Kinesiology and Outdoor Recreation Mission, Values & Outcomes

Mission

The Department of Kinesiology and Outdoor Recreation uses mentoring and applied learning to equip future leaders and professionals to enhance physical activity, wellbeing, and outdoor engagement in their communities.

Core Values

• Wellbeing: We value the role that leisure and physical activity play in the pursuit of lifelong health and happiness.
• Community: We value service, collaboration, and making leisure and physical activity accessible to all members of our community.
• Curiosity: We employ critical thinking and seek out evidence-based practices to inform our decisions.
• Growth: We challenge ourselves to continuously improve through innovation, learning, skill development, and reflection.

Outcomes

We hope that graduates from KOR will:

• appreciate, apply, and teach technical, communication, and awareness skills;
• demonstrate knowledge of rules, strategies, and appropriate behaviors for selected disciplines and physical activities which include coaching, athletic training, intramurals, and health education;
• demonstrate competency in outdoor leadership, wilderness medicine, land management, programming and administration, and interpretation;
• identify benefits, costs, and obligations associated with regular participation in physical activity and outdoor recreation as well as recognize the risk and safety factors associated with participation;
• understand that wellness involves more than being physically fit and that sport and leisure provide an opportunity for enjoyment, self-expression, environmental awareness, communication, and a common unifying experience that transcends social and cultural differences;
• cherish the feelings that result from regular participation in physical activity and outdoor recreation;
• respect the role that regular leisure plays in the pursuit of lifelong health and happiness; and
• understand the science of exercise and how to apply the science to improve health, fitness, function, wellness, and sport performance.