Student Recreational Center

What is the program’s mission statement or statement of purpose? Why does the program exist?

Campus Recreation exists to support and encourage new and existing healthy lifestyles and develop essential life skills by participating in sports, fitness, and recreation.  The mission of Campus Recreation is to provide EIU students, faculty and staff with informal and formal recreational activities regardless of ability.  We wish to promote a safe and enjoyable environment, encourage participation, and promote healthy lifestyles.  Campus Recreation serves primarily students because our facilities and programs are supported through required student fees.

How does the program mission align with the university mission?

Campus Recreation provides support to a wide range of programs through facility usage, research and applied learning experiences.  Students in a wide range of majors utilize the facility and programs as interns, field workers, and through research with professors.  We also host Kinesiology classes and provide a learning environment for Recreation Administration classes focusing on facility management and program development.

Student employees with Campus Recreation are learning not only how to do a job, but valuable interpersonal communication skills by interacting with students, faculty, staff and community members.  They engage in daily problem solving and customer service, supporting their development as responsible members of the campus community and leaders among their peers.

Whom does the program serve?

Campus Recreation serves primarily the student community of EIU.  We also serve, on a much smaller scale, the faculty, staff, and spouses of the campus community as well as university donors.  All members are also permitted to bring guests into the SRC, allowing broader use by members of the Charleston community and those visiting EIU.

What are the services provided? How do these services align with the university mission and program mission?

Services provided by Campus Recreation include Intramural sports programming, Group Fitness classes, membership options for non-students, certification opportunities through the American Red Cross and the Aerobic Fitness Association of America, and employment opportunities for EIU students.

Services offered support educational opportunity for all students and a chance for students, faculty, staff and community members to interact.  Students are able to become leaders among their peers through our Building Coordinator program.  All members of the EIU and Charleston community have access to life skills certification like CPR/AED and First Aid.

Describe the program’s origins (e.g. year established, purpose, expectations).

The Division of Intramural Sports was originally established with the opening of Lantz building in 1964.  Over time it grew to include recreational use of the Lantz facilities and became the Division of Intramural and Recreational Sports, a part of the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.  The scope and program ability increased with the construction of the Student Recreation Center, which opening in 1991.  In 1992, the division was moved to Student Affairs and became Campus Recreation.

Campus Recreation was established and exists today to provide recreational opportunities to the university community with particular focus on the interests of the student population.  It is expected that we will provide quality, diverse programs as well as up-to-date facilities to encourage the development and continuation of healthy lifestyles.

How has the unit changed or adapted over time?

In 1964 the focus of the department was Intramural Sports.  The department offered 11 sport opportunities to a total of 1377 students.  Over the next 27 years the program grew to include 35 team and individual sports by 1990-1991, the year before the Student Recreation Center opened.  Total participation had grown to 9,162.

After the opening of the Student Rec Center in the fall of 1991, the schedule for intramurals again included 35 individual and team sports and participation had grown to 11,155.  This facility also allowed for a true “Aerobics” program for the first time, which offered 20 classes per week in both the spring and fall semesters limited to High impact, Low impact, and Aqua Aerobics.

In the next 22 years the program would add and drop programs in response to recreation and sport trends.  In 2013 Campus Recreation offered 32 individual and team intramural sports with a participation of 28,844.  Aerobics has changed to Group Fitness and offered 53 classes per week including Yoga, Cardio, Toning, Zumba, Pilates and Belly Dancing.  Total participation in Group Fitness classes for FY13 was 18,600.  Participation in Group Fitness started in FY07 and was recorded as 12,661. 

In addition to program enhancements, the addition of the Student Recreation Center has provided a centralized place for recreation for students, staff, faculty, families and donors.  Prior to 1991 all participants had to use the Lantz facilities at the convenience of the athletic teams and academic departments.  Access to a facility that’s only goal was to provide open recreation space changed the dynamic of Campus Recreation and created the department as it exists today.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program’s history and relevance to university mission.

Provide data, if available, on the numbers of students, faculty, staff, or others served by the program during the past four years. If no data are available, please estimate the numbers served annually.

