H _ KSU Sports and Recreation EPR Report.pdf

External Program Review

Department of Sports and Recreation

External Review Team:

Maureen McGonagle, Director of Campus Recreation, DePaul University

Stan Shingles, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Central Michigan University

Eric Nickel, Director of University Recreation, James Madison University

Draft submitted to: Tara Parker, Executive Director of Sports and Recreation on February 9, 2024

Edits and corrections returned from KSU: February 28,2024

Final report submitted: March 8, 2024 tneylon Text Box Exhibit H

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

Process

This external comprehensive program review (CPR) was conducted in November and December of 2023.

The external review team included three members, Maureen McGonagle, Director of Campus

Recreation at DePaul University; Stan Shingles, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Central

Michigan University; and Eric Nickel, Director of University Recreation at James Madison University.

There were three primary elements to the external review: a document and website review, facility tours, and stakeholder focus group interviews. Members of the review team also met virtually with three staff members who could not attend our site visit. The site visit, which was held December 10-12, 2023, included the stakeholder interviews and facility tours. The document review commenced several weeks before the site visit and continued through the report development.

Document Review: The consultants reviewed the provided documentation and materials before the site visit, including: departmental organizational chart, annual reports, annual budgets, participation and facility use data, marketing materials, the most recent strategic plan, staff salaries and position descriptions.

Facility Tours: The review team toured the indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, including the Betty L.

Seigel Recreation and Activities Center (including the Indoor and Outdoor Pool and Outdoor Courts), the

Recreation and Wellness Center, the Owl’s Nest, the Perch, and the outdoor ropes course. Three facilities were discussed but not toured: Fifth Third Stadium, the Convocation Center, and the Event

Center at the Marietta campus.

Focus Group Interviews: The review team held a series of meetings with various stakeholders and constituents; participants in the process included: the full-time Sports and Recreation staff, graduate assistants, student employee advisory council, campus wellbeing partners (Health Promotion and Living

Well), Student Affairs Directors, other campus partners, the Rec Sports Advisory Committee, and

Student Affairs leadership (Vice President for Student Affairs, Associate and Assistant Vice Presidents).

Report & Format

The information in the report reflects a consensus opinion of the three members of the external review team. The report is limited to topics and issues that were covered in the provided documentation or learned through the facility tours, direct observation, and focus group meetings. The focus was on helping the team celebrate their successes and identify improvement opportunities. This report includes both findings that the review team thought were significant and recommendations for change.

The Executive Summary presents a synopsis of the program review, including department strengths, improvement opportunities, and the most salient recommendations to help the department reach its full potential. The Findings and Recommendations section provides detail in eight areas: Organizational

Structure; Facilities; Human Resources: Full-Time Staff; Human Resources: Student Staff; Funding and

Financial Resources; Programs and Services; Data and Assessments. The Sports and Recreation staff are encouraged to use the findings and recommendations as guidance regarding direction for future focus, including immediate and long-term action steps.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Strengths of the Program:

• The attractive, clean and well-maintained facilities they operate.

• The professional staff’s care and commitment to the development of their student employees.

• The wide variety of programs and services offered.

• The overall budget and institutional commitment of financial resources.

• Branding/visual displays in the Betty L. Seigel Center.

• Dedicated club sport facility at the Owls Nest, including athletic training.

• Recent efforts in budget area to reduce costs, increase effectiveness and efficiency.

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Reporting lines for professional staff are unusual, with too many direct reports to the executive director and no criteria or consistency in the number of reports for leadership team members.

• Student staff reporting lines are very narrow, with large numbers of students reporting to few professional positions. The skills and abilities required are very broad in nature, and expectations for customer service and interactions with participants are low. Unsupervised remote strength training areas are a risk concern.

• There is not a consistent professional staff presence at the Marietta campus to provide support and mentoring to student staff assigned there. Student staff training is not specific to the needs of that facility.

• The departmental does not have a shared culture of collaboration with other units nor clear expectations for integration with other campus departments

• Indoor court space at the Kennesaw campus is well below national standards for KSU’s student population. Outdoor field space is also in short supply, and these issues are increasing as the needs of the athletic program increase in response to the move to Conference USA.

• Organizational communication and the timing and transparency of decision-making are a challenge within the department.

• The department has been asked to increase revenue generation without negatively impacting student access and experience with no specific target or goal. Current pricing for swim lessons, rental fees and services to non-students are not being leveraged to the extent that they can be.

Major Recommendations

1. Add 4-6 new indoor courts at the Kennesaw campus. Consider relocating the tennis courts to another space, allowing the new indoor court space to be contiguous with the Seigel Center.

