The Division of Student Life fosters student success by creating and promoting inclusive educationally purposeful services and activities within and beyond the classroom. The departmental program review process empowers departments within the Division of Student Life to critically evaluate their work and their effect on the UI student experience through a lens of continuous improvement. As a unit of the Division of Student Life, Recreational Services engaged in a program review process in 2021. Recreational Services completed a comprehensive self-study and hosted two external reviewers for a multi-day virtual visit. The review suggested improvements to overall department operations as well as for specific programs. The external reviewers were Laura Hall (Pennsylvania State University) and Tony Price (University of Colorado, Boulder). The internal reviewer was Josh Berka, University of Iowa Assistant Athletic Director, Event Management and Sports Camps. Due to last minute obligations, Josh Berka was unable to participate in the review. This action plan is intended to be a living document based on the current campus environment. Action items and outcomes may change.

Table of contents

Recommendation: assessment

  1. Consider having an internal committee for assessment.
  2. Coordinate more intentionally with the Division of Student Life on student learning outcomes.
  3. Articulate the purpose of internal Annual Reports to all staff in the department to help them understand the value and necessary outcomes in telling the department story.
  4. When collecting and reporting participation data, it is very important to differentiate between various demographics (students, faculty/staff, and community) for data-informed decision-making (e.g., revenue. Vs. expenses for community-based programming).

Year 2 Plan

  • Committee: Evaluate need for assessment committee based on Year 1 results.
  • Data Reporting: Collect information as needed to make strategic changes.

Success measures and updates

  • Create a definition for assessment in Recreational Services. (completed spring 2023)
  • Recreational Services partnered with the Division of Student Life to implement universal student learning outcomes for all part-time employees. The survey is distributed each spring semester and results are provided to departments. (completed spring 2023)
  • Annual reports were discussed at full staff meetings and staff determined they would like an external annual report and internal annual report. (completed spring 2023)
  • Annual reports have been altered to align with department strategic focus document and external review document to support department initiatives. (completed spring 2023)
  • Determined an assessment committee is not needed for the department. (completed spring 2024)
  • The department has redone the annual reports to intentionally collect data that is needed to tell our story. We have added contact hours as a way to demonstrate the scope of impact rather than simply participant or participation numbers. Further, the department has added assessment to the internship experience to continually have fresh eyes on the information we are gathering. (completed spring 2024)

Recommendation: athletics and rentals

  1. Establish a new usage MOU for scheduling priorities.
  2. Work with summer conferencing to establish ‘per head’ surcharge that would grant all attendees access to RS facilities.

Year 2 Plan

  • Summer conferencing:
    • Work to set pricing accordingly.
    • Gather information on summer conference opportunities inside and outside of the university.

Success measures and updates

  • MOU was created and will be reviewed annually in the summer to prepare for the upcoming academic year. (completed spring 2023)
  • Collected information on summer conferencing from peer institutions. (completed spring 2023)
  • Due to varying needs from department camps, determined a universal camp partnership is not feasible. Rather, continue to offer summer memberships based on individual department needs.

Recommendation: access and opportunity 

  1. Develop specific and measurable strategies to recruit and retain a diverse professional staff team.
  2. Intercultural Development (IDI) Training could be of value for Recreational Services/Division of Student Life.

Year 2 Plan

  • Recruit & retain:
    • Define diverse professional staff.
    • Determine DSL metrics.
    • Connect with HR regarding current recruitment and retention strategies.
    • Understand DSL executive leadership team expectations.
    • Evaluate the hiring checklist.
  • Training: Follow DSL recommendations and requirements.

Success measures and updates

  • The department connected with HR, and HR provided additional websites to expand recruitment strategies.  (completed spring 2023)
  • The department follows the University of Iowa's recommendations regarding training.  (completed spring 2023)

Recommendations: general

  1. Explicitly state the priorities of the department (serving students, fac/staff, or revenue generation that could displace the campus constituents? Etc.) as bandwidth/work volume was consistently reported as a concern.
  2. Invest in enhancing/expanding partnerships with student leaders (Student Government, RSO’s, Student Employees, Sport Clubs, etc.) to leverage shared priorities and goals (e.g. facility enhancements and expansion).
  3. Coordinate with the Center for Advancement to code, track, and specify alumni for support and fundraising.
  4. Specific staff development opportunities on how to handle confidential or sensitive information in terms of communication to staff in their areas.
  5. Coordination of student development/student leadership/assessment should be considered for the Associate-level to allow for coordinator/consistency across the whole department.
  6. Provide opportunities for staff at Assistant Director and Coordinator level to connect with senior leadership staff to understand department priorities, goals, direction, etc.
  7. Continue to strategize and define an intentional path forward to align with broader Division and University priorities.

