By Rachel Holzhaeuser

Through inclusive policies, practice, and training, Campus Recreation strives to be a place on campus where everyone feels safe and comfortable to be the Rec’ing Ram that they are.  The Inclusivity Committee is volunteer-based and composed of ten professional staff members and two student staff members from Campus Recreation. The committee has been meeting since October of 2015 and has since then been striving toward providing ongoing, intentional oversight of departmental efforts of creating an inclusive recreation experience.

The Inclusivity Committee is a result of a recommendation from the GLBTQ Audit conducted in May 2013, which evaluated how well Campus Recreation was doing in terms of being safe and welcoming for the GLBTQ community on campus. Since its implementation, the Inclusivity Committee has largely been focused on prioritizing projects, reviewing the recent Adaptive Recreation Audit, and updating inclusion-related materials on the website as well as staff training materials.

Associate Director of Administration, Erin Patchett, is the chair of the committee and has been working for Campus Recreation at CSU since August of 2010. In regards to inclusive spaces at the Rec Center, Gender Inclusive Restrooms and Changing Rooms were already in place when Erin began her work at CSU.

“Over the past six years, some of the major changes I’ve seen have been the formalization of an Asserted Gender Identity Policy, an expansion of type and quantity of adaptive fitness equipment… the creation of the Inclusivity Committee, and more intentional and accessible communication about what policies, facilities, and resources we have in place to create a welcoming and safe environment for the diverse users of our services,” Erin said of the changes since she began working for Campus Recreation.

Staff trainings are crucial in making sure we can fulfill our goals and that each staff member has the knowledge and understanding of policies and how to educate fellow staff and patrons in order to create the best atmosphere for everyone.

With that, the Inclusivity Committee has focused largely on improving the education of both professional and student staff through inclusivity trainings.

One new project aimed to educating staff is the “Inclusion Infusion” project. In hopes of furthering education and social responsibility, Inclusion Infusion features posters in the student staff breakroom that address different topics such as allyship, white privilege, cultural appropriation, and more.

All of our program and support areas are continuously working to create an educated and welcoming environment so that all Campus Recreation participants feel as though the Rec Center is a place they can achieve their goals and be their authentic self.

In order to continue improving the environment we create, we invite you to share your opinions and feedback. If you identify as having a disability, please take this 5-minute survey to help guide our adaptive recreation efforts. Survey-takers can opt-in to be entered into a giveaway drawing for an item from the CSU Bookstore. If you need an alternative form the survey or would like to provide feedback beyond the survey, please contact Campus Recreation Inclusivity Committee Chair, Erin Patchett, at Erin.Patchett@ColoState.Edu.

Survey link: http://studentvoice.com/csu/adaptiverecsurvey