While the student population alone would indicate the need for 8-10 additional courts to meet the NIRSA space standard, this number has been mitigated by the high number of online students and the fact that there are two additional courts available at the Marietta campus. This will also help the immediate issue of having no courts available when the four-court gym space is utilized by non-recreation programs and events.

2. Collaborate with Intercollegiate Athletics and EVM to identify all emerging needs for outdoor field space on the Kennesaw campus. Develop 2-3 new fields with support facility for Sports and Recreation at the proposed Kennesaw Place site. Develop a new MOU between the three units to clarify priorities for space by season and time of day and revise annually each summer.

3. Consider revising the student work teams and reporting lines to increase consistency, balance workload, and support policy enforcement:

a. Create a student position that clearly serves in a manager or supervisor role, with responsibility of supervising all other on-shift student positions in the respective facility.

Position title should make it clear they are supervisors/managers. Train them sufficiently so they have the knowledge and confidence to handle most situations they will face.

b. Create a fitness staff team that is responsible for overseeing the strength and conditioning areas. Primary duties would be safety (e.g., policy enforcement, spotting, correcting unsafe form or practice), but can also assist with cleaning, customer service, providing instruction/supervision, and executing fitness challenges/events.

c. Reassign the front desk student staff to report to membership area. This will reduce the load on and overall size of the facilities team and allow for more specific membership development and customer service training to make the desk a more welcoming place.

d. Consider separating the facility staff for each campus, with each staff reporting to a distinct supervisor who can develop training programs specific to the needs and challenges of each unique campus.

4. Reduce the number of staff who report directly to the executive director by creating four to five balanced work teams that are led by the senior director and directors; all other staff should report to those members of the senior leadership team. When creating the work teams, consider the inter-connectedness of job responsibilities, work relationships, potential synergy, and capacity and strengths of the senior leadership team members.

5. Prioritize the need to activate a positive organizational culture. Some impactful practices for the department:

a) Communication that is transparent, inclusive, and timely.

b) Prioritize follow-through on projects and assignments.

c) Involve staff in decision-making and strategic thinking for the department.

d) Manage staff conflicts in a timely manner and in accordance with stated priorities and policies.

e) Strengthen the team to build respect, understanding, and synergy among staff.

6. Consider a name change for the department, to better represent all programs and services and create a new identity that connects with the current needs of students. Develop drafts of a galvanizing visual identity (logo) to serve the entire department and present them to the university for input and feedback.

7. Develop a departmental culture that encourages and rewards the development of collaborations and partnerships within the division and across campus to change the siloed reputation of the department. Clearly define collaboration and partnerships to be more than permitting others into spaces controlled by Sports and Recreation, but to embrace and plan with other units to meet mutual goals and share resources towards that end.

8. Clarify the expectation for increased revenue development and set clear annual revenue goals for each program area commensurate with those expectations. Brainstorm potential sponsors or donors who may have a philanthropic interest in supporting the programs and services of

S&R for the campus. Collaborate with Advancement staff to identify former students with an affinity for Sports and Recreation or its programs, so the Advancement team can investigate capacity.

Facilities

The main indoor recreation facility on the Kennesaw campus, The Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activity Center, opened in 2015. The indoor recreation facility at the Marietta Campus, The

Recreation and Wellness Center opened in 1996 and was renovated in 2023. There is also a 16,000 ft./sq. indoor training facility (Owls Nest). Outdoor facilities include two synthetic turf fields and one natural turf field located at the Owls Nest and four synthetic turf fields and one natural turf field at the

Perch. There are some additional facilities at the Marietta campus including a baseball and softball field and one natural turf field.

Findings

1. The facilities were generally clean and in good repair, were welcoming and inviting for users, and they make quality impressions on visitors and prospective students. The renovation of the

Recreation and Wellness Center was well-conceived and has replaced a pool that saw very little usage with an attractive, modern fitness center.

2. The Siegel Center is comprised of a combination of a renovated facility and new construction. It houses offices for a majority of the Sports and Recreation staff as well as the Health Promotion staff. It is adjacent to a main parking deck and provides a thoroughfare for participants to the main entrance and other parts of campus via a central walkway connecting the front and back doors.

3. The main artery of the entrance to the facility that connects the front and back doors is outside of the control point of the facility and thus presents some unique security challenges. The walkway is ramped, and at points along this ramp there is only a waist high railing limiting access to the fitness areas for anyone who may not be a legal user of the facility. While some additional higher glass panels have mitigated the easiest places of access, there is still evidence that students use this area to pass along ID’s or climb into the facility at other points.

4. The renovated portion of the Siegel Center includes most of the office spaces and adaptations of spaces not originally designed for their current purpose (e.g., MAC court, Olympic and power weightlifting areas, group fitness studios) so the adjacencies of spaces is not ideal for traffic flow and noise levels in administrative spaces. This could also result in some wayfinding issues for someone new to the facility.