Year 2 Plan

  • Priorities:
    • Evaluate and update the strategic focus document.
    • Determine who/how to share the strategic focus document.
      • Include as a new hire document.
  • Student Leaders:
    • Explore formalizing robust student internship/practicum opportunities within Recreational Services.

Success measures and updates

  1. Updated strategic focus document and the information has been embedded in the website, annual report, new hire overview, professional development requests, program requests, and budget presentations. (completed spring 2023)
  2. Student Leaders:
    • The department evaluated the format of the Student Leadership Committee.  (completed spring 2023)
    • When appropriate, Recreational Services has encouraged student employees to participate in committees on campus.  (completed spring 2023)
    • Working with Sarah Hardin to collaborate on expanding collegiate recreation in the Sport & Recreation Management Degree.  (completed spring 2023)
    • An internship framework is being evaluated for the department.  (completed spring 2023)
    • A formal internship program was created and launched in Spring 2024 in partnership with University of Iowa Sport and Recreation Management department. Three interns are participating in Spring 2024 semester. (completed spring 2024)
  3. Advancement: Due to competing priorities, Recreational Services as determined that pursuing this position is not a priority at this time.  (completed spring 2023)
  4. Recreational Services developed an Individual Development Plan framework to help advance professional staff. The plan launched in the fall of 2022. (completed spring 2023)
  5. Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives created. (completed spring 2022)

Recommendations: memberships

  1. Continue to market faculty and staff recreation membership incentive program (discounted membership).
  2. Consider offering flex membership for faculty/staff during non-peak hours.

Year 2 Plan

  • Market memberships:
    • Collaborate with UI Student Life Communications to market membership to Fac/Staff that we identified as untapped.
    • Identify smaller group settings for marketing opportunities.
    • Identify and connect with university partnerships to help connect us to eligible Fac/Staff.

Success measures and updates

  • Mass email distributed in November 2022, waived activation fee – 276 individuals signed up for a membership. (completed spring 2023)
  • Partnered with University HR to promote membership at staff meetings, onboarding documents, etc. (completed spring 2023)
  • Partnered with Discover Your University initiative to promote department/facilities. (completed spring 2023)
  • Membership Dashboard was created, and departments with lower staff usage were identified. (completed spring 2023)
  • Alterations to the perpetual membership have been made, and the requirement for minimum duration has been removed. (completed spring 2023)
  • Working with ITS to implement recurring payment options to expand flex membership options. (completed spring 2023)
  • Researched all peer institutions. Determined that Madison, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Northwestern all offer recurring payments via credit card. (completed spring 2023)
  • Intern identified non-peak hours for Recreational Services and provided recommendations on hours of operation to Facility Operations staff. (completed spring 2023)
  • Collaborated with Student Life Communications to promote Faculty/Staff membership options to non-members through email, social media, and digital signage. 190 individuals signed up during the promotion.  (completed spring 2024)
  • A list of departments with lower enrollment has been identified to promote memberships. (completed spring 2024)
  • Partnering with Staff Council, University Human Resources, Division of Student Life, and University onboarding efforts have been successful in promoting options for university individuals. (completed spring 2024)

Recommendations: shared services

  1. Additional FTE for marketing/communications with specific emphasis on revenue-generating programs and services (e.g., membership drives).
  2. Clearer delineation of specific roles and responsibilities (social media, photography/videography, graphic design, etc.) and clear lines of responsibilities between centralized unit and Recreational Services staff.
  3. Well-defined marketing plans should be established well in advance of each upcoming semester – for the department as a whole and each unit.
  4. Market Recreational Services programs and services directly to graduate students.

Year 2 Plan

  • Request update from Student Life Communication regarding the delineation of specific roles and responsibilities.
  • Identify within Recreational Services gaps with services regarding marketing and communications.
  • Develop feedback loops to improve communication.

Success measures and updates

  • Feedback loops are established to increase communication. (completed spring 2023)
  • Student Life Communications has restructured their department. As a result, Recreational Services will have a dedicated marketing specialist. The position was finalized September 2022 and was filled August 2023. (completed spring 2023)
  • Recreational Services is continuing to partner with Student Life Communications. Due to vacancies, advancement with marketing plans has not taken place to date. (completed spring 2023)

Recommendations: well-being

  1. Look to create connectivity and synergy amongst well-being programs and facilities to best serve students, including the intentional co-location of services that complement one another.
  2. Assess current offerings directly related to various realms of well-being and create deliberate cross-functional communication lines between providers of well-being within DSL and the university.
  3. Continue to enhance integrated well-being service delivery spaces.

