The Undeniable Role That Campus Recreation Programs Can Play in Increasing Indigenous Student Engagement and Retention

Abstract

Leaders at Canadian universities seek to attract and graduate more Indigenous students as part of their institutions’ strategic plans. Admissions and student retention data suggest that while progress is being made, a gap remains between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and especially in the student retention area. Research has proven that student engagement plays a large role in facilitating academic progression and student retention in our institutions of higher learning. Throughout time, many students point to their experience as campus recreation program participants and/or leaders as their most important source of engagement. Some have suggested that campus recreation programs could play a larger and more effective role in engaging Indigenous students and heightening their retention rates. In this conceptual article, the authors analyze the student engagement and retention literature bases relative to Indigenous students. They also highlight the role that campus recreation programs can play in heightening Indigenous student engagement and retention and offer professionals 12 recommendations to help advance this strategic priority.

Students' perspectives on why they drop out and possible retention strategies

“…While Tinto (1987Tinto ( , 2000 also considered some internal environment factors such as student commitment, his research emphasized concern for the full integration with the social and intellectual life of the institution and active involvement in learningstudents who learn are students who stay, and social learning, where students learn in groups, is particularly valuable and can help foster friendship, which is another factor that encourages student persistence. In a recent study by Dyk and Weese (2019), they recommended that the institutional environments (i.e. campus recreation program) would undoubtedly assist in advancing the strategic imperative and make a significant difference in supporting higher education aspirations for indigenous students.…”

The Relationship Between Sense of Community and Job Satisfaction Among Campus Recreation Center Employees

“…The campus recreation center (CRC) has been regarded as an important place in a university because CRC provides diverse wellness programs and places for participants to extend their social networks (Miller, 2011). As a result, the majority of prior research on CRC has been focused on the impacts of CRC on its participants, such as student's increased academic achievement (Sanderson et al, 2018; Todd et al, 2009), retention (Dyk & Weese, 2019; Kampf & Teske, 2013), and social relationships (Henchy, 2011). At the same time, some researchers have been interested in CRC employees employed campus recreation departments rather than participants’ outcomes (Griffith et al, 2011; Kampf, 2013; McFadden & Carr, 2015).…”

Exploring the Moderating Effect of Campus Recreation Participation on the Relationship Between Education Satisfaction and Self-Esteem

“…Universities play an important role in the development of personal and interpersonal competencies, in the promotion of civic participation, in the development of the culture of democracy and tolerance, and ensuring personal well-being [7]. In this context, universities aim to provide students with very important cognitive, social and psychological gains by offering extracurricular activities along with course content and program.…”

“…Campus recreation activities enable students to get to know themselves, explore their abilities, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, strengthen their interpersonal relationships [12]. Research reveals that students drop out of educational institutions for reasons such as a perceived lack of belonging or a lack of engagement with the institution [7]. Among the key factors for retaining students and their commitment to school is the social participation [13].…”

“…It was determined that students who participated in extracurricular yoga, horse riding, sports activities, dance, music and indoor and outdoor activities provide significant positive gains. Research shows that students who participated in campus recreation programs on a regular basis are less likely to leave the higher education institution, have higher commitment and education satisfaction, have regular attendance in lessons and demonstrate good academic success [7,11,21].…”