5. The Siegel Center has a substantial aquatics component, including an 8-lane, 25 yard indoor and an outdoor pool with a vortex (whirlpool). The pool utilizes liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) for disinfection, and muriatic acid for PH control. The pool has been closed recently for re-plastering.

6. The Siegel Center also has a well-developed outdoor recreation component that spans the renovated and new portions of the facility. It includes an adventure equipment check-out space with access to an exterior loading area, a bike repair shop with bike storage area, a pre-trip meeting room, and a climbing wall. They have made very efficient use of the space with some innovative overhead storage racks for canoes and kayaks.

7. The main fitness floor for strength and cardio training are immediately adjacent to the entry point of the facility and are the most visible portion of the rec center to anyone entering from any point of entry. Areas for Olympic-style and power lifting are located in renovated spaces in the original facility. These spaces are separate and visually isolated from the other strength training areas. There is a three-lane indoor track that runs adjacent to the fitness floor and around the gymnasium portion of the facility.

8. There are three fitness/group exercise studios, and three multipurpose rooms for dance and other group activities for small to medium sized groups. The facility includes three racquetball courts in the renovated portion of the facility, which are also used for other small group activities. Equipment is issued from the entry point of the facility, so that staff at the entrance can serve both entry and equipment checkout functions.

9. The facility is staffed at all times by student facilities personnel who clean and keep spaces orderly, fitness instructors who provide instruction in class settings, front desk staff, lifeguards who supervise the use of the pool and provide user support and first aid and emergency services when needed.

10. Facilities staff (FOA, Facility Operations Assistants) do rounds in the facility but do not receive any specific fitness training for those spaces and are not expected to instruct, orient, or actively supervise use of equipment, correct improper form, enforcing the use of safety equipment (e.g., weight clips or collars), or support participant workouts through services like spotting. It was reported that students would only interact with a participant if they were doing something egregious (e.g., ‘using a weight bar as a light saber’).

11. Student staff at the front desk do not interact with participants, as they can swipe into the facility on their own. It was reported by multiple groups and observed by the review team that the students do not make eye contact, greet, or otherwise welcome participants into the facility.

12. There are outdoor courts adjacent to the Siegel Center, which can only be accessed by participants from inside the center. These include eight tennis courts, two sand volleyball courts, and one basketball court. The tennis courts are shared with athletics for intercollegiate team practices and matches.

13. The Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) on the Marietta campus was recently renovated, which included filling in a pool that was under-utilized and replacing it with an expanded weight and cardio training space. It also renovated the two existing basketball courts and a marked track that circles the courts.

14. The RWC has one group fitness studio and an entry station that also provides equipment check-out. It was reported that few live group fitness classes are conducted there, but that students can ‘attend’ classes there virtually. There are hotel style offices so that professional staff may have a space to work from when they spend time at the facility.

15. On the Marietta campus there is a single court wood floor space at the Event Center, with seating for just under 2,000, that used to be used for basketball and volleyball games when that campus was a separate institution. It is now utilized for large group functions under the purview of the Event and Venue Management (EVM) unit.

16. There is also a softball field, baseball field, and one soccer-sized field on the Marietta campus, that formerly served varsity athletics in baseball, softball, and soccer. These are also assigned by

EVM and currently served as the home for club baseball. There have been discussions about moving Men’s and Women’s Rugby clubs out there as well.

17. The distance between the two campuses is only about ten miles, however depending on traffic and the time of day it can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to travel between the two recreation centers.

18. The students utilizing the Marietta tend to be in the engineering and STEM majors, with the majority of KSU students in other majors living on or near the Kennesaw campus. This has created some challenges in promoting usage of the Marietta facilities by many students.

19. The renovated facilities are now on par with the quality of the same facilities at the Kennesaw campus, with new weight and cardio equipment and flooring. The group fitness space is proportionally smaller but is also set up to be able to stream classes from the Kennesaw campus.

20. The indoor portion of the Owls Nest was a commercial fitness facility that was purchased and converted into a training facility for KSU club sports members. It provides equipment storage for many clubs, a place where they can work out together as a club, and includes offices for club sport staff and an athletic training room. The Athletic Training room is staffed by one full-time athletic trainer, who provides support to the approximately 1,500 student club members.

21. The outdoor portion of the Owls Nest includes two synthetic turf fields that serve as home to many of the clubs who utilize field space. These are scheduled by the Sport and Recreation staff, but are requested to be used by other groups including athletics for gameday tailgating and

EVM groups. There is also a large natural grass space behind the facility that is not a formal field and appears not to be used or scheduled as it is not graded or prepared as a field space.

