Marywood University Documents

     The purpose of recreation and leisure is to contribute to the health and well being of individuals and to enhance the quality of community life. As such, the study of recreation leadership is multidisciplinary, requiring understanding of the social, behavioral, physical, and environmental sciences as they pertain to helping people grow and develop in their leisure while conserving our vital natural resources. Knowledge of the arts and humanities is important as well, because leisure is one of the most fertile opportunities for self expression and the development of community. Graduates of the Recreation Program are employed in positions of responsibility throughout the region, nation and world. They work in a variety of settings, including public recreation departments, outdoor recreation programs, hospitals and tourism agencies. Some graduates have found their degrees useful for work in fields such as social work, the ministry, law enforcement, wildlife biology and range land management.  The below links are resources, articles, or papers, used to substantiate the need for a recreation leadership program at Marywood University.

     There is a need to ensure that park and recreation facilities can attract visitors by providing an array of interesting and active recreation opportunities. It is feasible that Marywood University can produce highly-qualified recreation leaders to enhance and contribute to the 21^st century recreation needs through the proposed Bachelor of Science in Recreation Leadership curriculum and programming. In addition, developing the Outdoor Program at Marywood within the Recreation Leadership program will provide valuable opportunities for students, staff, and faculty at Marywood to learn and participate in a variety of outdoor recreational activities using pristine, nearby natural resources. Together, these programs will enhance life at Marywood University providing, 1) an additional, potentially accredited professional degree-granting program within HPE(R); 2) an active-based human-powered line of recreational courses available for all Marywood University students, staff, and faculty; and 3) a connection to the community through service learning and community recreation projects.