First-year student perception of campus recreation participation

Thesis (M.A., Education (Higher Education Leadership)) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2010.Researchers agree that first-year university students are the campus population at greatest risk for institutional departure. Since institutional effectiveness is primarily tied to retaining and graduating students, administrators are constantly under pressure to maximize the number of students who persist to graduation. Additionally, it is essential that administrators identify programs that enhance student satisfaction and academic persistence.\ud Statement of Problem\ud The purpose of this study was to analyze perceptions related to access, satisfaction, and academic persistence from first-year students actively engaged in Campus Recreation (CR) programming. Areas of interest focused on institutional student services, CR service areas, and facilities as they related to student satisfaction and academic persistence. This information can be used by Campus Recreation Administrators (CRA) to help justify funding for CR programming and facilities in an era plagued by diminished budgets and elevated stakeholder scrutiny.\ud vi\ud Methodology\ud Research data was collected by utilizing the Quality and Importance of Recreational Services (QIRS) developed by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). Only first-year students actively engaged in CR programming at a large, commuter-based university were asked to participate in the study.\ud Conclusions and Recommendations\ud The research presented in this study indicated the importance of CR within higher education. First-year students who participated in CR at the university overwhelmingly reported high levels of institutional and academic satisfaction. Additionally, the entire department of CR received very high satisfaction ratings. This information must be disseminated to upper-level management and decision-makers at the university to demonstrate the importance of CR in assisting with retention of at-risk student groups on campus.Education (Higher Education Leadership