Student Recreation Center Usage

                FY11       283,590

                FY12       270,933

                FY13       283,590

Intramural Sports

                FY11       33,639

                FY12       30,599

                FY13       28,744

Group Fitness

                FY11       18,955

                FY12       20,443

                FY13       18,600

Aquatics

                FY11       5,117

                FY12       5,553

                FY13       4,532

Does the program offer any co-curricular opportunities for students (e.g., internships, RSO support, service-learning activities)? Please describe.

Campus Recreation offers opportunity for internships, field work, research and surveying to a wide variety of academic departments.  We also provide meeting and/or practice space for several RSOs.

For the last three years we have utilized a professional intern, someone who has completed graduate school and is looking for experience before moving into a professional position in Campus Recreation.  This position provides a professional development experience because the person functions as a member of the pro staff and adds significant experience to their resume.

In support of Recreation Administration we have had several students complete both internships and fieldwork with Campus Recreation, working in a variety of capacities to get the best, most well-rounded experience possible.  We have also provided opportunity for students completing research to use our facility and patrons to conduct said research and benefited greatly from the outcomes they share with us.

Finally, our graduate assistants typically major in Kinesiology and Sport Studies with an emphasis in Sport Administration.  Completing an assistantship with a recreation department is almost a prerequisite to getting a full-time position in Campus Recreation, so we are contributing to the development of competent, experienced members of our field.

Does the program contribute to the delivery of academic programs (e.g., providing professional expertise, serving as adjunct faculty)? Please describe.

Members of the professional staff at Campus Recreation are currently serving as faculty for University Foundations and Continuing Education.  In addition, we provide tours, presentation, and support information and expertise for several departments including Kinesiology, Health Studies, University Foundations, and Recreation Administration.

On the facility side, the Student Recreation Center serves as home for as many as 25 Kinesiology and Sports Studies classes each semester.  We also provide presentation space for classes using the facility on a temporary basis.  The department has also provided facilities for Recreation Administration and served as the temporary home of Health Studies classes while some of their areas were being remodeled.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the internal demand for the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., curriculum changes made by another program) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Is the program accredited or approved by a recognized external agency or otherwise certified to meet established professional standards? Provide an executive summary of and link to the program’s most recent accreditation or certification report, if available.

The program and facilities of Campus Recreation are not subject to accreditation as academic programs are.  The staff of Campus Recreation is required to maintain basic and advanced level certification appropriate for their positions such as Personal Trainer, Red Cross Instructor and Instructor Trainer, First Aid/CPR/AED certification, etc.

Is the program required to meet any regulatory or legal requirements? Is the program subject to any special auditing requirements?

Recreation centers, like all buildings, must meet legal requirements for ADA as well as emergency procedures, sanitation requirements, and safety protocols.  We are also required to provide staff and equipment to respond to emergencies requiring first responder (layperson) care.  Examples of legal requirements include adherence to the Illinois Public Health Codes.

What are the most important outreach or public service activities supported by the program?

Members of the Campus Recreation staff have served on community committees to renovate the weight rooms at both Charleston Middle School and Charleston High School.  Group Fitness instructors have provided classes and activities for children and young adults in the Charleston area.  The Student Recreation Center serves as the meeting place for the Charleston-Mattoon Basketball Officials Association.  And Ray Padovan Pool, via Campus Recreation, is the home of the Charleston High School Girl’s and Boy’s Swimming Teams.

Members of the Campus Recreation staff also participate in community service opportunities provided through the Department of Student Community Service.  We have completed service hours at Douglas-Hart Nature Center, Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Catholic Charities, and by helping with various projects sponsored by Student Community Service.  Most recently we assisted in the staging and installation of the new weight equipment at the Charleston High School weight room.

How do the local community and the region benefit from the program?

The Charleston Middle School and Charleston High School students and teachers benefit both academically and personally from the availability of quality fitness equipment and program enhancement.  Local youth also benefit from the presentations by our group fitness instructors and are exposed to types of activities and classes they may otherwise not have access to.  In addition, providing a meeting space for the Charleston-Mattoon Basketball Officials Association and practice space for the swim teams gives a home to groups who may otherwise have limited or no options available to them.

