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Recreation and Leisure Studies
About Us
The aims of the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department are to:
- Prepare therapeutic recreation specialists for practice in a variety of community and treatment settings via the Baccalaureate Degree Program in Therapeutic Recreation.
- Provide opportunities for the university community to gain knowledge and experience through participation in a variety of recreation and leisure theory and activity courses.
- Offer a series of academic courses in the area of health and fitness which are open to all members of the university community.
Definition of Recreation and Leisure
Leisure is recognized as a state of being which is characterized by an individual's perceived freedom, intrinsic motivation and feelings of pleasure; the leisure state is usually achieved through participation in recreational activities. The experience of leisure is inextricably related to the maintenance of health as well as to the development of individual potential. Leisure experiences have both mental health and physical health benefits. Some of these include the reduction of stress, the enhancement of self esteem, the development and maintenance of social relationships and, in the case of physical activities, the development and maintenance of physical fitness and motor ability. These health related benefits make leisure and recreation potentially powerful therapeutic modalities for use in treatment settings with ill and disabled persons.
Purpose of the Therapeutic Recreation Program
The purpose of therapeutic recreation is to promote the development of functional independence and to facilitate the development, maintenance and expression of an appropriate leisure lifestyle for persons with mental, physical, emotional and/or social limitations. Accordingly, this purpose is accomplished through the provision of educational and participatory services in both treatment and non-treatment settings. These services assist clientele in eliminating barriers to leisure, developing leisure skills and attitudes which meet their needs, and in optimizing their leisure involvement. Therapeutic recreation professionals use leisure and recreation to enhance each client's health status and leisure lifestyle, both of which are imperative in the development of human potential
See the course offerings for the major.
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