Policy & Advocacy
As an association, NIRSA strives to monitor and track policy and legislative issues with the potential to impact our members or the campus communities they serve.
NIRSA Policy Agenda
NIRSA’s Government Affairs Committee monitors legislative issues being discussed at the state and U.S. federal levels. When these issues impact higher education and/or NIRSA’s value areas, the committee strives to help members understand the impact these issues have on their work in the campus recreation field. When possible, the committee advocates to empower member voices in these larger conversations so that the broader higher education world can understand the impact of campus recreation.
Each year the committee, with approval from the NIRSA Board of Directors, sets the policy agenda for the Association. This agenda comprises what issues the group anticipates will dominate legislative action and allocates an action strategy based on current knowledge. Things may shift as the year goes on, but the agenda gives the group a sense of priority in the always crowded legislative landscape. It also gives members a working sense of what they can expect to hear more about as the year progresses.
2024-2025 Policy Agenda | 2023-2024 Policy Agenda | 2022-2023 Policy Agenda
Recent NIRSA Position Statements
Statements and Comments on Recent Policy Matters NIRSA Has Joined
Stronger Together
Knowing many voices are often stronger than one, NIRSA works to combine knowledge and expertise with partners across both higher education and the physical activity space.
Physical Activity Alliance
The Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) works to promote physical activity in the United States. Its foundation was a merger of the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance, the National Physical Activity Society, and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. NIRSA has long been a board member of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity and continues to be a board member of PAA.
SAHEC
The Student Affairs in Higher Education Consortium (SAHEC), a CHEMA subgroup, promotes the understanding of learning and development as intertwined, inseparable elements of the college student experience.
NIRSA has joined with a subset of SAHEC members in hiring Active Policy Solutions to assist with monitoring, tracking, analyzing, and determining appropriate action on issues relevant to our associations.
Legislation Regarding Transgender Athletes’ Sport Participation
For several years, NIRSA’s Government Affairs Committee has been tracking the increasing number of bills being introduced into state legislatures regarding transgender athletes’ participation in sports. Many of these bills name elements of campus recreation—e.g. intramurals and/or club sports—specifically.
As bills related to transgender athlete participation continue to be introduced into nearly every state legislature, NIRSA has curated this space to share resources with members.
Policy Pages
NIRSA posts weekly copies of Federal and state policy and legislative updates. These active policy solutions track federal and state policy and legislative news around a curated list of topics that are pertinent to higher education and campus recreation.
Other Resources
Why we need Pride more than ever
Resources and important context by and for NIRSA members
Movement Advancement Project
Map tracking bans on transgender participation in sports
Equality Federation