 in Indianapolis, IN. In the attendee survey, 100% of responders said they would recommend this event to their colleagues. Here’s just a sampling of the 2011 participant feedback:

“What a great opportunity to share, learn and network. A great collection of effective leaders from all walks of life.” –Grachella

“An intense, challenging and fulfilling curriculum led by a group of faculty who are among the best educators in the field of recreation. I not only have acquired new knowledge and skills, but have a greater understanding of how to utilize my existing strengths to be an effective leader in my department.”—Ben Bettez

“Level II forces you to think beyond the norms and search for the answers that you need to make yourself and your department better.”—Mario Rios

“Truly inspiring. I have a renewed sense of motivation in my career after spending the week with 47 peers and faculty engaged in relevant conversation. I highly recommend this school to others in collegiate rec.”—Chris Denison

The small, close-knit group learning environment utilized by The School allows participants to be active-learners, engaging their own experiences and questions and individualizing the take-aways to fit their campus programs as well as their own personal and professional development.

Some of the popular sessions from 2011 included topics such as “Strengths Based Leadership,” “Creating Culture,” and “Are You Being Relevant?”. Time was also spent focusing on relevant case studies, group discussion, and continued networking. Another standout feature of the 2011 event was that all attendees received the book Strengths Based Leadership when they registered and it was used as a preconference common, required reading, allowing all participants to enter the event with a shared, core foundation upon which to build their discussions and draw examples.

The small, close-knit group learning environment utilized by The School allows participants to be active-learners.

Faculty members also shared their own leadership stories, encouraging participants to not only identify with aspects of their story but develop now the skills learned from faculty experiences, such as detailing “next steps” and a timeline for their own leadership development, understanding how to confidently address conflict, and developing a personal mission statement. By the end participants were armed with concrete, developed, and vetted resources to put into practice once they returned to campus.

The 2014 NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation will feature presentations from the six faculty members: Chair Mila Padgett, University of South Carolina Aiken; Todd Bauch, Portland State University; Cara McFadden, Elon Univeristy; Christopher Morris, Florida State University; Nicole Olmeda, University of Texas at Austin; and Dan Simmons, Drexel University. To read more about each faculty member please check out their bio’s on The School’s webpage.

Once registered, be sure to make your hotel arrangements at the Embassy Suites Baltimore at the Inner Harbor. The NIRSA rate is $175/night for single/double occupancy. All meetings and events will be held at the hotel—so be sure to stay where the action is!