Benchmarking is Impossible in a Vacuum
NIRSA has worked for 75 years to help schools optimize their recreational programs.
And we plan to keep doing it for at least 75 more: At the heart of that is sharing the facts and figures that help NIRSA members showcase the value of collegiate recreation and advocate for themselves. There are also opportunities for members to conduct research with support from NIRSA.
The Impact of Campus Recreation
Summarized, cited, and packaged for easy use: Explore the evidence that supports the value of campus recreation, focused around several key themes.
Peer-reviewed Articles
The Recreational Sports Journal is the scholarly, peer-reviewed publication of the NIRSA Foundation. Topics include leadership, student development, programming, facility management and design, legal issues, personnel management and supervision, assessment, sponsorship, marketing, and more.
Emerging Trends
NIRSA industry insights reports highlight key findings and potential impacts for the profession; insights are based on NIRSA member survey responses.
Benchmarking Resources
Benchmarking for Facilities, Programs, and Services
NIRSA’s powerful benchmarking tool, the Institutional Data Set, provides members with access to current and relevant data on the facilities, programs, and services offered by NIRSA member institutions.
Salary Benchmarking
NIRSA members can access salary data by participating in NIRSA’s salary survey. Aggregated and custom reports are available to nonmembers for purchase.
Research Opportunities
Grant Opportunities
With support from the NIRSA Foundation, NIRSA’s grant program supports the development and dissemination of original, scholarly research related to the field of collegiate recreation.
Individual Research Project Support
Interested in surveying NIRSA members to inform your research project? Individual researchers at NIRSA member schools conducting research projects that align with NIRSA’s research agenda can request support for their efforts.
LEARN MORE
Become a Thought Leader for the Profession
Get involved! NIRSA’s Research and Assessment Committee facilitates access to relevant research and assessment information by shaping the agenda and contributing to the conversation.
Legacy Research
The world didn’t start in 2021, but the pace of change—especially in higher education—means many of the underlying assumptions from prepandemic research may have changed. So, if you’re looking for the 1996 Rationale for Independent Administration of Collegiate Recreational Sports Programs: Position Paper, or other NIRSA report published prior to 2020, just reach out.