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the external demand for the program.

What are the two or three more important measureable outcomes tracked to assess program quality? Does the program conduct an outcomes assessment, and if so, what has been the impact?

The largest outcome tracked by Campus Recreation is utilization of the Student Recreation Center.  We have discovered that despite a five-year decline in enrollment, our usage has remained very close to the same.  We also track user satisfaction with group fitness classes.  Surveys are completed voluntarily and anonymously by participants.  These surveys have provided valued feedback for instructors, reviews of classes and ideas for new programs.  We have brought in new classes based on requests and reviews, which has helped the program participation increase over 6 years.

What are the two or three most effective best practices that the program has implemented? What benefits have been gained from implementing these best practices?

The biggest trend in Campus Recreation is sustainability.  The ESCO project brought the Student Recreation Center high-efficiency lighting.  We have also transitioned to cardio equipment that is almost entirely self-powered, with the exception of treadmills.  These, however, use far less energy now than even 5 years ago.

In addition, Campus Recreation installed a Big Ass Fan in the lobby in 2008.  The fan has helped with air circulation and temperature control.  Published material from the company states that the 25-foot fan can help reduce HVAC cost by as much as 20%.

There is also an emphasis on quality training for student staff in recreation.  Best practices suggest comprehensive training at the beginning of the academic year and incentive programming for motivation.  We address training by developing a multi-level training program for all student staff.  Graduate Assistants train for two weeks on all areas of the facility, programs, and staffing.  Five days before the start of school in the fall we bring in all undergraduate Building Coordinators for two days of refresher training.  All supervisors complete a personality assessment, customer service training, sessions on employee motivation and dealing with difficulty patrons, Civil Rights and Sexual Harassment Training, and First Aid/CPR/AED training.

Intramural Sports trains officials in sport specific requirements prior to the start of every sport season.  Supervisors are developed from the staff of officials and receive training at the beginning of every academic year.  The supervisors are also required to maintain First Aid/CPR/AED certification.

To address employee motivation we currently use a system of commendation and peer review and award the SRC Superstar every month.  Our best employees seem motivated to earn commendation stars, which may ultimately lead to a Superstar award.  Intramural Sports awards an official of the week and official of the season for every team sport.

What external recognitions (e.g., awards, accommodations, professional certifications, references in trade publications) have the program and its staff received in the past three years?

In 2012 Kevin Linker, Program Director for Intramural Sports was awarded the Illinois Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Service Award.

Sarah Daugherty, Program Director for Facilities, Group Fitness, Aquatics and Student Employment, maintains American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor and Instructor Trainer certification, American Red Cross Lifeguard/First Aid/CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer certification, and American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer certification.

 Brandon Deroshia, Professional Intern for Facilities, recently became certified as an American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor.

 Both Kevin Linker and Sarah Daugherty have also completed the EIU Leading Edge program through Human Resources Training and Development.

Is the program active with any regional, national, or international professional organizations?

Campus Recreation and the Student Recreation Center are active in the National Intramural and Recreation Sport Association (NIRSA).  Staff members who are also members of NIRSA include Kevin Linker, Sarah Daugherty, Brandon Deroshia, Sineyda Ortiz (GA), Scott Pedersen (GA), Dale Kolnitys (GA) and Kelly Kessler (GA).  We all also maintain membership in the state organization under NIRSA, the Illinois Intramural and Recreation Sport Association (IIRSA)

Sarah Daugherty maintains membership in the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Kevin Linker maintains membership in the Illinois High School Association Charleston-Mattoon Basketball Official’s Association.

Note any presentations, publications, or offices held in the last three years.