Year 2 Plan

  • Connectivity:
    • Promote Recreational Services, Division, and University well-being initiatives.
    • Partner with Division and University to offer well-being programs and facilities.
  • Assess & Communicate:
    • Continue to track well-being offerings and communicate to DSL and University to avoid duplication of programs and services.
    • Recommend revamping Wellness Meetings that included UI Wellness, Recreational Services, Student Health, and Student Wellness.

Success measures and updates

  • Recreational Services is continuing to partner with Student Life Communications to promote well-being initiatives. Staff are also serving on two of the five well-being committees. (completed spring 2023)
  • Recreational Services has partnered with Late Night Funding to offer a variety of programming, including but not limited to Rec After Dark, Friday Night Series, events at the climbing wall, fitness challenges, and more. Furthermore, the department has collaborated with UCS and Student Wellness to offer space for various well-being programs. (completed spring 2023)
  • The Well-being - Connections, Inclusions, and Purpose subcommittee has created a comprehensive list of well-being-related offerings on campus. That information, along with guidance from Student Life Communications, will help reduce the overlap of services. (completed spring 2023)
  • The wellness meetings have been revitalized starting in April 2023. (completed spring 2023)

Recommendations: aquatics

  1. Consider a robust program of safety classes for campus (First Aid, CPR, AED).
  2. Continue to explore addressing lifeguard shortages by offering credit, lifeguard certification, and instructor offerings through the Lifetime Leisure Classes to increase wages to meet the labor market.
  3. Evaluate the business model of IFLY to determine the cost-benefit of the program. Include an assessment of revenue v. expenses including coaches, a portion of aquatics staff, capital equipment, replacement costs, and participant tracking (based on the percentage of usage hours of the pools).
  4. Continue to align and benchmark best practices with USA Swimming.
  5. Target outreach to registered student organizations regarding aquatic programming.
  6. Strategic planning for scaled growth with consideration of pending Field House Pool, CRWC expansion, and exploration of public/private aquatic programming and facilities.

Year 2 Plan

  • USA swimming:
    • Propose merit and social benefit of offering para-athlete group to the community to Recreational Services Leadership Team.
  • Affinity groups:
    • Identify opportunities in current aquatic programming, and policies.
    • Reach out to student organizations to learn more about their desires in Aquatics.
    • Assess community aquatic wants/needs.

Success measures and updates

  • Determination about providing lifeguard class for credit. 
    • There is not a current need for Aquatics or Recreational Services to provide additional certification/safety courses. (completed spring 2023)
    • Determined Recreational Services will not pursue an academic class at this time. (completed spring 2023)
  • IFLY business model was evaluated as part of the FY24 budget planning process. A five-year plan has been established. (completed spring 2023)
  • Updated USA Swimming standards.
    • IFLY continues to provide Outreach membership to 12 & Under athletes who request financial assistance for a variety of possible reasons. (completed spring 2023)
  • Renewal of SafeSport recognition.
    • IFLY was officially recognized as a USA Swimming SafeSport compliant club in August of 2022. We will remain compliant through August of 2024. (completed spring 2023)
  • Comprehensive pool usage plan created. (completed spring 2023)
  • IFLY Standards completed Fall 2023. (completed spring 2024)
  • Proposed para/adaptive swim program in Fall 2023. Started program in Fall 2023. Currently 1 swimmer is participating. (completed spring 2024)
  • Connected with current user groups and potential campus groups to accommodate desired needs. Unable to reach out to external groups due to staffing restraints.
  • Updated swim lesson parent survey. Launching user survey. (completed spring 2024)

Recommendations: facilities

  1. Scaled expansion of CRWC and HTRC is necessary. Expansion planning should be a priority based on current capacity limitations and strategic growth projections.
  2. Seek specific information and/or timelines regarding the possible annexation of the Field House by UIHC.
    • (If no plans to annex) Determine a repurposing plan for racquetball courts.
    • (If no plans to annex) Create and implement a deferred maintenance plan to address the most significant concerns (e.g., facilities systems, aged locker rooms, pool, etc.).
  3. Replace natural grass turf fields with synthetic turf.

Year 2 Plan

  • Expansion: Utilize previous space analysis studies to formalize and project future expansion needs.
  • Synthetic turf: Substantial completion of project.

