We apply lessons from "Moneyball," Michael Lewis's (2003) best-selling account of the Oakland Athletics's use of "sabermetrics" to find undervalued baseball players to help build a cost-effective team to the context of recreation, park, and leisure studies. Specifically, we coin and apply the term…

Integrated Event Design (IED) capitalizes on three distinct courses to achieve a blended course delivery: Event Management, Research and Evaluation (for undergraduate students), and Experiential Education (for graduate students). Through the use of an event management company metaphor that fully integrates the diverse curricular concepts, course…

This article introduces the reader to the Unified Core Curriculum model developed and implemented at the University of Georgia (UGA). Four courses are taught as one course to the juniors coming into the Recreation and Leisure Studies major. An overview of the blended course and sample assignments are provided, as well as a discussion of challenges…

In order to explore the link between multicultural service-learning (MSL) and the development of multicultural competence, a participatory action research paradigm and constructivist grounded theory were used to qualitatively explore the perceptions of multicultural competence development in 30 recreation and leisure studies majors. Major themes…

Pedagogically, the term "bottleneck" refers to a moment when students may face barriers to understanding content in the process of learning. As instructors identify "bottlenecks" within their courses, they are faced with the challenge of how to best assist students in overcoming them. Further, most instructors want to know what selected teaching…

Institutions of higher education are increasingly being held more accountable for assessing student learning both in and out of their classrooms along with reporting results to their stakeholders. The purpose of this study, which examined assessment of student learning outcomes in undergraduate park and recreation academic programs, was two-fold:…

This article summarizes the content of a three-day administrative summit held at Zion Ponderosa Resort in southern Utah in late September 2010. Department chairs, heads, and deans representing 13 universities across North America offering leisure studies doctoral degrees, master's degrees, and undergraduate professional preparation degrees…

This paper describes a research paper and poster assignment used in an undergraduate leisure and human behavior course. The intent of this learning activity is to increase student knowledge of current issues within the industry as well as to enhance students' professional communication skills. A description of the assignment is shared along with…

This article stems from a conversation among academic leaders of graduate-oriented departments of parks, recreation, and tourism across North America who participated in an administrator summit at Zion Ponderosa Resort in southern Utah September 23-26, 2010. The University of Utah's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism hosted the summit,…

The retention of racial minority students lies at the core of diversity efforts instituted by colleges and universities across the nation. Withstanding the changing racial demographics of the U.S. and the need to have qualified racial minority professionals serving diverse communities retention and matriculation heighten in importance. With the…

The Unified Core is an innovative approach to higher education that blends content through linked courses within a major to create a community of learners. This article offers the theoretical background for the approach, describes the implementation, and offers suggestions to educators who would like to design their own version of this innovative…

This study examined recent reading practices and beliefs of parks, recreation, and leisure services professionals. For many years, faculty members have engaged in informal discussions at professional meetings and in journals about the need to bridge the gap between academicians and practitioners in terms of moving research findings into practice.…

"Take Back Your Time" (TBYT) is a movement founded by John De Graaf (2003) that exposes the issues of time poverty and overwork in the United States and Canada. This article features the process whereby undergraduate students study De Graaf's TBYT handbook, discuss its concepts, and organize a student-led TBYT "teach-in" for their college…

Argues that recreation and leisure studies curricula often fail to provide students with adequate knowledge to understand, critically analyze, and discuss leisure. By studying leisure from a humanist perspective (philosophy, history, and literature), educators can respond to this problem, preparing students to critically respond to challenges they…

Presents a case study on the recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented minority groups into recreation, parks, and leisure studies programs. Strategies that can be implemented by other recreation and leisure studies departments are outlined, which include: develop mentor programs, provide student funding, connect students to role…