Department Information

Future Roles

The future projection for employment in the leisure field is excellent. In the next thirty years the demand for recreation jobs will increase by approximately 250 percent. Recreation is one of the few professions that affords people an opportunity to work with all people in a myriad of settings. Professionally prepared recreators are needed to provide programs for all segments of society -- the preschooler, the teenager, the adult, individuals with disabilities, and the senior citizen.

The Department serves an industry of considerable size within the State of Connecticut with graduates prepared to serve in such areas as:

1. Campus recreation services

2. Commercial recreation enterprises

3. Corrections recreation

4. Military recreation

5. Municipal parks and recreation

6. Organized camping

7. Outdoor recreation resources

8. Senior services

9. Therapeutic recreation

10. Travel and tourism

11. Volunteer services

12. Youth-serving agencies

Data reflect the fact that recreation creates jobs (i.e., 10% of all U.S. employment is recreation related); contributes to our economy (i.e., accounts for $400 billion in consumer expenditures each year); increases worker productivity; produces healthy people; improves family life; decreases juvenile delinquency, et al.

In addition to the plethora of jobs that will be available in the recreation field, faculty within the Department are cognizant that we have a responsibility to infuse basic concepts of recreation to students who are not recreation majors. Beyond survival priorities, nations face massive social problems; soaring populations - swelling migration to cities - disruption of living patterns - and spreading social malaise. Against this background, there is an instant demand for ways to improve the quality of life. Better use of leisure has emerged as a basic human need to fill this demand, creating new priorities for constructive recreation opportunity for all people.

Leisure time is increasing in most cultures, whether as time free from work or the enforced leisure of unemployment. How people use their leisure time is socially critical. With opportunity provided to use leisure well, physical, mental, and emotional well-being result. Failure to provide these opportunities contributes to boredom, social tensions, cultural stagnation, even vandalism and crime.

Creating opportunity for the constructive use of leisure through creative recreation can stimulate people to actively participate, improve community morale, develop local leadership, enhance personal development, et al.