This article is intended to provoke thought and discussion about what it takes to be a department chair and what it feels like to be a department chair. To accomplish our purpose, we draw an analogy between test pilots and department chairs based on Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff" (1979). We reason that test pilots and department…

This article briefly outlines the history of living-learning communities (LLC) in colleges and universities. It details conceptualization, design, implementation and assessment of such programs. Model recreation and leisure LLC are highlighted and discussed.

An important subject in teaching tourism is how destinations change but because of the temporal component of change, that is not always easy to do in the classroom. "Plog in Public" is a teaching activity that takes the student out of the classroom to observe and explore the ways tourists drive destination change. The activity is based…

Women represent growing numbers of faculty members in higher education as well as in recreation/leisure departments. The purpose of this study is to describe the career development of women faculty in recreation-related areas and to offer implications for faculty development and the preparation of future faculty. Data were collected from women who…

Senior internships in parks and recreation are an opportunity to put classroom knowledge to practice. However, this is likely the first time students are in a learning environment without the immediate support of faculty and peers. To alleviate this issue, online discussion boards were used to connect interns who were located across the country.…

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…

Within contemporary society, technology has taken on an integral role in the way we come to know and understand the world. In recognition of that reality, an increasing number of educators have begun to utilize an emerging technology resource, GPS devices, and a GPS-based activity, geocaching, to help enhance students' global competency. The…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandated that facilities and programs are accessible, so people with disabilities can be included in all aspects of community life including recreation (Dattilo, 2002). Understanding accessibility standards is not an easy task. Educators are faced with the challenge of teaching technical content,…

The purpose of this learning activity was to teach undergraduate students about recreation and leisure experiences of the older members of the Lumbee Tribe who attended the local university. This activity utilized ethnographic interviews to teach students about the local community and college life for those from older generations. Ethnography is a…

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.…

The purpose of this paper is to use reflexive methodology to describe the emotions and experiences of doctoral students and a professor who collaboratively conducted a research study using triangulated qualitative research data. The study was the major learning strategy in a doctoral seminar focusing on qualitative research approaches. In using an…

There has been a great deal of debate regarding the value of program accreditation. Two research questions guided this study: 1) are students enrolled in accredited parks, recreation, and leisure programs more academically engaged than students enrolled in non-accredited programs, and 2) do students enrolled in accredited parks, recreation, and…

"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…

Describes service learning, presenting various techniques, tools, and tips for student projects, based on the principles of self-directed classroom and organizational development theories, that were developed through a reflection-in-action process. The article discusses applications of these techniques to the operations of student-run projects at…

This study investigated the ethics and effectiveness of a community service project with disabled citizens designed to foster college students' social responsibility. Community service raised student awareness of the need for inclusion of disabled citizens in community leisure programs and for genuine respect. Results also raised issues of…