The Impact of College Recreation Center Renovation on Overall Participant Utilization and Frequency

by Kilchenman, James R.

The purpose of this research study was to investigate changes in student utilization of a campus recreation center following a two-year renovation project that added 3,500 square feet to the existing facility. The variables studied for this investigation were the recreation center user age, class level, ethnicity, and sex. Data for this study were collected though activity reports produced when users swiped their University ID cards for admission to the recreation center. Overall there was a 189% increase with unique users following the renovation project. Mean student uses also increased for most variable categories, most notably with freshman and sophomore students, Black, non-Hispanic students, and both female and male students.