In the piece, Colleen shares that “Most campus recreation professionals know they’re leaving a legacy that will last for decades, and they take that commitment very seriously. Campus recreation people also are tireless in terms of their commitment to students and the campus as a whole. They work extraordinary hours and do extraordinary things.”
The full article is available online. Here is another key excerpt from the piece
On how campus recreation centers have evolved
“Those early recreation centers were trying to maximize every square foot of space, cramming in as much equipment as possible and keeping corridors tiny,” Colleen explains. “Every space was programmed, and the mindset was, ‘Go there, exercise and leave.’ Now, there are many more intentionally unprogrammed spaces that can impact wellness, academics, socialization and much more. Every campus is different, obviously – not only in size and scale but also in personality. I’m always inspired by how vastly different every single project can be.”
Several of these trends Colleen touches on are demonstrated in recent projects with Virginia Tech, Boston College, UC Riverside and other institutions across the country.