Although campus recreation centers have always been showcased prominently on tours for incoming students, colleges and universities are relying on physical fitness and health and wellness opportunities to attract and engage students like never before.
Just ask Brooke Turner, director of recreation programs at the University of Alabama.
āItās a changing landscape regarding enrollment and how students are making their decisions. Theyāre savvier consumers than theyāve ever been,ā says Turner, who also is chair of NIRSAās Member Network, which serves as a vehicle for communication between the associationās many leadership groups and NIRSA members. āThat changes how we operate our campuses.ā
To that end, NIRSA is making changes, too. The association recently bolstered its institutional membership program by providing greater access to programs, resources and data in the face of mounting challenges for campus recreation departments of all sizes.
āBy investing in a NIRSA institutional membership, schools are making an investment to develop a strong, informed and connected team,ā says Lashica Thomas, director of campus recreation at Columbus State University in Georgia and, as of May 1, NIRSAās new president. āCampus rec programs look to NIRSA to deliver resources to aid their department in professional development.ā
āSchools that are committed to investing in competency-based professional growth of their staff, that are looking to recruit and retain top talent in the field of collegiate recreation and wellbeing, and that need to be tapped into the fieldās body of knowledge are part of NIRSA at the institutional member level,ā adds Sarah Leskovec, senior director of member engagement for NIRSA.
Individual membership remains a terrific option for professionals and students looking to keep their finger on the pulse of the profession through perks such as access to the NIRSA Connect online community and the associationās learning tools, Leskovec says, but many campus rec departments donāt cover NIRSA individual membership fees. As a result, institutional membership might be a more feasible option to bring professional staff into the NIRSA network.
āEven if they donāt have an individual membership in NIRSA, their affiliation with a NIRSA member school alone unlocks access to more than 40 on-demand learning products ā and those are available to every member of the schoolās campus rec team at no additional cost to them,ā Leskovec says. āInstitutional membership provides benefits that support not just individuals, but entire departments.ā
Removing barriers to resources
NIRSAās institutional membership is available to any institution, not just colleges and universities, that administers or is considering offering a recreation, intramural or wellness program. Military installations, correctional institutions, and municipal parks and recreation departments can all be NIRSA institutional members, too.
One of the biggest benefits of institutional membership status is a complimentary NIRSA individual membership and reduced rates for additional memberships, which in turn can help bolster recruitment and retention of professional staff.
āItās a way of showing that we promote and support professional development and growth,ā says Turner, noting that the University of Alabama has been a NIRSA institutional member for decades. āWhen we go to recruit for new positions or open positions, that membership status is a value-add for us ā and it was especially helpful back when our salaries were less competitive than they are now.ā
Institutional members also receive full access to the associationās benchmarking resources, salary survey results and data sets, as well as several other existing and new benefits.
āAll members will probably notice the increased frequency in āIdeas in Motionā virtual discussions,ā Leskovec says. āTwice a month, members get together to discuss timely topics in the profession and exchange ideas. These discussions are open to anyone in the field and are free to all members, while nonmembers pay a nominal registration fee to access each conversation.ā
Live and recorded webinars will be available to institutional members for free, as well. Current topics include āExploring Inclusion of College Students with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities within Campus Recreation at the Organizational Levelā (June 12), āWellbeing and Lifestyle of Collegiate Esports Participantsā (June 26), āDisability 101: Language and Best Practices for Collegiate Recreationā (July 17) and āEasy Ways and Wins to Embed Health Throughout Our Workā (TBA).
āThere are some webinars that previously would have cost the institution or the individual to participate in,ā Turner says. āNow, through that institutional membership, they are included ā whether you have an individual membership or not. So, itās opening up new opportunities and allowing people who donāt have individual memberships access to more resources. It also allows units or departments to work through courses together and discuss learnings on campus, continuing their professional development without travel.ā
Thatās not all, though, as Brittany Rejda, NIRSAās director of learning, explains.
āWeāve been hearing for a few years that while members value the relationships that are formed during intensive in-person learning experiences such as the NIRSA School or our focused institutes, some arenāt able to commit to a multiday learning event that involves significant travel,ā she says. āSo, weāll be piloting a cohort collective this fall to foster connection, community and collective growth for a handful of key areas in campus recreation.ā
Turner adds that the increased value these expanded benefits bring to institutional membership also could help recreation leaders ājustifyā such an expense to administration leaders amid budget constraints. āI think that this is a huge win,ā she says.
āLift each other upā
The recent enhancements for institutional members are in line with the direction in which Thomas sees NIRSA heading.
āWeāve been talking about whatās next for the association and its capacity to be a catalyst for advancing recreation and wellbeing in higher education,ā she says. āSome of that includes the speed at which we respond to our membersā needs and requests. We made changes based on member feedback by removing perceived barriers for things they want access to.ā
Membership in an organization like NIRSA, whether at the individual or institutional level, is vital for todayās college recreation professional, Turner adds.
āThe value of membership in NIRSA is the community of professionals that lift each other up,ā she says. āBurnout in campus recreation, burnout in student affairs, burnout in higher ed ā these are real things. And if weāre not caring for ourselves, we canāt care as well for our students. For me, being an individual member and having my institution support my membership with its own membership breathes life back into me. It allows me to talk to other people who are in my situation, bring back best practices and help me help others.ā
Thomas is committed to maintaining NIRSAās fluidity in responding to a changing higher education landscape.
āEvery institution, and every member, has different needs,ā she says. āWe have to continue evaluating, listening, learning and making sure that we are producing and putting out there what members truly need.ā