By Megan Granholm
NIRSA continues to support its institutional members—and to advocate for the field of collegiate recreation—by providing credible evidence documenting the value of campus recreational sports, activities, facilities, programs and services to students attending colleges or universities. For example, an estimated 8.1 million students are served by NIRSA member professionals every year—and 80% of those students participate in campus recreation at least once a week.
Information like this is collected through the NASPA Assessment & Knowledge Consortium‘s Campus Recreation Impact Study, a great way to show the benefits of recreation on a college or university campus. The 2015–2016 academic year is Rec’s turn to capture this valuable assessment data. NIRSA encourages recreation departments to administer the Recreation and Wellness Benchmark assessment on their campuses this spring. We need your help to advocate for the value of campus recreation!
Study results include student utilization and satisfaction with facilities and programs as well as social, academic, emotional, and health-related outcomes of utilizing campus recreation. This assessment is presented through a partnership with NASPA and Campus Labs. You can learn details about how to administer this survey with Campus Labs online. The collected data from 2013 were compiled into Dr. Scott Forrester’s Benefits of Campus Recreation report.
So if you find statistics useful as you build out your budget or believe they help show the benefits that your department provides to your student body, get involved in the NASPA Assessment & Knowledge Consortium’s Campus Recreation Impact Study!
For more information about the Campus Recreation Impact Study—as well as other surveys and research projects—visit the NIRSA website, and please contact NIRSA’s Membership Department with any questions.
