Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, OK

MISSION STATEMENT

The Department of Wellness is committed to creating a healthy campus culture for students, faculty and staff. The department seeks to promote healthy lifestyles and lifelong learning through the highest quality programs and facilities in the areas of recreation and wellness.

FACILITIES

The Colvin Recreation Center – 240,000 square feet – first opened its doors to students in 1969 at a total cost of $3.3 million. In 2004, the facility was renovated and expanded at a total cost of $24,000,000 which increased the size of the facility to 240,000 square feet. The project included a new outdoor pool, an additional four-court gym, new fitness rooms, locker rooms, a multipurpose activity gym and a four-lane indoor jogging track. In the summer of 2018, the Colvin Recreation Center was renovated in an attempt to modernize equipment offerings and provide a more intentional and functional layout for patrons. The renovations included the removal of a 3,000-square-foot ramp in the center of the facility, removal of a cinder-block half-wall surrounding the main weight room, updating four racquetball courts to modern standards, converting a squash court to a competition court viewing area, removal of a glass wall divider, converting a little used kickboxing room into an F45 studio, installation of 38,000 square feet of resilient rubber athletic flooring, installation of a 15 by three-yard turf station for sled and plyometric work, and the installation of over 100 new Life-Fitness/Hammer Strength pieces of strength equipment.

The Colvin Annex – 36,000 square feet – was constructed in 1972 and renovated in 2011. It contains four synthetic basketball courts, restroom facilities, the Department of Wellness IT staff, and is used for intramural sports, as well as department special events and reservations.

The Seretean Wellness Center – 34,000 square feet – was dedicated in 1990 by former President Jimmy Carter, opened in 1991 and was expanded in 2000 for a total square footage of 35,000 feet. At the time, Oklahoma State was the only university in the country with a wellness center. The weight and cardio spaces were completely renovated in the summer of 2017 at a cost of $180,000. The facility includes a 3,500-square-foot weight and cardio space, two group fitness studios, a health risk assessment studio, demonstration kitchen, massage therapy rooms, a 130-seat auditorium, and houses the Department of Wellness marketing team, employee wellness program, student health education and sponsored programs.

Combined Facility Amenities

• Climbing wall – vertical climbing, 28 feet – with a bouldering wall – horizontal climbing.
• 300,000-gallon indoor recreational pool with six, 25-yard lap swim lanes and diving well.
• 175,000-gallon outdoor pool with three-lane lap pool, lazy river and vortex pool.
• Multi-activity court.
• Suspended three-lane jogging track.
• Six group exercise rooms. 
• Outdoor Adventure Center. 
• Two golf simulator stations. 
• Putting green.
• Fourteen basketball courts.
• Three field complexes, totaling roughly 50 acres.
• High and low ropes challenge course.
• Five racquetball courts with a competition court viewing area.
• Spin studio – 25 Keiser bikes.
• Main weight room – 13 Hammer Strength half-racks, six lifting platforms.
• Intermediate/advanced free weight/selectorized and plate-loaded strength machine area.
• Accessible equipment area – Cybex Total Access selectorized strength machines, and arm ergometers.
• Functional training area – 15 yards by three yards, with a turf strip, sleds, infinity ropes, battle ropes, rowing ergs, ski ergs and assault Airdyne bikes.
• Multi-level performance studio – olympic lifting, turf, TRX, 12 platforms, torque rig, gymnastics rings.
• Beginner/intermediate selectorized strength machine area.
• Cardio area with 150 pieces of cardio.
• Auditorium/meeting rooms.
• Demonstration kitchen.
• Core movement/stretching room.
• Men’s/women’s locker rooms and family locker room.
• F45 studio.
• Combatives room – martial arts.
• Massage therapy room.
• Health risk assessment room.
• Eight lighted tennis courts.
• Four lighted sand-volleyball courts.
• Table tennis area.

FUN FACTS

1. The Colvin Recreation Center was awarded the NIRSA Outstanding Sports Facility Award – 2005, and the Facility of Merit by Athletic Business, also in 2005. It has also received facility awards from the Southwest Regional Council of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), and the Oklahoma Recreation and Park Society award for Excellence in Facilities.
2. Approximately 700,000 participations annually.
3. Total cost of 2018 renovations: $1,300,000.
4. Total size of all Department of Wellness recreation facilities is 312,000 square feet.
5. Over 50,000 square feet of overall fitness space in Department of Wellness facilities.
6. All Department of Wellness light fixtures are LED.
7. Five water bottle refilling stations are located throughout the facility.
8. Group exercise program – 90-plus classes per week.
9. Martial arts programs – Muay-Thai Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Judo, MMA.
10. Massage therapy program.
11. Personal training program – 35-plus personal trainers on staff.
12. First campus nationally to partner with ACSM to offer a semester-long an ACSM-PT Prep Course.
13. Sport club program with 35-plus clubs.
14. Intramural sports program with over 80,000 participations per year and over 40 events annually.
15. Over 50 acres of recreation field space.
16. 500-plus student employees.
17. The Department of Wellness gives over $1.2 million back to students in wages.
18. The Colvin Recreation Center also is home to the School of Kinesiology, applied health and recreation academic program.