Success measures and updates

  • Due to the 10-year master plan changing since the completion of the external review, exploring the Field House recommendation is no longer pertinent. Information regarding the inventory of space and needs has been collected and available should future planning need the information. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Campus Planning has changed course on the long-term plans for the Field House. Although office space will be removed, activity spaces will be maintained, so expansion of CRWC or HTRC is not a priority. However, expansion of outdoor spaces near both facilities is encouraged by university administration. (completed spring 2024)
  • Synthetic turf:
    • The program phase, design phase, and bid project were completed through Planning and Design in winter 2022. (completed winter 2022)
    • Construction started in April 2023. (updated spring 2023)
    • This project was substantially completed as of March 1, 2024.

Recommendations: fitness

  1. Space analysis specific to group exercise should be conducted to determine how much additional GX/PT space is needed for projected growth that aligns with additional revenue.
  2. Continue to assess programming trends and revise offerings accordingly.
  3. New collaborative opportunities
    • Trauma-informed yoga – Partner with Division to offer restorative yoga to small cohorts of students.
  4. Continue to offer programming to groups on campus.
  5. Continue to recruit, train, and retain a diverse group of instructors and staff.
  6. Continuation of both in-person and virtual offerings including group exercise and personal training sessions is highly recommended.
  7. Fusion – Requested support for improving the technical setup for class registration.

Year 2 Plan

  • Space analysis/assess programs: Determine program priorities.
  • Virtual: Connect with colleagues to assess virtual personal training success rates.

Success measures and updates

  • Results provided by Les Mills has been reviewed. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Expansion of assessments to hear participant feedback will take place FY24. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Purchased new strength equipment for the CRWC, FH, and moved equipment to Fitness East. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Continue to connect with campus partners to explore opportunities.
    • Examples from 2022-2023 include: IMU Event Services – outdoor yoga; WRAC-Restorative Yoga for Trauma Survivors; ROTC- switching bootcamp time so cadets could attend; UIHC – Cancer Survivor Yoga. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Determined that alternative software was not suitable for needs of the operation. Looked at implementing scans for participation but need for additional staffing to operate the software was not available. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Develop a recommendation for tracking participation attendance.
    • Participation is currently tracked through google forms. Implementing assessments FY24 to obtain snapshot demographic information. (completed spring 2023) 
  • A group fitness survey was conducted Fall 2024. Data confirmed current programming aligned with patron desires. Survey also confirmed desires for additional space at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. Due to staffing changes, program priorities will continue to be evaluated. (completed spring 2024)
  • After benchmarking and conducting internal discussions, determined that pursing virtual personal training is not a priority at this time. (completed spring 2024)

Recommendations: Adventure Recreation

  1. Trip programs should be considered for significant investment and growth with FTE’s devoted to hiring and developing student guides for trips.
  2. Trip leaders should be paid via a trip stipend based on benchmarking of like programs throughout the country.
  3. Intentional outreach to registered student organizations that serve affinity groups to introduce to the outdoors.
  4. Refinement of land management role to reflect changes to MNRA. Concurrent to this should be some strategic reimagining of the purpose and possibilities for MNRA.
  5. Additional focus on marketing, outreach, and promotion for challenge course to campus and community groups for team building could be a source of revenue

Year 2 Plan

  • Assess affinity group participation.
  • Identify outreach success stories and challenges and adjust accordingly.
  • Benchmark B1G and peer institution bike share programs.
  • Identify campus and community partners for bike share programing.
  • Connect with partners to determine interest, opportunities, and challenges related to program.

Success measures and updates

  • Extensive benchmarking and trip program research occurred as part of the outdoor INNOVATION project. Through the research and presentation of the INNOVATION findings, Trip Leader positions became paid instead of voluntary. (completed spring 2023) 
  • The Adventure Recreation team is currently re-envisioning the Adventure Trips offerings in an effort to not compete with the LLS class offerings. (updated spring 2023) 
  • Recreational Services hourly wage committee thoroughly reviewed all recreational services’ hourly positions, responsibilities, and wages. The results of the wage presentation have been put on hold due to the University Human Resources conducting its own review of the current job families at the University of Iowa. (updated spring 2023) 
  • Working with the DSL marketing team to develop new branding for the outdoor programs. (updated spring 2023) 
  • Developed a tracking document to update when various group participation in adventure recreation programs occur. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Land management was transitioned to UI Facilities Management 7/1/2022. Website and contact information was updated accordingly. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Affinity group participation for FY24 was tracked and expansion of reach was noted. (completed spring 2024)
  • Communicated with campus and community partners. Determined not the responsibility of the university or Recreational Services to implement city wide program. (completed spring 2024)

Recommendations: rowing

Significant analysis is recommended for rowing to determine sustainability. 10-year replacement cycle of boats and safety equipment should be considered within the analysis.

