It is incumbent that experts develop innovative worksite physical activity and wellness programs. A pedometer-monitored walking program is one way that a worksite health initiative can improve the health and wellness of its employees and simultaneously reduce health-care costs.

Research that determines the benefits that undergraduate students gain from participation in university recreation and its importance is needed to defend the existence of university recreation and to align oneself for further growth. Current data is one of the most important documented criteria needed to substantiate an increased operating budget, to justify adding personnel, and to validate the need for additional or new facilities. The goal of this research article is to respond to the need for current data that supports the premise that university recreation positively influences the undergraduate college experience.

To show the need for continued financial support, align with universities' missions of student learning, and improve the lives of participants, college recreational sport (CRS) professionals must demonstrate that CRS programs, facilities, and services cause growth in student learning. This study measured sport club out-of-classroom learning in an effort to begin measuring the impact of all CRS areas on student learning. It was hypothesized that sport club participants make gains in life skills, diversity, social interactions, communication, character, leadership, and self-beliefs as a result of their participation. A proxy-pretest posttest design administered to sport club participants measured this hypothesis. Significance testing showed significant differences between participants' ratings of their skills and abilities before and after participation. The implications of these findings for the justification and expansion of CRS funding, the future measurement of learning outcomes in CRS, and the alignment of CRS with the missions of higher education are discussed.

Campus recreation assessment is an essential component for providing the finest programs, services, facilities, and equipment to the campus community. The assessment process becomes manageable and less intimidating once simplified. The author recommends the use of an assessment model that includes the department mission, vision, and values, along with program, facility, management, and operations goals and objectives. Included in the assessment process is feedback from a diverse group of people such as participants, nonparticipants, programmers, administration, and external evaluators. An essential component of the process is the collection of learning outcomes data from participants, which provides evidence of the unique learning that takes place within campus recreation programs. The results from the assessment process should assist the strategic plan review and drive decision making. Finally, results need to be shared for “impact” purposes to promote campus recreation, expand programs, advocate for facility growth, and motivate participants.

The ability of recreational sport departments to offer quality programming and services often depends on whether they are able to employ and retain quality student employees. These student employees are critical in the performance of tasks associated with the daily operations connected with recreation programs. This study examined the role of perceived organizational support (POS) on student employee attitudes. It is beneficial for university recreational sport departments, specifically directors, to be cognizant of the role POS can play in the work experience of student employees. The relationships between POS and commitment (affective, AC and normative, NC) and satisfaction were investigated for 152 student employees of a campus recreation center. No significant differences in students' perceptions of POS were found based on gender, tenure, or type of supervision (student staff member, professional staff member, or graduate administrative assistant). However, the regression equations with POS and AC, POS and NC, and POS and satisfaction were all significant, explaining 46.2%, 39%, and 53.3% of the variance, respectively. The results of this study of the relationship between POS and commitment mirror several others from the field of industrial and organizational psychology, and it can be demonstrated that student employees reciprocate favorable treatment when they trust that their department will reward them in return. Future studies should focus on some of the particular antecedents of POS (e.g., supervisory support, participation in decision making, organizational justice, trust, and careerist orientation), as well as other possible outcomes of POS, and might provide more depth in understanding exchange relationships for student employees of recreational sports departments.