22. The Perch is a shared facility scheduled and operated by EVM. The entire site includes the Fifth

Third Bank Stadium and four synthetic turf fields. While these fields are primarily shared with

Intercollegiate Athletics, there is also some use requested by other groups and events.

23. The number of outdoor fields seem to be one of the larger pinch points for the programs that use them. The Athletic program has moved to Conference USA and is experiencing normal growing pains as they seek to get more space and practice time to support a higher level of competition and expectations of the coaches. This has impacted both club sports and intramural sports and moved any reservations or drop-in use by students to unpopular times.

24. The varsity football team was reported to be moving their practices to the morning so it is not competing with other programs for the same most desired times of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Since the stadium turf is natural grass teams cannot use the game field for practices. It was reported that often the Owls Nest fields are empty between 9:00 a.m. and 3 p.m., and that athletic teams cannot use them during this time, in case someone wanted to come by and use them for drop-in recreation. It was reported that the use at these times was almost non-existent.

25. There were multiple reports that land adjacent to the Owls Nest may be available for purchase by the university, but that there was not any interest by the university administration in acquiring that land at this time.

26. EVM administers and schedules large university events, including graduation, career fairs, orientation and other irregular events that are scheduled throughout the year. They have primary responsibility for scheduling many spaces including the Convocation Center, Fifth Third

Stadium and the outdoor facilities at The Perch. For events that are held at facilities managed by

Sports and Recreation, they act as the intermediary for the unit that is hosting the event. One example of this is the Career Fairs and graduation pre-function events held at the Siegel Center.

27. There is a very limited number of spaces on campus that have the capabilities to host events of over 500 people. This has resulted in the use of the four multi-purpose court spaces in the recreation center being taken off-line for their intended usage to host campus events. This is also true of the Convocation Center, which has a primary function to serve Intercollegiate

Athletics. While neither facility is well suited to the events held at it, they appear to be the only options for these large events. It was reported that it takes considerable time to turn these venues over the prepare them for events and the return them to their primary purpose.

28. When the four multi-purpose courts are used for events, there are no other indoor courts on the Kennesaw campus to play recreational basketball, volleyball, pickleball, or other indoor court sports. The number of indoor courts are well below the NIRSA standard for indoor court space for the student population at KSU.

29. EVM utilizes the field areas around the Owls Nest, as well as the restrooms at the indoor facility for tailgate areas at home football games. It has been reported that parking in the areas adjacent to the Perch and Owls Nest on home football game days is very difficult and limits usage by clubs and other campus programs on these days.

30. There is an established priority for each facility based on the time of year and the seasonal needs of Intercollegiate Athletics but it was reported that there is ‘a lot of different interpretations’ of those priorities. The emerging needs of Intercollegiate Athletics along with growth in club and intramural sport demand for space has made scheduling these spaces difficult. Drop-in student use of space or use by student groups not affiliated with either unit is the lowest priority.

31. The department has recently learned that they will soon have administrative responsibility for the existing high ropes course located on campus. It is a pole-mounted course located on campus and appears to be in usable condition. The program elements are spaced out in a wooded area, adjacent to the President’s event venue.

32. Some students and staff commented that they wished that the Siegel Center opened earlier in the morning. It was reported that it was difficult to get to an early class on time after a morning workout. The hours of operations for the Siegel Center and the Recreation and Wellness Center are typically 7:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. on a weekday during the fall and spring semesters. Some areas within the Siegel Center operate at reduced hours, including the pool, climbing gym, and outdoor adventures/bike shop. The hours of operation for the administrative areas of the Owls

Nest and The Perch are typically 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fields and workout spaces within the

Owls Nest can be used from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (M-F) and through a reservation process.

33. It was reported multiple times that the most pressing needs for Sports and Recreation in terms of facilities is for more indoor court space to accommodate a balance of Intramurals, Club

Sports, and drop-in play, and for field space to accommodate a growing athletic demand, coupled with increased need for fields for Club Sport practices/competitions and intramural sports. It was reported by one professional staff member that there is a need for more strength training equipment.

Recommendations

1. Add 4-6 new indoor courts at the Kennesaw campus. Consider relocating the tennis courts to another area of campus, allowing the new indoor court space to be contiguous with the Seigel Center. While the student population alone would indicate the need for 8-10 additional courts to meet the NIRSA space standard, this number has been mitigated by the high number of online students and the fact that there are two additional courts available at the Marietta campus. This will also help the immediate issue of having no courts available when the four-court gym space is utilized by non-recreation programs and events.

