Quarterly In Services

Recreation and Wellness

Fall Quarter 2015

Recreation and Wellness Team Building

Goal
o The goal of this In Service is to help Recreation and Wellness student employees
build comradery and develop teamwork skills
Learning Outcomes
o Students will
Define and articulate their own leadership style
Learn two problem solving skills that can be applied to their work
Explain the importance of communication in a team setting
Why is this needed?
o In challenge courses, activities are geared to stimulate group cohesion and
growth. Having a variety of challenging activities causes different individuals
with different skills and abilities to take responsibility of being a leader. The
aspect of volunteering themselves in that leadership position assists in
increasing their leadership efficacy levels. (Odello et al. pg. 5). Leadership
efficacy is defined as an individuals belief in their abilities to take on the role
of leader within a group or setting and to be successful in that role (Odello et
al. 2008)
o The Recreation and Wellness Professional Staff saw a need among the student
employees that they needed to get to know one another better. During training, the
student spent a lot of time with the members of their own team but not as much
time with the other programming groups
o To meet that need, we reached out to a company to facilitate a team building low
ropes course focused on initiatives that promote communication, leadership
development, and team dynamics
o After the In Service, each team will debrief with their supervisor so they can build
on what they learned so it can be sustained for the remainder of the year
Theory To Practice
o Chickerings 7 Vectors of Identity Development, 1969 and revised in 1993
Chickerings theory of identity development consists of seven vectors
(developing competence, managing emotions, moving though autonomy
toward interdependence, developing mature interpersonal relationships,
establishing identity, developing purpose and developing integrity). One of
the many influences on developing those seven vectors is Friendships and
student communities. Meaningful friendships and diverse student
communities in which shared interests exist and significant interactions
occur encourage development along all seven vectors (Evans et. al, pg.
71).

Knowing that when students make meaningful relationships with

peers who share common interests, it is important for Rec and Well
to help promote the creation of those relationships. One way to
promote that is to develop a team building type of program where
they are able to bond in a non-work environment.

o Kolbs Theory of Experiential Learning

Kolbs theory says that each student learns and makes meaning in various
ways. There are four different learning styles that Kolb says people might
fall into: converging, diverging, assimilating and accommodating.
Accommodators are action oriented and problem solvers. Divergers
strengths are being imaginative when solving problems. Convergers are
task oriented and strengths are decision making. Assimilators emphasizes
ideas and inductive reasoning.
In a low ropes/initiatives situation, it allows space for people will all
learning styles learn about team building, problem solving techniques,
communication strategies, and leadership techniques. Given that we have
such a large group of students and staff that will be participating, we in all
likelihood have all learning styles present. How one learns becomes a
major determinant of the course of personal development (Kolb, 1981).
Understanding that catering lessons to all learning styles is important for
personal development, a low ropes/initiatives course will accomplish that.

Winter Quarter 2016

Meaning Making with Michele Murray

Goal
o Give students tools to help make meaning out of their experience in college and
working in Recreation and Wellness
Learning Outcomes
o Students will
Reflect on the value of their role to our department and to our campus
community
Share their own experiences of their role with one another
Gain an appreciation for the other areas of Recreation and Wellness that
they dont work with often
Students will recognize two skills they have developed as a result of
working in Rec and Well that will translate to their careers beyond college
Why is this needed?
o Constructive-developmental pedagogy is essential for a multi-layered approach
that prepares college graduates to be lifelong learners who can keep pace with the
evolution of knowledge (Baxter Magolda, 2001).

One concept appeared throughout the experiences of students with substantial

shifts: engagement in meaningful roles and experiences that demanded an internal
voice (Barber et al. pg. 878).

In a college students journey to self-authorship, it is important that they are giving

the space and ability to reflect on their experience so they can make meaning of
them
As young adults, students are faced with many concerns such as establishing
careers, developing meaningful relationships, and being able to manager their
lives on their own (Evans et. al, 2010). Often times colleges do not create the
environments necessary for self-authorship to develop (Evans et. al, 2010). The
goal of this program is to give students the time and space to reflect and help them
along their journey to self-authorship
Michele Murray, the Vice President for Student Development at Seattle University
has done extensive research around the meaning-making process and will be a
great resource for us on this topic.

Theory to Practice
o Baxter Magoldas Theory of Self-Authorship
Higher education has a responsibility to help young adults make the
transition from being shaped by society to shaping society in their role as
leaders in societys future (Evans et al. pg. 184)
Opportunities for self-reflection in these settings also assist students in
becoming clearer about what they know, why they hold the beliefs they
do, and how they want to act on their beliefs (Evans et. al, pg. 191).
Knowing that the responsibility is on student affairs professionals to create
opportunities for reflection and meaning making, and understanding that it
is difficult to do in a college setting, we need to be intentional in
programming these kind of opportunities.
o Ecological Approaches to College Student Development
o Chickerings Theory of Identity Development
One of the vectors is Developing Purpose
Developing clear vocational goals, making meaningful
commitments to specific personal interest and activities, and
establishing strong interpersonal commitments (Evans et al, pg.
69).
Providing a program that will allow students to reflect and make
meaning of their college experience is a way to meet this vector of
identity development

Reference

Evans, Nancy. (2010) Student development in college. Theory, research, and practice (Second
edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
http://juptrr.asp.radford.edu/Volume_1/Challenge_Course_Effectiveness.pdf
Barber, J. P., King, P. M., & Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2013). Long strides on the journey toward
self-authorship: Substantial developmental shifts in college students' meaning making.
Journal Of Higher Education, 84(6), 866-895.