Campus recreation directors' leadership to provide professional assistance to help students obtain professional and graduate assistant positions

Abstract

Over the years, the Campus Recreation field has become a dynamic and exciting area with a variety of job and career opportunities. This study attempted to examine the type, frequency and perceived importance of assistance Campus Recreation directors provide for students to obtain a professional or graduate assistant position in the Campus Recreation field. This study found career counseling and résumé advice were the most popular type of assistance Campus Recreation directors provide for both graduate assistants and student employees. Frequency varied from every other year to every semester/quarter depending on assistance. Campus Recreation directors perceived all the assistance items ranging from somewhat important to essential. Most of the participants’ demographics did not make a difference in frequency or perceived importance of assistance. Overall perceived importance was placed more on graduate assistants than on student employees although there was no difference in frequency between graduate assistants and student employees. Finally, Campus Recreation directors provided assistance for students at the frequency based on their perceived importance most of the time.