2. Conduct a needs assessment to ascertain the needs of student, faculty and staff for the hours of operation for the indoor recreation facilities. Consider opening these facilities earlier in the morning to fit the needs of those who prefer to work out in the morning, and allow them to complete a workout, shower and dress and be on time for an 8:00 a.m. class or work.

3. Collaborate with Intercollegiate Athletics and EVM to identify all emerging needs for outdoor field space on the Kennesaw campus. Develop 2-3 new fields with a support facility for Sports and Recreation at the proposed Kennesaw Place site. Develop a new MOU between the three units, to be revised annually, to clarify priorities for space by season and time of day.

4. Provide training to student staff supervising the strength and conditioning areas, in order to provide better safety and risk management. Assign dedicated, trained staff to the high-risk spaces where Olympic lifts and heavy free weights are located. Teach student staff how to properly supervise activities in each space and how to interact with participants and be helpful and supportive of their needs as well as enforce safety and proper use of equipment.

5. Consider changing the pool disinfectant from liquid Sodium Hypochlorite to a more stable chemical. The use and handling of this chemical can be dangerous and cause etching and shorten the life of pool plaster. New chlorine products that come in briquette form are much safer and easier to use and will not require the addition of acid to balance PH, but instead can use much more stable CO2 to balance PH.

Human Resources: Student Staff

The department is one of the largest student employers on campus, with over 250 student staff. Student positions are available in each functional area: aquatics (lifeguard, swim instructor), facilities (facility attendant, facility operations assistant, service desk attendant, office attendant), fitness (group fitness instructor, personal trainer), marketing (graphic designer, marketing and promotions assistant, social media assistant, public relations/communications assistant), intramural sports (sports official), competitive sports (sports park attendant), outdoor adventures (trip leader, climbing gym attendant, bike shop tech, desk attendant, experiential program facilitator).

Findings

1. Staff indicated that the department has the financial resources necessary to hire students needed to do the required work. Based on information provided, the department spent approximately $550,000 annually on student wages.

2. There is a formal application process for student positions: a cover letter and resume are required and students are interviewed as needed.

a. The department uses National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies in their annual student staff evaluations. A template is used for evaluating student staff on NACE competencies: professionalism/work ethic, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, critical thinking, leadership, and for student self-assessment of their career management.

b. The department rubric, updated in January 2023, for evaluating staff and staff leaders on the eight NACE competencies; the criteria is outlined for exceeds standards, meets standards, and below standards. Results were not shared.

3. Professional staff hire student staff for their respective areas and marketing assists with promoting open positions. Attracting and retaining student employees was reported as a recent challenge; high turnover was reported as a campus problem. Some examples shared: needing to shift from a 3-guard shift to a 2-guard shift in the pool, hiring non-students to officiate intramurals in FY23, and the full-time staff having to teach swim lessons.

4. Student staff enjoy working in the department. They appreciated the flexibility, the focus on growth and development, and the strong sense of community that exists within their units. One student mentioned transferring to KSU and not having community, until finding it through their student employment.

5. Student staff in several areas indicated that they are provided with exceptional training. The department trains students in CPR and AED, conducts safety drills, and provides site-specific training within each functional area. Students in several units praised the encouragement they received from their supervisors to pursue additional certifications, which were often provided by the department.

6. The department offered a Recreation Development (RecDev) workshop for student staff; the sessions address a variety of professional development topics. This program was highly praised by colleagues, staff, and administration; divisional leadership wants to expand the reach of this initiative to the rest of the division.

7. The department had an all-staff training for student staff in the fall semester. The department does not have a culture of cross-training, and besides the all-staff training and RecDev, students reported little interaction between the staff in different functional areas. Students also indicated that they do not know much about the other functional units, and expressed that more interaction between the work teams would be beneficial, both for the knowledge and building relationships.

8. Student wages were an issue for students in the more specialized positions. University Human

Resources limits student pay to $13 per hour, which is not competitive for lifeguards (earning

$11.75 per hour), or group fitness instructors/personal trainers (earning $12.75 per hour, paid

1.5 hours to include preparation time). County guards earn $17 per hour and fitness staff can earn up to $30 per hour. A further complication: students are limited to 20 hours a week working for the university, but get higher pay and up to 40 hours a week working in the community.

9. During the site visit the consultants noticed a lack of engagement by students working at both facilities. Student staff were not observant, often looking at cell phones/computers or just seeming disengaged (sitting at the front desk instead of doing rounds).

10. There are some frustrations with student staff not meeting expectations. Students and staff

(aquatics and fitness) mentioned difficulty in getting students to participate in in-services. In one area students struggled with clocking in/out and checking communications; the supervisor surmised it was due the high number of required communication systems and was working to reduce the number of communication methods.

11. Staff reported that students do not consistently enforce policies and procedures, and that the lack of consistency has impacted effective customer service.