Kevin Linker:      NIRSA Student Official’s Development Program (08-13)

                         NIRSA Conference Expo Committee member

                         NIRSA Regional Flag Football Tournament Committee member

                         NIRSA Student Officials Development Program – Soccer 2010 presenter “Hot Topics in Intramural                                 Soccer”

                         IIRSA Service Award Committee member

                         IIRSA State Basketball Committee member

                         IIRSA Technology Committee member

Sarah Daugherty:             NIRSA Presentation 2010 “Sink or Swim: Training Quality Graduate Assistants”                                                               (collaboration with Indiana State University)

                                       Midwest Fit Fest Presenter 2013 “In-House Training for Group Fitness Instructors”                                                           (collaboration with University of Illinois-Chicago)

                                       NIRSA Facilities Committee Member

                                       NIRSA Presenter 2013 “Facilities Roundtable” (collaboration of the NIRSA Facilities                                                         Committee)

                                       NIRSA Poster Presenter 2011 “We Swim: Follow-Up to Training Quality Graduate                                                           Assistants”

                                       EIU Council on University Planning and Budget 2008-2012 (executive committee,                                                           business affairs subcommittee, student affairs subcommittee, university                                                               advancement subcommittee, bylaws review subcommittee, budget transfer                                                           subcommittee)

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the quality of program outcomes.

Note any special benefits (e.g., personnel support, equipment, permanent improvements) that the program has received in the past three years from its grants and other sponsored programs.

How does the program benefit from donor gifts (e.g., scholarships, endowed chairs)? Does donor support provide a significant percentage of the program’s overall funding?

Campus Recreation receives very little support from donor gifts.  Donors to the university are able to purchase a membership to the facility as long as they maintain an annual donation of $500, which may be made to any department or entity on campus and is rarely donated directly to Campus Recreation.  Based on the revenue reports included in this analysis, there are no more than three donors giving money directly to Campus Recreation.

The number of memberships sold to university donors is as follows:

                FY11       80

                FY12       164

                FY13       132

List two or three key relationships that the program maintains with external constituencies (e.g., community colleges, other universities, government bodies). How do these relationships advance the university mission or otherwise benefit the university?

Campus Recreation maintains a working relationship with the YMCA of Mattoon in order to share information and provide mutually beneficial training opportunities.  We have benefited from this relationship by being able to send our group fitness instructors to receive Keiser Cycling training at the YMCA last November.  In addition, we provided the opportunity for YMCA group fitness instructors to attend American Fitness Association of America Primary Group Fitness Instructor certification at the end of October 2013.  We also have taken supervisors and graduate students from Campus Recreation to tour the facilities at the YMCA as an example of another facility operating a recreation center.  The YMCA has also utilized our relationship by looking at the equipment and operating procedures we maintain while designing and building their own facility.

We also maintain a relationship with several other universities in Illinois and Indiana through personal relationships and the Illinois Intramural and Recreational Sports Association.  Specifically, we have taken students to visit the facilities at Illinois State University, Indiana State University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during our annual facility tour at the beginning of the Graduate Assistants’ contract period.  We have also utilized the expertise of the professional staff at several universities while planning our move from paper reports to online reports utilizing iPad technology as well as the use of random drug testing during body building competitions.

All these relationships help our students develop and learn as well as better the facilities and knowledge of our professional staff.  They have helped us institute new programs, select new equipment, and transition to a paperless, green operation.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the resources generated by the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., revenue pass-throughs) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Provide an executive summary of and link to any metrics or benchmarks that the program tracks to measure productivity.

We do not use metrics or benchmarks to measure the productivity of our staff.  With a small staff compared to our benchmark institutions, we wouldn’t have a successful program if we weren’t all contributing to our full ability.  The next closest benchmark school is Indiana State University. 

EIU Campus Recreation currently employs three professional staff not including the director, a position that is currently vacant.  Indiana State University employs six professional staff (http://www.indstate.edu/recsport/staff.htm).  Illinois State University employs 19 (http://campusrecreation.illinoisstate.edu/about-us/our-team.shtml).  Western Illinois University employs 11 (http://www.wiu.edu/student_services/campus_recreation/staff/index.php#staff).

We at EIU Campus Recreation are very proud of the program we are able to run with the help of our student employees and graduate assistants.

What initiatives has the program implemented to enhance staff productivity (e.g., access to training, workflow improvements)? Briefly describe the costs and benefits of these initiatives.

