No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the operation and availability of campus recreation services at North American colleges and universities. This study examined the challenges faced and solutions implemented by campus recreation departments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of campus recreation staff from across North America. Institution and staff characteristics along with challenges and solutions were collected from 174 campus recreation department staff via an online survey in November 2020. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analyses. As a result of the pandemic, campus recreation departments have experienced challenges regarding finances, staffing, student engagement, and health and safety. To address these challenges, departments have limited facility access and capacity, reduced spending, adjusted staffing levels and responsibilities, transitioned to virtual or modified in-person programming, leveraged intrauniversity collaborations, and implemented new health and safety protocols. Solutions have the potential to help institutions meet the needs of students during the pandemic and beyond. Virtual programming and reservation systems may be especially useful post-pandemic, and lessons learned regarding multi-faceted COVID-19 policy enforcement could help advance compliance with other policies, such as harassment.

Studies have shown that student recreational sports centers offer a variety of benefits to emerging adult students. Previous research has identified the presence of constraints to physical activity and student recreational sports center (SRSC) usage (Flood & Parker, 2014; Stankowski, Trauntvein, & Hall, 2017; Young, Ross, & Barcelona, 2003). However, little research has examined the negotiation strategies which students use to increase their physical activity levels through use of the SRSC. This study focused on the constraints and negotiation strategies which affected both users and infrequent users of the SRSC at a mid-size, public university in the northeastern United States. Results suggested that constraints and negotiation strategies differed significantly between user groups and that several constraints and negotiations predict frequency of visitation to the SRSC. Findings suggest the importance of management actions which help students to create social networks, improve their planning and prioritization, and develop self-efficacy with regard to physical activity at the SRSC.