12. Student staff are allowed to work on both campuses, but they primarily choose to work on one campus. Managing two distinct facility student staff was reported by students and staff as a challenge, due to the number of student staff, the distinct challenges in each locations, and the lack of a consistent supervisory presence at the Marietta campus.

13. Professional facilities staff are on-call for students if needed. Students in most areas reported being well-trained, yet on-call staff were called for a variety of non-emergency situations

(including no-shows), and ‘often’ went in to assist the students.

14. There were not clear distinctions between the various student staff responsibilities, and in particular who was in charge of the facility and student crew. During the facility tour it was noted that the FOA staff were very industrious in their attention to cleaning, but not focused on supervising the student staff or the participants using the facility.

15. The FOA were previously titled Facility Manager. This position directly supports the daily operation and supervision of each assigned facility, including supervision of the service desk attendants and facility attendants. Students expressed considerable confusion about why the job title was changed.

16. Per the website, Service Desk Attendants are responsible for ensuring authorized access and use of the facility, although patrons access the facility without interacting with these staff. They are also responsible for greeting patrons and providing customer service, yet several staff and colleagues independently mentioned that student staff at the desk do not greet patrons and are not seen as approachable or helpful.

17. Per the website, the Facility Attendant oversees activity spaces and safety of all users, but it was reported and confirmed that student staff only engage and intercede with a participant if there is egregious behavior (the example shared was using a weight bar as a light saber).

18. There were no staff trained and dedicated to ensuring patron safety in the fitness areas, which was particularly concerning in the free weight and Olympic lifting areas and multipurpose activity rooms, which are largely isolated and visited infrequently. Staff are also not allowed to spot participants or provide any direct supervision or assistance.

19. Intramural supervisors are responsible for program supervision, including the officials. All of the

IM Supervisors were new this year, so there has been more training required. Program assistants – who can be students or non-students – assist with sport program supervision, though it was reported that their role is primarily supervising club sports.

20. Staffing models are appropriate for intramurals. Examples include: flag football (3 officials per field, 1-2 supervisors per site); soccer (2 officials per field, 1 supervisor, 1 scorekeeper).

21. Sports Park Attendants for the Owls' Nest and The Perch facilities were reported as coveted positions, often filled by club sport participants (who have a great affinity for these spaces, particularly the Owl’s Nest).

Recommendations

1. Consider revising the student work teams and reporting lines to increase consistency, balance workload, and support policy enforcement:

a. create a student position that clearly serves in a manager or supervisor role, with responsibility of supervising all other on-shift student positions in the respective facility.

Position title should make it clear they are supervisors/managers. Train them sufficiently so they have the knowledge and confidence to handle all non-emergencies.

b. Create a fitness staff team that is responsible for overseeing the strength and conditioning areas. Primary duties would be safety (policy enforcement, spotting, correcting unsafe form or practice), but can also assist with cleaning, customer service, providing instruction/supervision and operating fitness challenges/events.

c. Reassign the front desk student staff to report to membership area. This will reduce the load on and overall size of the facilities team, and allow for more specific membership development and customer service training to make the desk a more welcoming place.

d. Consider separating the facility staff for each campus, with each staff reporting to a distinct supervisor who can develop training programs specific to the needs and challenges of each unique campus.

2. Create additional opportunities for student staff to build relationships and expand department knowledge. This could be an additional all-department meeting, occasional joint meetings

(between two or more areas), or social events. The goals would be to improve communication;

set expectations; increase knowledge of department policies/procedures and programs/services; and build synergy across work teams.

3. Clarify, communicate, and enforce department expectations for all student staff: greeting and interacting with patrons, not allowing unrelated technology access or studying on-shift. Create a culture of customer service, with high expectations and accountability for performance.

4. Establish, document and communicate the unique responsibilities for each student job role.

Clearly establish responsibility for enforcing safety and risk management procedures for each role and the priorities for tasks to be accomplished (e.g., supervision and safety first).

5. Seek support from divisional leadership to lobby the university for the ability to increase pay for students serving in specialized positions (e.g., lifeguards, group fitness instructors, personal trainers) more commensurate with the local labor market. The arbitrary cap of $13.00 an hour for students will not allow the department to fill student positions in these key positions.

Programs and Services

Findings

The department offers a variety of programs, including: aquatics, club sports, OwlFit programs (e.g., group fitness and personal training), intramural sports (IM), outdoor adventure, and events. Program participation numbers were negatively impacted by Covid-19; it was reported that not all areas have returned to FY19 levels but that they are making good progress.

