Repositioning Campus Recreation: A Case Report on Designing Program Evaluation Procedures

Abstract

The nature and tradition of campus recreational services stresses the importance of recreation staff evaluating their programs. The increasing diversity among college students and the escalating expectations of campus patrons, donors, and accrediting bodies have required campus recreation professionals to increase their foci on standards and benchmarks of practice and outcomes of services. While most campus recreation programs engage in some form of evaluation, very few have invested in the development of a comprehensive evaluation system that critically reviews program outcomes. Outcome evaluation is accomplished with careful planning and attention, similar to many other operational systems and activities such as risk management or budgeting. The result can be useful information that can position the campus recreation program for more growth as well as increased integrity across campus. The purpose of this article is to introduce the growing need for comprehensive program evaluation in campus recreational services. In addition, this article will present a case report on establishing direction for evaluation. Recommended actions by the campus recreation staff for establishing comprehensive evaluation plans are also discussed.

A Study on Job Satisfaction among Campus Recreation Administrators at Four-Year Public and Private Institutions

“…Higher education administrators have had to acknowledge the importance of analyzing the campus recreation work environment. Higher education administrators realize that campus recreation is not just a component of student affairs, but an important tool that helps develop the overall makeup of the institution (Cooper & Faircloth, 2006).…”

“…NIRSA for many years has proven to be fundamental to the success of campus recreation. Campus recreation is no longer an option on college and university campuses, but now is aligned with the overall mission of a university and college (Cooper & Faircloth, 2006;Weese, 1997).…”

“…S. C. Brown (1998) and Cooper and Faircloth (2006) suggested that in order for campus recreation departments to function effectively, universities and colleges must hire qualified campus recreation administrators. Within most campus recreation departments, a campus recreation administrator is employed to meet the demands of the participants.…”

Examining the Relationship between Intramural Sports Participation and Sense of Community among College Students

“…This trend has placed a large emphasis on the contributions of all campus services and departments to the university's overall mission (Cooper & Faircloth, 2006). With thousands of post-secondary institutions in the U.S. alone, schools are looking to boost ratings, improve their status, receive awards, and achieve the highest possible standing as a reputable institution.…”

“…Examination of participation outcomes is crucial--it is important for programmers to be aware of what their programs have to offer. Understanding outcomes will help in developing an effective marketing program to attract more student participants, but it may also help provide the framework that programmers need to support their programs' existence (Cooper & Faircloth, 2006).…”