Document Type
Doctor of Education Capstone
Original Publication Date
2025
Date of Submission
April 2025
Abstract
This intrinsic case study delved into how NIRSA, a leading Association for Campus Recreation, and its members could effectively engage with one another to best support the members' needs. Leveraging the principles of improvement science, we rigorously assessed the root causes of misalignments between NIRSA and its members. This process allowed us to develop a theory of change that supports organizational alignment and engagement and satisfies members' needs. We found that change concepts like agility to pivot, in addition to inclusive and responsive communication strategies, would support members in navigating the evolving landscape of the campus recreation industry and amplify the missing voices of members from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and rural colleges. We conclude with recommendations and strategies for NIRSA to align with members' needs by incorporating the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle that would result in measurable improvements.
Rights
© The Authors