1. Staff indicated that the ‘Competitive Sports Program’ will be renamed ‘Sport Programs’ to better represent the components of both club sports and intramural sports. Sport staff indicated that department does club sports well (as evidenced by department and staff support and club success), but that the intramural sport program needed more attention.

2. There were 35 active club sports and 1,241 unique club participants at the time of the review.

Five clubs participated in their National Tournament and six clubs participated in Regional

Tournaments; several club members reported that participating in national tournaments was a highlight of their experience.

3. Club Sport funding from the department is estimated at a very modest $50-60K, which is very low for a program of this size. Clubs do not receive any additional funding from the university but fundraise considerable amounts to support their organizations.

4. It was reported that clubs primarily use personal vehicles when traveling. Department vans are available, but they prefer not to use them. They can also rent vans. Students are required to go through a 6-hour driving course; the department pays the cost of this training.

5. The department Athletic Trainer provides services to club sports participants. In FY23 AT served

15.3% (192 of 1,241) of club sports participants, with 28 clubs having at least one member who utilized the AT room. Staff reported 1,881 treatment sessions annually. The AT position is reported to be at capacity in terms of ability to expand services.

6. AT services were provided during set hours Monday-Thursday and Friday by appointment. The trainer provides weekend game coverage. Services include treatment, preventive taping, and rehabilitation; the most common injuries reported were sprains, strains and concussions.

Referrals were made to orthopedists and physicians.

7. Divisional leadership wants to expand AT services to serve all students; it was acknowledged that additional staffing would be needed to meet the increased demand, that interns would not be sufficient as they must be supervised directly at all times.

8. Intramural Sport (IM) programs included leagues and tournaments, and team and individual sports.

a. There were 4 leagues, and 5 tournaments for Fall 2023 and staff has planned 3 leagues and 7 tournaments for Spring 2024.

b. In FY23 there were 1,947 unique participants that participated on 472 total teams.

c. There was a 24.2% increase in unique participants from FY22 to FY23 1,567 to 1,947).

d. Staff reported that they are on track to exceed FY19 participation numbers of 2,359 in

FY24 (reported 1,306 first half FY24).

9. IM programs are free to Kennesaw students, faculty and staff, as long as they have paid the

Sports and Recreation student fee or have paid the membership fee.

10. IM participation numbers seem low relative to enrollment, even after considering on-line and the commuter population. The sport programmers are relatively new to the department; they, and their supervisor, expressed eager interest in improving the reach of, and participation in, the IM program. They reported some early success.

11. The Spring 2024 schedule included twenty different events, with several offered multiple times.

The offerings included individual/dual sports and team sports in leagues or tournaments, and some skills challenges.

12. Intramural participation is significantly larger at the Kennesaw campus. Outdoor IM programming has been limited at the Marietta campus, as only the softball field has lights. And indoor programming was limited in the past year because of court renovations. Sports staff have proactively tried changing IM formats at the Marietta campus (e.g., tournaments instead of leagues, weekend play) to try to attract more student participation.

13. Students and Faculty/Staff members at KSU are eligible to participant in intramurals. In order to participate, students must have paid the Sports and Recreation fee and faculty/staff must hold a current S&R facility membership. Participants are able to play IMs on both campuses.

14. Indoor space was an obstacle for both sport programs. On the Kennesaw campus there were three gymnasium courts (of four) and one multi-activity court (MAC) available for IM. One gymnasium court was left open for recreational play; the space available for structured sport programs and drop-in recreation was insufficient for the enrollment.

15. Outdoor space is also an obstacle for both sport programs. Staff are concerned about losing space at The Perch, which is where IMs are scheduled. Staff outside the department suggested that more events be scheduled on the Marietta campus, which is 45 minutes away. S&R staff, and consultants, recognized this suggestion as not feasible, with the possible exception of some clubs. The available space significantly limits how much the department can grow the sports programs.

16. The aquatic programs included swim lessons (private and group; children and adult), Masters

Swim, and certifications (lifeguard, lifeguard instructor, water safety instructor). The programs were all fee-based; adult swim lessons were only for Kennesaw-affiliated adults. There were also aquatic special events: boat races, canoe battleship, and Arctic plunge.

17. Swim lessons were described as high quality. Staff indicated that the swim fees were priced significantly below market, with a very modest 15% profit margin. Lessons filled up extremely quickly (often on the first day). It was also reported that there was a shortage of swim instructors, and that the professional staff member often had to get in the water and teach.

18. The OwlFit program included group fitness classes, personal training, small group coaching, events, certifications, and Fitness on the Fly. The group fitness program and events were free;

the remaining programs were fee-based. Personal training and group fitness programs, in terms of offerings and participation, were very low relative to KSU enrollment.