Year 2 Plan

  • Determine feasibility of growth of participation and facility space (limiting factors include weather and river).
  • Identify participation numbers consistent with department language for participants.
  • Identify equipment replacement/repair cycles and needs and submit to reserves Performa or local budget.
  • Conduct budget analysis and include assessment of revenue v. expenses including coaches, maintenance staff, capital equipment, and replacement costs.

Success measures and updates

  • Sustainability of Rowing program determined.
    • Growth is not possible from current adult numbers, and there is little room for growth within the Youth program. (completed spring 2023) 
    • Annual report updated to include contact hours to show the scope of work. (completed spring 2023) 
    • Budget analysis conducted—two-year phased registration fee increase implemented in Summer 2022. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Equipment replacement plan created.
    • Worked to enter boat replacement into repair and replacement proforma. (completed spring 2023) 

Recommendations: sport programs

  1. Seriously consider additional flexibility in the types of schedules for play and move away from the traditional 1 game per week model.
  2. Consider hiring full and part-time Athletic Trainers for Sport Clubs.
  3. Prioritize filling vacant assistant director position to also include continued recruitment of student staff that can provide administrative support.
  4. Proactive planning and communication with the marketing team to define roles, and identify promotional Intramural Sports program growth priorities and metrics for success.
  5. The continued growth of Esports offerings to include campus space discussions.
  6. Continue to support and enhance unified sport opportunities and targeted promotion to campus affinity groups.
  7. Consider implementation of a Sport Club Council.

Year 2 Plan

  • Scheduling: Assess flexible scheduling offerings to determine necessary adjustments.
  • Athletic Trainers: Determine ideal structure for Sport Programs based on information gathered from peer institutions and internal considerations.
  • Marketing: Develop marketing plan to move forward based on larger departmental discussion.
  • Esports:
    • Assess current Esports offerings.
    • Benchmark B1G and peer institution Esports program offerings.
    • Develop programming opportunities with anticipated completion of new esports facility.

Success measures and updates

  • Flexible scheduling format offered.
    • Scrimmage Nights implemented in spring 2022 and continued in fall 2022. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Future Athletic Trainer structure established for Recreational Services.
    • Working with Sports Medicine to discuss alternatives and ways to provide athletic training services to our Sport Clubs. Next steps are to benchmark with B1G institutions. (updated spring 2023) 
  • Completed hiring and onboarding of new Assistant Director.
    • Determined the need for more help with administrative sport club tasks, particularly processing sport club travel. Began the process of moving sport club travel over to Student Organization Business Office. (updated spring 2023) 
  • Programming implemented in new eSports facility.
    •  Implementing several in-person esports tournaments in the new HawkeyEsports Arcade. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Marketing plan created and implemented.
  • Sport Club Council implemented.
  • Offered Unified Indoor Soccer for the first time in spring 2023. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Outreach Committee has identified and reached out to campus affinity groups including FSL organizations, international groups, cultural centers, etc. (completed spring 2023) 
  • Sport programs has benchmarked several institutions who have AT programs and is working with UI Sport Med on developing a proposal. (completed spring 2024)
  • Partnering with student life communications to insure consistent messaging across sport program platforms and communication channels. (completed spring 2024)
  • Discontinued Intramural Esports due to overlapping offerings from IMU Event Services and Esports Club on campus. Our participation numbers were very low and any "traditional" Intramural Sport with numbers that low would be discontinued. In addition, Esports Club and IMU Event Services offers Esports Programming on campus. (completed spring 2024)
  • Sport Club Council framework has been established and will be rolled out in fall 2024. (completed spring 2024)

Recommendations: tennis

  1. Strong consideration should be made for adding pickleball courts (could also be used for 10 & Under tennis).
  2. Formal assessment needs should be considered for new programs before launching (e.g., wheelchair tennis).
  3. Assess Unified Sport offering utilizing students from Club Tennis team and local Special Olympic Athletes.

Year 2 Plan

  • Pickleball:
    • Based on demonstrated demand and interest, determine desired permanent accommodations and space.
    • Add Pickleball court markings and develop program offerings.
  • Implement developed plan for evaluation of programming, if applicable.
  • Implement Unified Tennis, if applicable.

Success measures and updates

  • Pickleball was added in fall 2022 as a program offering. Additional times will be considered based on demand and space available. (completed spring 2023)
  • A comprehensive review of the tennis program is taking place summer 2023. Once completed, an assessment plan will be determined. (updated spring 2023)
  • Offering drop-in pickleball four days a week and "learn to play" options. (completed spring 2024)
  • Assessments were created for parent and participant surveys. Implemented summer 2024. (completed spring 2024)
  • Offering a unified tennis tournament in June 2024. (completed spring 2024)