Earlier this summer, Oakland University (OU) Recreation and Well-Being (Rec Well) named Becky Lewis as its new director. After 14 years of leading programs and initiatives across OU’s campus, she was the top candidate for the position.
“For the past few years, I’ve continued to establish myself on campus and with community partners by taking on more responsibilities and getting involved with more areas on campus if offered the position to take over as director,” said Lewis. “This past July that opportunity was made available and now I’m the second director of Rec Well at OU.”
Below, Lewis participates in an interview with Campus Rec Magazine where she details her career journey, hopes for OU Rec Well, advice for other industry professionals and more.
Describe your journey to recently being named director of OU Rec Well.
BL: About 22 years ago, I decided being a director was something I wanted to pursue. I started in campus rec as an undergrad teaching aerobics at Central Michigan University and then became a fitness graduate assistant at Miami University before being a fitness coordinator at Northern Illinois University (NIU). I loved the fitness world and had great mentors in that space. At NIU, I was offered opportunities which allowed me to learn operational functions, more about budgets and provided leadership opportunities.
In 2010, I moved to OU, which took me down a new path as an assistant director overseeing programming. I did a lot of work with Human Resources and added an employee well-being component to the department. I’ve spear-headed a campus-wide healthy campus initiative as we work to make OU the university of choice while creating a culture supporting health and well-being.
I was promoted to associate director which supported my desire to get more involved in higher-level operations. Since coming to OU, I knew Greg Jordan, the previous director, would eventually retire. If the timing was right, I’d want to be eligible for the role.
Some people have asked me why I didn’t pursue being a director sooner. There’s another part of my life that’s very important — family. I have three children and wanted to be available for them while they were still young and at home. I made the choice to wait until I was at a place in my life where I could devote more time and energy to the director role. This was a personal choice I’ll never regret. I’m 100% thankful I did it the way I have.
What are some ways you’d like to see your department evolve under your leadership? What hopes do you have?
BL: My hope is for us to continue being visible leader on campus. Rec Well is known for collaboration, and I plan to continue our efforts in this area. I’m encouraging our team to be more involved on campus. I think the COVID-19 pandemic gave people a pass on putting themselves out there, but it’s time to get back in the game.
Moving forward, we’re looking to enhance our identity and work on educating our campus population on who we are and what we do. Just because our department name is Rec Well, doesn’t necessarily mean people know what we provide.
We’re continuing to evolve by refining our processes so we’re more inclusive of those who want to utilize our spaces to recreate and work on their health and well-being. In addition to process changes and updates would be space changes that are more in tune with what students are looking for now. Mindfulness and recovery spaces are big, and it would be great for us to be able to have dedicated space in our facility to accommodate the needs of our students. Our facility is 26 years old. It’s time to reconfigure some things.
My huge idea would be to continue to have conversations about a one-stop-shop concept for students and provide a new health center, counseling center and rec expansion all under one roof. That would be a stretch goal.
What are some of your favorite aspects of the campus rec industry?
BL: I think campus recreation is unique overall. So many people outside of higher education have no idea we even exist. Some of our colleagues on campus don’t understand who we are, what we do, and what we can provide to our students, campus colleagues and members.
For many, when they hear about recreation, they immediately think about sports. But we are so much more. We offer learning opportunities for students outside the classroom when they participate in our programs and services, but also as student employees who work for us.
The experiences I gained from teaching Group X classes, working at the desk, or playing intramural floor hockey and flag football really solidified my career path far more than any academic class I took. Classroom learning is important, obviously. However, my learning from the social interactions I had, the problem solving and time management skills I gained from employment, and the professional development that came with having a rec job on campus was what got me a graduate assistant position and eventually my first full-time job.
Also, Rec Well offers something for everyone. We’re far from one-sided. We teach lifelong skills through the variety of programs and services we provide. Whether catering to a youth swim/dive customer, a retiree who comes into our facility to take a Group X class and everyone in between, our participants and members are learning how to manage their health and well-being and learning many of the same skills our students are learning as department employees.
Detail the most unique aspects of Oakland University Recreation and Well-Being.
BL: OU Rec Well is unique for a couple of reasons. First, OU doesn’t have a Health Promotion department on campus. Rec Well has taken the lead in health promotion on campus for students through some collaborative staffing — with the health center and housing — and for employees by creating a dedicated employee well-being coordinator position in the department.
Second, OU Rec Well provides free rec center access to our benefits-eligible employees. This came about in 2012 to help support employees in meeting the criteria for the best insurance co-pays and low or no deductibles when we changed to outcome-based insurance plans. This fall, OU will extend free access to all employees to help support our healthy campus initiative.
A third unique aspect of our department is our focus on student development for our student employees. We require them to set a goal with the help of their work supervisor for the academic year in one of four categories — well-being, personal/professional development, diversity and inclusion, and leadership — to learn how to set goals, build support for themselves and prepare for “real life” goal setting in a future career. Our full-time staff helps students work on their goals during the year and students can enhance the work on their goal by attending our all-staff mini conference hosted by the department in January, attending some of our Golden Grizzlies Lead workshops offered on campus throughout the academic year and by attending conferences such as NIRSA Student Lead-On.
Provide your top tips/advice for other industry professionals who hope to one day be promoted to the position of director.
BL: 1. Network. Get out of your office and on campus. Meet people, get involved in committees and take every opportunity put in front of you that you can handle. Sometimes, saying yes to an opportunity you might not fully understand the purpose of could be something that changes your trajectory. An example for me would be getting involved with our Dean of Students office here at OU and chairing conduct hearings. I’ve learned so much about the academic world and other departments on campus I wouldn’t have been exposed to had I not volunteered to participate.
2. Ask for more responsibility in areas where you know you must grow.
3. Attend professional development conferences, workshops, etc. Don’t limit yourself to those related solely to your job. There are a ton of organizations to connect with and learn from.
4. Invest in yourself. Your employer isn’t always going to be able to pay for your professional development. Forego Starbucks and register for a conference or online webinar. Ask your colleagues in other areas of campus what institutional memberships might already be paid for. You might be able to participate in a workshop or conference for free because institutional members get free access.
5. Seek out mentors in various areas of recreation or campus life. Lean on them as needed. They’ve probably been in your shoes at one point in time. I have multiple mentors who provided me with excellent advice, coaching and support over the years.
6. Lead by example. Take care of yourself mentally and physically. It’s ok to say no and it’s ok to go home.
7. Don’t give up. The right opportunity will come along.
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