Competencies for collegiate sports facility managers: Implications for a facility management curricular model

The purpose of this study was to provide information that could be used by curriculum designers in the development of training programs appropriate to the needs of collegiate sports facility managers. To accomplish this task it was necessary to investigate three components.;First, the study identified the career patterns and general profile characteristics of collegiate sports facility managers. Second, the study attempted to identify the competencies used or needed by collegiate sports facility managers in the performance of their tasks. Third, an analysis was conducted to determine if any differentiation existed between the competencies needed in the athletic and recreation settings and the lower and upper levels of collegiate sports facility management.;A survey instrument was constructed using the "Jamieson Recreational Sports Competency Analysis" as a basis. The instrument was evaluated through personal interviews with eight collegiate sports facility managers, and a pilot study was conducted with 10 collegiate sports facility managers to refine the survey. The final instrument included 126 competency statements and 19 personal profile questions.;The questionnaire was sent to 408 collegiate sports facility managers at colleges and universities in the United States with 10,000 or more student population. The total response rate from three mailings was 74.2 percent.;Based on the data collected in this study the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The typical collegiate sports facility manager was predominately male, approximately 40 years old, had at least a bachelor's degree, majored in physical education, was a lower level manager, worked at least 50 hours per week, and had been in facility management approximately eight and one half years. (2) The competency statements which met the criterion of competencies needed by the facility managers should form the basis for undergraduate and graduate preparation of collegiate sports facility managers. (3) The preparation programs of collegiate recreational facility managers should include, among the course offerings, the curricular areas of sport philosophy, sport science, principles of health, physical education, and recreation, and intramural-recreational sports programming. (4) The preparation programs of collegiate athletic facility managers should include, among the course offerings, the curricular area of event management. (5) Graduate programs for the collegiate sports facility manager should include, among the course offerings, the curricular areas of energy management, concessions/pro shop operations, research, and facility planning.