Research
NIRSA 2005 College Recreational Sports Facility Survey
The National Research Institute for College Recreational Sports & Wellness, in Partnership with NIRSA, is presently conducting a comprehensive college recreational sports facility assessment at self-selected institutions using electronic survey methodology.
Project Overview
A common goal of campus recreational sports is to meet the diverse indoor and outdoor recreational sports facility needs of the campus community. To determine this, campus recreational sports administrator's benchmark, distribute surveys, and conduct focus groups. This information is used to defend the need for additional or improved facilities. The ability to justify facility additions or upgrades without data is typically impossible.
Regional trends and differences in facilities have made benchmarking difficult. Therefore, campus recreation facility standards are needed. Specifically, these standards should answer the basic question, "How much gross area is needed for campus recreational sports?" Such standards would provide institutional planners with the guidance necessary to develop campus recreation facilities that adequately meet the needs of their campus populations.
The purpose of the "NIRSA 2005 College Recreational Sports Facility Survey" is to determine college recreational sports indoor and outdoor facility standards using data gathered from an electronic survey administered to college recreational sports professionals. Survey data will be summarized and given to a NIRSA committee which will then arrive at facility standards based on the data.
The survey used in this project originated from a NIRSA work group lead by Dr. Anthony Brown from the University of Minnesota. The original survey was a comprehensive indoor and outdoor facility inventory that was pilot-tested with a return rate less than 5%. The survey was then given to the Research Institute to administer.
The low return rate of the original survey prompted changes in its administration. These changes included dividing the survey into the following five separate surveys:
- Institution Demographics, Total Indoor Space, Court/Racquet Space, and Locker Room Facilities
- Fitness, Group Exercise, and Multiuse Facilities
- Climbing Facilities
- Aquatic Facilities
- Outdoor Campus Recreation Facilities and Areas
1. Director's Survey
A survey was emailed to all NIRSA members listed as "Director" of their Institution's recreational sports department (n=610). The survey requested the director to indicate the professional staff person and their email address who would be solicited to complete each of the five facility surveys. After three email messages requesting information, 192 directors provided the requested information and indicated their department's commitment to the project. A database with the following information was created:
- Name of participating institution
- Institution's Director of Recreational Sports and email address
- Name(s) and email addresses of professional staff persons capable of completing each section of the electronic survey
2. Edit Facility Surveys (5)
Each survey was edited to ensure readability, common interpretation of facility vocabulary, and ease of completion.
Survey 1, which includes institutional demographics, total indoor space, court/racquet space, and locker room facilities, has been edited and partially pilot-tested.
Survey 2 includes fitness, group exercise, and multiuse facilities. It has been edited, but still needs to be pilot-tested.
Survey 3 needs to be more comprehensive in reflecting recreational sports facilities for outdoor adventure.
Survey 4, regarding aquatics, has been edited and still needs to be pilot-tested.
Survey 5 will be edited after Surveys 1 and 2 are distributed.
3. Surveys Formatted to Web-Base
Survey 1 has been emailed to all Institute Advisory Board members for review. The plan is to email the survey to all designated professionals on November 30, 2005. Time Line
August 2005
- A list of NIRSA members labeled as "Director" was requested from NIRSA.
- Recreational Sports Directors from each institution were emailed and requested to submit the name and email address of the staff member capable of completing each survey.
- A list of individuals who will receive each survey along with their email address was compiled.
September 2005
- Two additional email messages were sent to college recreational sports directors requesting contact names and email addresses.
- Survey 1, 2, and 4 were edited.
October 2005
- We are in the process of gathering information for Survey 3. Phone interviews with college outdoor adventure professionals are presently being conducted.
- Format surveys to web-base
November 2005
- Using a prospective subject pool, as determined by directors, apply for exemption from Human Subjects Review (IRB).
- After receiving IRB approval, administer Survey 1 and 2.
December 2005
- Analyze data from Survey 1 and 2
- Administer Survey 4
- Analyze data from Survey 4
- Edit Survey 5
December 2005
- Administer Survey 5
- Edit and finalize Survey 3
January 2006
- Analyze data from Survey 5
- Administer Survey 3
February 2006
- Analyze data from Survey 3
- Develop report for Research Institute Advisory Board
Thank you to the College Recreational Sports professionals who have contributed to this project.
For information about the Institute, contact Dr. Danell Haines: haines.2@osu.edu or call (614) 247-6101 or go to recsports.osu.edu/research.asp.
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