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Department of Recreational Sports
Strategic Plan

Mission Statement | Departmental Highlights | Departmental Challenges | Departmental Goals

MISSION STATEMENT

Encourage recreational, educational, and student leadership opportunities through:

• Aquatics:
  …exploring aquatics activities and specialized training in a safe and socially-inviting environment
• Dedman Center:
  …providing an informal recreational environment promoting healthy lifestyles
• Fitness:
  …programs that emphasize the five components (cardiovascular, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition) of physical fitness as well as overall well-being
• Intramurals:
  …providing challenges and opportunities for participation through structured competitive and non-competitive experiences
• Outdoor Adventure:
  …challenging outdoor pursuits, services and facilities utilizing and promoting our natural environment
• Spirit:
  …maximizing personal and team growth through support of Athletic and University events and experiences involving competition
• Sports Clubs:
  …supporting student-led programs and teams through skill development and competition in a particular sport

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2009-2010 DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Our Outdoor Adventures program collaborated with Residence Life and Student Housing to offer the Hilltop Scholars Program Expedition.  This program was held in the summer for First-Year students who are part of the Hilltop Scholars Program (living  together in Smith-Perkins Hall).  They spent one week in New Mexico participating in leadership training through outdoor recreation programming.
• The department, in response to the President’s Alcohol and Drug Task Force Recommendations, hosted several late night events: the 3rd annual SMU Gladiator’s, and a Midnight Costume Cosmic Climbing event the week of Halloween.
• The Spirit Groups:  Band, Cheer, Pom and even Peruna traveled to Hawaii for the bowl game.  During the trip they participated in two pep rallies, supported the basketball team, visited a children’s hospital, went to a Luau and visited Pearl Harbor.  It was a fast trip, but a great experience for all.
• Both the Pom Squad and the Cheer Squad came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at the National Competition.
• There has been an increase in Intramural participation.  The most dramatic increase occurred in Flag Football rising to 108 teams compared to 81 teams last year.
• Virtual Workouts were posted on the SMU Fitness webpage so that members could download workouts to their iPods and exercise under the instruction of a certified fitness instructor at any time.
• Outdoor Adventures, in collaboration with SMU-in-Taos, provided two outdoor recreational trips for Fall Semester students enrolled at SMU-in-Taos.
• Several motivational changes  were instituted for the Dedman Student Staff.  A competition (‘Family Feud’) to improve customer service and decrease ‘point of sale’ errors, an ‘internship’ period for point of sale staff, and a ‘supervisor’ structure to give students the more opportunities for supervisory experience.

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DEPARTMENTAL CHALLENGES

As the nation faced financial challenges, our membership numbers decreased (2008/9 – 927; 2009/10 – 665) as well as our attendance at summer cheer camps (2008/9 – 6183; 2009/10 – 4300).  Hilltop Sports Camp continued to fill with a waiting list.

Because Peruna, SMU’s mascot, is the responsibility of our department, the push by Athletics to add donated large horses was quite a conflict and very time consuming.  Luckily, the SMU alumni were adamant in their support of Peruna continuing his 77 years of traditional duties.

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DEPARTMENTAL GOALS

Student Success

• Over the summer, Dedman Center student employees taught swimming lessons to over 100 different children, community members and other students.
• Eight SMU students were trained and served as Hilltop Sports Camp counselors for 60 campers ages 6-12 during the month of June.  The camp continues to receive accolades for the care and attention the campers receive.
• With representation from the Peruna Handlers and Peruna’s presence, a resolution was passed by the Student Senate confirming Peruna as SMU’s official mascot.
• Development of a new Polo Club is gaining momentum with over 20 student involved.  They have secured 12 horses and a coach and have two competitive teams (men’s and women’s).
• Seven students of the Outdoor Adventures staff have completed 50 hours of outdoor recreation certification courses and trainings to serve the University community as competent and knowledgeable outdoor leaders.

Student Learning

• Enrollment in the Personal Training Preparation course doubled.  This is a course that carries no university credit but prepares the student to take a national certification test.
• Aquatics certified over 30 students through CPR, Lifeguard, and Swim Instructor courses.
• Over 50 ‘English as a Second Language’ students participated in the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carve sponsored through Aquatics.  This experience allows the students to learn about American culture and have some fun.
• There was an increase in the students who were trained as officials for Intramurals.  The number increased from 81 last year to 124 this year.
• All 60 Dedman Center student staff attended two or three (depending the students’ job) two-hour training modules to adequately master the new upgrade in software used in the building.
• The Outdoor Adventures Spring Break on the Rio Grands canoe trip was a lesson in cultures, friendship, challenging preconceived ideas/opinions, and self-confidence.

Exemplary Division of Student Affairs

• The Fitness and Facility areas of the Department of Recreational Sports have been accepted as options for the interns in the new Applied Physiology and Sport Management major.
• The department continues to partner with the Dallas Independent School District to host ‘interns’ twice/week from Multiple Careers’ Center.
• All full-time staff in the department completed an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for their position.  Though an arduous process, this will assist in future transitions.
• Dedman Center continues to be a tour destination for other universities wanting to improve their recreation centers.
• The design of the ‘Multipurpose Sport Club Field’ is complete.  Due to construction of the Presidential Library and Residential Commons, completion of the field won’t occur until 2014.

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