News

NIRSA announces new NIRSA Health & Wellness Passport Program, presented by Matrix Fitness

Reciprocal program will allow faculty and staff to work out at other participating schools for free

The NIRSA Health & Wellness Passport Program, presented by Matrix Fitness, will afford faculty and staff of participating NIRSA Institutional Member “Passport” schools access to campus recreation facilities of other Institutional Member Passport schools, free of charge, subject to rules and regulations of each participating Passport school. Matrix Fitness agreed to a five-year commitment as presenting sponsor of the program. 

Doug Marquette, National Education Market Manager at Matrix Fitness, said, “Matrix is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this exciting new NIRSA program. A NIRSA relationship is always such an honor, and we look forward to creating strong bonds with the NIRSA schools who are participating in the Passport Program. Matrix expects to be a leader in the fitness industry, and clearly, working with NIRSA Members is the way to go.”

Set to launch in July 2007, the program will highlight the value that participation in recreational sports brings to campus health and wellness. A list of participating institutions will be available on the NIRSA website, making advance planning easy. This unique and imaginative initiative will provide numerous other benefits, too:

• Provide another value-added component to being a NIRSA Institutional Member
• Assist faculty and staff to better understand the importance and value of campus recreation and the recreational sports profession
• Provide a direct benefit to faculty and staff who are members of their respective campus recreational sports programs
• Promote the variety of campus recreation facilities that NIRSA Members administer and foster, while providing a sense of the variety of services offered on other college campuses
• Leverage strategic campus assets while bringing visibility and favorable attention to campus recreational sports facilities and programs

Dr. Kent J. Blumenthal, executive director of NIRSA, commented, “We’re always striving to add value to our programs and benefits to our members. We are very excited to be partnering with Matrix Fitness on this compelling new initiative. The NIRSA Health & Wellness Passport Program, presented by Matrix Fitness is consistent with NIRSA’s mission to promote ‘ethical and healthy lifestyle choices,’ and will be one of the biggest things to hit collegiate recreational sports and fitness in years.”

The NIRSA Passport Program is the brainchild of J. Michael Dunn, Director of Campus Recreation at The Ohio State University. Dunn is a former NIRSA President and is the Past President Representative-elect to the NIRSA Board of Directors. He received the NIRSA Honor Award in 1999.

Look for program launch details in future issues of NIRSA Know, including information on how your school can access this Institutional Member-only program.