Acadia University today announced that it will immediately begin offering students an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Community Development (BCD). The new designation will eventually replace the Bachelor of Recreation Management (BRM) currently offered by the University. Students registered in Acadia’s recreation management program will have the option of completing their current degree or switching to the new program. Beginning in September 2014, students will only be accepted to the BCD program.

“Over the past five years, we have seen some very exciting developments within our recreation management program,” said Dr. Tom Herman, Acadia’s Vice President Academic. “With the support of our University Senate and input from professionals in the field, we have seen a gradual broadening of the areas of study in which our recreation management students engage. In particular, the introduction of an Environmental and Sustainability Studies option for BRM students in 2009 signaled a significant change. I want to acknowledge and thank our faculty, students and external advisors for introducing a program that is clearly in line with emerging trends in community development and individual wellness.”

Within Acadia’s BCD program there will be four areas of concentration, all consistent with what is being offered today and in high demand by the profession:

• Recreation Management: Developing the skills and knowledge required to pursue a career in municipal, non-profit or commercial recreation;
• Community Wellness: Developing the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in community wellness, health promotion and leisure services;
• Social Advocacy and Activism: This area of study focuses on leadership and social change skills to build strong, healthy and vibrant communities based on equity and social justice; and,
• Outdoor and Adventure Recreation: An area of study designed to support student development as a skilled leader in the expanding fields of outdoor recreation and sustainable tourism.

“We have received tremendous support from our current student body and our faculty, as well as many of our alumni and individuals in the recreation management and community development professions,” said Dr. René Murphy, Director of Acadia’s School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology. “Today is an important decision point for our students but it’s also simply another step in an evolution that has been occurring over several years. We are very excited about this change and for the opportunities we believe it will create for our students on campus today and our future incoming classes. I am looking forward to our official launch on October 7 and invite everyone to attend.”

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For more information contact:

Dr. René Murphy

Director

School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology

902-585-1559

rene.murphy@acadiau.ca

http://rec.acadiau.ca/