19. Group fitness classes included cardio, dance, strength & conditioning, and mind & body. Classes were scheduled Monday through Friday. There were 531 classes offered in FY23, with 5,953 total participations. The Spring FY24 schedule included 22 in-person classes on the Kennesaw campus and 1 in-person class on the Marietta campus. Ten of the Kennesaw classes were also offered virtually; the Marietta facility accommodated virtual participation.

20. Certification offerings have included Yoga, Cycling, Zumba, and a group fitness instructor training course. Fitness events have included fitness challenges and ‘glow in the dark’ (e.g., Glowga, Glow Zumba, and YogaFit).

21. Staff reported some technology-based interactive fitness activity on the Marietta campus, and indicated there is potential space and resources available to offer additional programs. There were few group fitness participants participating virtually on the Marietta campus, with no live in-person classes offered.

22. Personal training was offered virtually and in-person (individual or partner), and in a ‘workouts to go’ format. There are three personal trainers, all students in KSU exercise science. An academic partner mentioned an internship partnership opportunity for personal training students between Exercise Science and S&R.

23. The department also offers small group coaching; the website showed a kickboxing: striking fundamentals offered in Fall 2023.

24. The Outdoor Adventures program included Nature Bound (trips), bike shop (bike rentals, repairs/ adjustments, and clinics), outdoor equipment rental, climbing gym (clinics, boulder and tower climbing, competitions, and rentals). The outdoor team also offered customized trips and group climbing experiences. The website listed Experiential Group programs as ‘not accepting requests at this time.’

25. Adventure staff reported ~ 1,000 unique users on campus. Staff speculated that campus awareness about outdoor offerings was likely very low, and could be improved with better visibility on the building exterior.

26. Many outdoor offerings are provided at low or no cost: the department subsidized almost half of the trip costs; there is no charge for basic climbing equipment (e.g., harness, belay, rope), and standard bike adjustments are free. There are charges for bike rentals, climbing shoe rental, bike replacement parts, and full bike tune-ups.

27. There have been modest increases in participation from FY22 to FY23: trip participation increased 16% (487 registrants in thirty-six trips); outdoor gear rentals increase 9.75% (718 to

788); bike rentals increased 23.4% (636 to 788). Bike rentals are significantly down from the past; it was reported that in recent years a busy month was 150 repairs and now it is closer to

70 per month.

28. Climbing expected large increases in participation from FY23 to FY24: there were 7,124 participants in FY23 and 5,855 participants in the first half of FY24.

29. Staff indicated that working towards AEE accreditation for experiential education for the last four years has taken considerable time. The department recently added the university outdoor team challenge course to their portfolio; there seems to be additional capacity with the adventure staff at 4 FTE once all positions are filled.

30. A staff member believes there are untapped populations on campus -- including veterans and students on the spectrum -- and proposed adding a therapeutic recreation program. It was noted that the department has reached out to Disability Services but has not been successful in creating a partnership. A recreation therapist (shared position) was included in the proposed organizational chart. Therapeutic recreation focuses on treatment and recovery; it was not clear if a focus on inclusive recreation might be a better strategy for serving untapped populations.

Recommendations

1. Finalize the recommendations to change the name of Competitive Sports to Sports Programs and brand these programs to support competitive and non-competitive sports offerings.

2. Develop and implement an intentional plan to continue to grow interest in the intramural sports program within the parameters of space limitations.

3. Add two full-time athletic trainers to support the requested program expansion (serving all KSU students). Provide the necessary space in the SRAC for Athletic Training services.

4. Increase prices for children’s swim lessons. Conduct an analysis to determine market rates and comparison of quality, and consider aiming at a 50% profit margin. Limit the number of lessons and classes provided to those that can be taught by part-time staff. If instructor pay is contributing the staff shortage, consider increasing pay or hiring of non-students (as a last resort) if that is not possible due to the campus cap on student wages.

5. Conduct a demand-based programming survey to determine what programs and services the students on each campus want and will participate in. Use this information to create and implement a revised program plan.

6. Benchmark participation numbers at comparable institutions for IM sports and group fitness.

Determine what growth is possible with the current facility space available.

7. Increase the financial support to club sports. Collect information from KSU benchmark universities to determine an initial baseline amount.

8. Develop a programming plan and resource model for the outdoor team challenge course to be integrated into the outdoor adventure climbing program.

Organizational Chart At the time of the review the department consisted of 27 full-time staff positions and two graduate assistants: executive director, senior director, two directors, three associate directors, six assistant directors, business operations manager, office manager, senior program coordinator, six program coordinators, two maintenance technicians, athletic trainer, program assistant, technical support analyst, and two graduate assistants. Two positions were vacant: associate director of competitive sports and assistant director of fitness.

Findings

1. The executive director has led the department for over 25 years and…