Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management Program   Undergraduate Bulletin

Mission Statement

The mission of the Outdoor Recreation Division at Northern Michigan University is to provide an exemplary baccalaureate degree program in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management which attracts and retains a diversity of students who show promise in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes of outstanding leisure service and outdoor recreation professionals.

Students will know, understand, and effectively apply general and specialty professional skills in a variety of leisure and outdoor recreation settings. Broadly stated, these skills include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• The practical application of abstract knowledge; Interpersonal and communication skills; Technical skills and; The ability to display and express an understanding and appreciation of leisure and the role of the leisure service profession in a free and pluralistic society

The outdoor Recreation Leadership and management program will provide:

• The opportunity for declared majors and minors to develop additional competencies for more specialized entry-level position in leisure and outdoor recreation settings;  A framework for learners to interact with each other, with educators and with people in and out of the University system; An education environment that nurtures: exposure, exploration, discovery, synthesis, analysis, evaluation, judgment, curiosity, creativity, group processes, teamwork and enjoyment.

 Goals

• To provide an affective, effective, and cognitive academic foundation which meets professional standards in leisure studies and outdoor recreation, including:
  • Development of outdoor technical skills
  • Development of leadership competencies
  • Development of teaching skills in outdoor settings
  • Understanding and promotion of a leisure-valued lifestyle
    Advocacy for outdoor recreation opportunities
     
• These goals are accomplished through:
  
  Integration of classroom and experiential education
  • Field experiences
  • Interdisciplinary learning
  • Personal and professional growth and development