From inclusive design and programming to thriving esports programs and diverse staffing, this past year’s cover stories hit on a lot of different yet prominent topics in the industry. As such, here is Part One of the 2022 Cover Story top themes.
If you want to ensure you never miss a cover story, make sure to subscribe here to always stay up-to-date on the latest Campus Rec Magazine news.
Sacramento State
January/February 2022 Cover Story
California State University, Sacramento State completed a renovation in the fall of 2021 that had a large focus on inclusive design.
Kate Smith, the director of The WELL, said historically all-gender spaces would be created for a specific population in mind. Through focus groups, they realized there wasn’t just one population that wanted more privacy: everyone did.
So, in evaluating the locker room spaces, Smith said they decided to categorize by activity and go from there. For example, some users just need to change and store belongings. With that in mind, they created an all-gender open space known as the Locker Hub.
But inclusion doesn’t stop at design. Read what else Sacramento State is doing here.
Illinois State University
March/April 2022 Cover Story
Did you know that Illinois State University (ISU) became the first public institution in the state of Illinois with a varsity esports program?
Since then, Redbird Esports has risen to a prominent position in collegiate esports. In fact, their Overwatch team won Overwatch Contenders, a semi-pro tournament series in September 2021.
However, it isn’t just about the varsity team. David Kirk, the Esports program director, said they have built the program on four key pillars: competition, club, casual and career. Read about the breakdown of the program here.
University of Central Florida
May/June 2022 Cover Story
In order to increase the diversity of participants at the Recreation and Wellness Center, the University of Central Florida started the Adaptive and Inclusive program.
Another way EDI permeates the culture of UCF takes place in staffing. Jim Wilkening, the executive director of Recreation and Wellness, said they closely evaluate their demographics of users and RWC staff compared to the overall demographics of student enrollment.
If they see a demographic drop, they will increase efforts of recruitment, marketing or promotion to reach that population. “It all goes back to the concept of people are going to go to places where people look like themselves,” said Wilkening. “If our student employees are representing the diverse students of UCF, then the student users are going to be more comfortable coming into an environment where people look like themselves.”
Read more about equity, diversity and inclusion at UCF here.
