RECREATION, ATHLETICS & WELLNESS COMMISSION

Thank you for stopping by to learn more about the Commission for Recreation, Athletics, and Wellness. Take some time to look through our content and don’t hesitate to share how you’d like to get involved. Use the menu below to jump to a section of interest.

Please contact us at [email protected] or connect with the members of our Directorate Body with questions or ideas.

OUR MISSION

ACPA’s Commission for Recreation, Athletics, and Wellness (RAWC) will provide ACPA members with opportunities for professional development about issues of importance in campus recreational sports, intercollegiate (varsity) athletics and wellness in postsecondary education. In addition, acting within the ACPA governance structure and with ACPA International Office, RAWC will assist in positioning ACPA to be an informed voice on campus recreation, athletics, and wellness issues as those issues intersect with student affairs and with the strategic objectives of ACPA as an association.

RAWC objectives

operating documents

Proposal for Commission Merger (PDF) (Spring 2018)

Operating Documents for the Commission for Recreation and Athletics (RAWC) (PDF) (as of September 10, 2010).

upcoming events

There are no upcoming events at this time

Meet the Directorate

James Archibald
James Archibald

Chair

Associate Professor of Higher Education
Valdosta State University

he/him/his
jgarchibald
@valdosta.edu

Click here for more about James!

McKenzie McNamara
McKenzie McNamara

Vice Chair of Administration

Associate Director of Alcohol and Other Drug Initiatives
Clemson University 

she/her/hers
Mcnama7
@clemson.edu

Click here for more about McKenzie!

Catherine Thompson
Catherine Thompson

Vice Chair of Conventions

Academic Counselor, Sr. for Health & Sport Sciences
University of Louisville

she/her/hers
cathom31
@louisville.edu

Click here for more about Catherine!

Justin Sanchez
Justin Sanchez

Vice Chair of External Affairs

Residence Hall Director
Valdosta State University

he/him/his
jjsanchez
@valdosta.edu

Emily Goupil
Emily Goupil

Vice Chair of Membership & Outreach

Coordinator of Instructional and Youth Programs
University of New Hampshire

she/her/hers
emily.goupil
@unh.edu

RAWC WITH US

RAWC wants you on our team! Get involved with the following committees/leadership opportunities to support our mission and share your expertise and/or passion areas with the ACPA community. 

Ready to join?

Joining an Entity through the ACPA Member Portal automatically identifies you as a member of that Entity! You will begin to receive Entity communications through their respective email listserv and have access to any resources they share!

  1. Login to your ACPA Member Account
  2. Click on Community Groups (Chatter)
  3. Click Groups
  4. Click Active Groups
  5. Find the entity you want to join and within that group, click +Join

Contact [email protected], to learn more about ACPA’s Recreation, Athletics & Wellness Commission!

Any ACPA member can become involved and there are varying levels of involvement:

  1. Awards:  We always need people to help select our award winners and recognize colleagues in the field. If you are interested in serving on the Awards Committee, please email our Vice Chair of Awards and Elections at [email protected].
  2. Convention Activities: If you know you will be attending the Annual ACPA Convention and would like to help, we need people to review proposals, introduce presenters for our sponsored programs, and/or coordinate RAWC convention events. If you would like to be involved with convention activities, please contact Catherine Thompson, Vice Chair of Conventions, at [email protected].
  3. Professional Development: Our professional development opportunities commonly include webinars, white papers, and other resources to support the work and scholarship of our members. If you have a presentation you would like considered for a webinar or other publication materials, please contact James Archibald, Commission Chair, at [email protected].
  4. Social Media: If you want to share a best practice from your campus or research findings with other members of our commission, please consider submitting that information to be shared among our social media sites.  Please submit your articles and submissions to Rachel Brunson, Vice Chair for Social Media, at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDWQMHam3glE6PkYaXj-.p8WU11oIaQLvX62_IJfXc0m53HCg/viewform Please utilize this form to submit information to be posted/shared out through the Recreation, Athletics, & Wellness’ social media accounts. All members of the ACPA community and other relevant organizations are encouraged to share updates through this form. Submissions will be built into the Commission’s social media calendar.

  5. Leadership: If you are interested in being a leader in our Commission, consider running for an elected Directorate Board Member (Vice Chair) position! To learn more about leadership opportunities contact James Archibald, Commission Chair, at [email protected].

RAWC Awards

Every year, the RAWC uses our annual awards as a way to recognize and appreciate the exemplary work in the field of recreation, athletics, and wellness. Below are the names of individuals who are excited to recognize for the hard work and dedication in the field.

Distinguished Scholar: The purpose of this award is to recognize a member of the RAWC for their scholarly contributions to the advancement of intercollegiate athletics, campus recreation, and/or wellness. Candidates must be a current member in good standing of ACPA and the RAWC and register to attend the ACPA National Convention. Individuals may self-nominate for the award or be nominated by another member of the RAWC. In addition to the online nomination form, a current resume or CV and brief summary of their work (not to exceed 2 double-spaced pages) should be submitted for review. The award recipient will be asked to provide an edited version of their work for publication in the RAWC newsletter prior to the convention.

  • Previous Awardees:
    • 2014 – Scott Hirko, Assistant Professor, Central Michigan University
    • 2012 – Lawrence Mrozek, Assistant Professor, University of Central Arkansas
    • 2013 – Kristina Navarro, Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma

Outstanding Contribution: The purpose of this award is to honor a member of the community for their contributions and commitment to student learning and development in campus recreation, intercollegiate athletics, and/or wellness. Nominees do not have to be members of ACPA or the RAWC for consideration.

  • Previous Awardees:
    • 2020 – Liana Natochy, Alcohol and Other Drugs Education Coordinator, University Health Center, University of Georgia
    • 2018 – James Archibald, Associate Professor, Valdosta State University
    • 2014 – Stacy Hall, Director of Campus Recreation, University of New Hampshire
    • 2013 – Jennifer Hoffman, Asssistant Professor, Center for Leadership in Athletics, University of Washington
    • 2012 – Jim Pignataro, Associate Athletic Director, Michigan State University

Graduate Student/New Professional Travel Award: The purpose of this award is to assist a new professional with the cost of attending the ACPA National Convention while supporting them in the engagement of the activities of our Commission. The recipient of this grant will receive a $150 stipend to help off-set the costs of their convention registration fees, hotel accommodations, or travel expenses. To be eligible for the grant, applicants must be a current member in good standing of ACPA and RAWC. Applicants must have no more than 4 years of post-collegiate professional experience in intercollegiate athletics, campus recreation, and/or wellness, excluding part-time employment or graduate assistantships.

  • ​​Previous Awardees:
    • 2018 – Catherine Thompson, University of Louisville
    • 2014 – Molly McInerney, Undergraduate Student, University of West Georgia
    • 2013 – Casey Stark, Graduate Student, Bowling Green State University
    • 2012 – Melanie Warren, Graduate Student, Canisius College

If you have any questions about entity awards, please contact our Vice Chair of Awards and Elections at [email protected].

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