If you asked ten people on campus what “student success” means, you would likely get ten different answers. That diversity in understanding – and the variance between students – is one reason UISRM student support comes in many different shapes and sizes, too. Indeed, it is the work of individual students that leads to their outcomes. However, the UISRM Symposium is one of the program’s special ingredients that builds momentum in multiple ways toward an array of student successes.
Each fall, UISRM invites industry experts to engage with its students on campus. As many can attest, the cost and time commitment required to attend professional development events off campus would prohibit most students from participating in such opportunities. UISRM’s annual, on-campus professional development event provides our students a “home field advantage” to not only participate in a professional development event but also have their hand in planning one, too.
The ninth edition of the UISRM Symposium took place on September 9, 2024. For the first time, the event’s opening mainstage session featured a Dr. Michael Teague All-Star Award recipient and UISRM master’s alum. Matt Getz (MA 2010), President of the ECHL's (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) Iowa Heartlanders, shared with attendees the power of community and the role individuals within a sport and recreation organization can play in strengthening it.
In addition to Matt’s contribution to the mainstage session, several members of the Iowa Heartlanders front office participated in panel discussions, the event’s networking sessions, and lightning interviews. Thank you to Autumn Bolton, David Fine, Jacob Pellegrino, and Derek Damon for sharing your expertise with students and providing them experiential learning opportunities during the 2024-25 season. As a result of the positive outcomes at the UISRM Symposium, the Heartlanders will recognize UISRM and the Hawkeye Sport Business Association as its ‘Non-profit of the Night’ on April 6, 2025, at Xtream Arena in Coralville.
Additional momentum that leads to student success comes from a host of sport and recreation professionals who travel from far and wide to contribute to the day. Ten professionals traveled to Iowa City from out of state bringing their experience in marketing, media, revenue generation, and entrepreneurship. Other professionals from a tighter radius contributed, possessing experience in recreation, event management, coaching, and athletic administration. The combination of contributing professionals provided students with a full menu of industry experience for high-impact learning and networking.
The student success realized through the UISRM Symposium is vast. Some attendees’ success came in the form of an internship with the Iowa Heartlanders. Other attendees’ success came in the form of a mentoring relationship with a contributor. For first- and second-year attendees, success may be that next year they will be more prepared for a conversation during networking and ready with questions for panelists. Regardless of what each attendee’s success was at or after the symposium, UISRM knows there is more success around the corner because of it.
Special thanks to UISRM Symposium student planning committee leaders Owen Parker (ex. BS 2026), Hannah Frazier (ex. BS 2025), and Sara Bayer (ex. BS 2026). Your dedication to delivering a quality event raises the bar for the successes that your peers have achieved during and after the UISRM Symposium.