Mission

Recreation Management and Leadership Mission and Goals

Conducted from a foundation of liberal education, Recreation Management and Leadership prepares students to enhance the quality of individual and community life through the provision of recreation and leisure services for all people. Based on this mission, students shall develop the values, knowledge, skill, and qualities to perform proficiently and ethically as professionals. In particular, they shall:

  • Understand principles of social justice and be able to develop policies and practices that make recreation and leisure opportunities available to all people, in a systems-based context.
  • Understand the relation between leisure and the arts, the humanities, and the social, behavioral, and natural sciences.
  • Be able to think critically and use diverse methods of understanding and reasoning.
  • Be able to speak and write effectively.
  • Be able to work effectively in a multicultural society for the wellbeing of communities.
  • Be able to analyze contemporary moral, ethical, social, and political issues in relation to recreation and leisure.
  • Possess the technical knowledge and skills required of recreation professionals, including planning, management, assessment, leadership, evaluation, and budget and finance.
  • Be well prepared in their area of specialization, including ecotourism, outdoor recreation, community recreation, and/or therapeutic recreation.

Three interrelated dimensions

Guided by its mission statement and goals, Recreation Management and Leadership consists of three interrelated dimensions: content, process, and structure:

  1. Content refers to the broad body of knowledge constituting the liberal arts and sciences (that inform and shape professional practice) and to that body of knowledge belonging to recreation and leisure services.
  2. Process refers to applying the principles and methods of liberal education to study in recreation and leisure services.
  3. Structure refers to the form used to implement Recreation Management and Leadership. Specifically, it refers to the configuration and sequence of the "Phase" system and its courses and to the total university learning experience. In sum, the curriculum is synergistic. Each fundamental element--process, content, structure--interactively contributes to a sound undergraduate education for students wishing to serve society through the provision of leisure services.
Student walking on beach during sunset