RWC named one of the 50 Best Campus Recreation Center
Morehead State University’s Recreation and Wellness Center has been ranked by College Consensus as one of the 50 Best Campus Recreation Centers.
No other Kentucky university or college made the list. College Consensus is a unique new college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews,
“We are very proud of the Recreation and Wellness Center and its staff. The facility and staff continue to provide opportunities for the improved health and wellness of our students and play a vital role in our continued student retention efforts,” said Russell F. Mast, vice president for student affairs.
With competition in higher education at the highest point in modern history, colleges and universities are finding more creative ways to attract students. One of those ways is with campus recreation centers that redefine amenities. Since a well-rounded college education cannot be all work and no play and a healthy student body is a more successful student body, College Consensus identified schools with the most extraordinary campus recreation centers and ranked them by their College Consensus score, which combines published academic rankings and real student reviews.
“There was a time, not so long ago, that campus recreation was pretty limited but that is no longer the case. For many colleges, campus recreation is central to the mission and branding of the institution. The stress of college can have a long-term negative impact on student health but access to a top-notch campus recreation center does not just offer an escape from college stress - it offers a cure for the illness of stress,” said College Consensus Managing Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris.
The $24 million center, which opened in August 2011, features a three-court gymnasium and fitness area with cardio and weight machines and free weights. The two-story building includes two racquetball courts, multipurpose rooms, two classrooms, running track, wellness lab, running and cardio balcony, game room and lounge. The aquatics area has a competition-size pool that includes a vortex, a zip line and a sun deck. The grounds feature a custom-designed Outdoor Adventure Challenge course, which is located in the right hand side of the main drive entrance.
The facility was 100 percent student funded and is environmentally friendly and LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. It was the first LEED certified facility on the MSU campus and the first LEED certified student recreation center in the state.
The center was designed by Hastings and Chivetta of St. Louis, and built by Dugan and Meyers Construction Co. of Cincinnati.
Information on the ranking is available at www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/best-college-rec-centers/.
Additional information on MSU’s RWC is available by contacting Mast at 606-783-2083 or visiting www.moreheadstate.edu/recreation.