Staff productivity is enhanced through the attitude we cultivate in our department.  It is a requirement for all staff, professional and student, to be positive, contributing members of the department.  To achieve a buy-in with our staff, we involve our student employees in every aspect of what we do on a daily basis.  They are our eyes and ears in the facility and learn to take pride in the facility and the work they do.  Not everyone buys into what we are trying to accomplish and we do unfortunately lose some staff members who choose to look elsewhere for employment.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the productivity of the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements, curricular changes, program restructuring) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the costs associated with the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., expenditures made centrally or externally, expenditures made on behalf of other units) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

How does the program seek to distinguish itself from similar programs at other institutions?

The largest distinction between Campus Recreation at EIU and other institutions is the amount we are able to accomplish with a limited staff.  Rather than spend the student’s fee money on staff, we choose to spend it on equipment for the Student Recreation Center and the programs run by the department. 

In addition, we strive to keep our costs low in order to avoid charging fees to participants for the programs offered through Campus Recreation.  By maintaining a small professional staff we are able to use the student’s money to fund our programs and services.  Unlike most universities, we do not charge for intramural sports or group fitness programs.  Samples of programs that other universities are charging fees for may be found here:

WIU: http://www.wiu.edu/student_services/campus_recreation/

Illinois State: http://campusrecreation.illinoisstate.edu/

University of Illinois: http://www.campusrec.illinois.edu/

Indiana State: http://www.indstate.edu/recsport/

Southern Illinois Carbondale: http://www.reccenter.siu.edu/

Southern Illinois Edwardsville: http://www.siue.edu/crec/

Note any unique and/or essential contributions that the program makes to the university.

Campus Recreation is the hub of formal and informal non-athletic sports competition and fitness.  There is not another place on campus that provides the service, facilities and programs that we are tasked with.  We provide the opportunity for physical, emotional and character development to our students and our student employees. 

The Student Recreation Center also serves as a recruiting and retention tool for the university.  Existence of a facility has become a basic expectation of students entering college, and that expectation includes the latest and greatest in equipment, programs and services.

Provide any program-specific metrics that help to document program contributions or program quality. Examples of some commonly used program-specific metrics may be found here.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program impact on the university mission.

Provide a link to or listing of the program’s goals and/or strategic plan.

The goals submitted for FY14 on the FY13 Annual Report are as follows:

• Find a new director in a timely manner
• Maintain full staffing through transition

In addition to these goals we have developed additional approved goals for the year as follows:

• Remove the TV's originally installed for Cardio Theatre and replaced with individual TV's on each cardio machine.  These TV's have been in use since 1998 and are on their last legs.
• Begin research on adding internet access to the power system for treadmills, ellipticals, cross trainers, AMT's, bikes and arc trainers.
• Begin research on the possibility of adding towel service in the SRC.  This includes laundry facilities, towels and operating procedures.

What role will the program have in the implementation of the university’s strategic plan (provide link to strategic plan)?

We contribute to the goal of implementation and use of emerging technologies by embracing the newest technology available in recreation equipment.  Sustainability and green initiatives are increasingly important in recreation and our suppliers are rising to the occasion to provide quality equipment to meet the demands of reducing carbon footprints and creating sustainable programs.

The largest role Campus Recreation plays in assisting with the strategic plan is in Campus and Community Life.  Our department encourages and participates in collaboration among campus departments and academic programs as well as community entities. 

Finally, Campus Recreation positively contributes to financial sustainability.  The department maintains a relatively small staff in order to spend more on the equipment and programs our students demand.  We have worked hard to create a positive and sustainable program to meet the needs of our students as well as our faculty, staff, family and donor members.  We operate within our budget on a continuous basis with the help of the Apportionment Board, who provides the financial resources for us to employ graduate assistants and student employees.  This also means we rarely request increases to our fee (20% increase since 1991) and maintain a fee significantly lower than our benchmark institutions.

In the next two or three years, what best practices, improvements in operations, or other opportunities to advance the university’s mission are likely to be implemented?

At this time it is difficult to plan for the future because we do not have a Director for the department.  Without a leader to provide direction we are hesitant to make plans, as we anticipate a new director joining us in July 2014.  That said we will proceed with any plans that are short term and will assist in maintaining the mission of our department and the university.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand future opportunities for the program.