Discription

The Right Administrative Stuff contains a variety of readings focusing on park, recreation, and tourism administration. The 27 chapters represent the collective thinking of six former academic department chairs, two of whom also served as associate deans, and one of whom also served as a dean. The six authors have over 100 years of administrative experience among them. The content also reflects the perspectives of a handful of other like-minded colleagues who co-authored 15 of the 27 chapters in their original form as standalone articles in a variety of professional journals. This book complements traditional textbooks by stimulating deeper thinking about administration through provocative readings that challenge the status quo. We believe the book will benefit not only academic administrators, but administrators throughout the field of parks, recreation, and tourism. It is often said that being a department chair is the most challenging administrative position in higher education. Our collective experience confirms that assertion. Piloting programs in parks, recreation, and tourism is more art than science. It requires vision, confidence, determination, perseverance, and an ability to motivate others to move a common agenda forward. While many of the chapters draw from our experience in higher education, we believe the lessons are applicable to park, recreation, and tourism administrators everywhere. Indeed, the need for a stronger bond between colleges and universities and the world of professional practice is a recurring theme throughout the book. To that end, we trust the content will provide readers with fresh insights about what it takes to pilot park, recreation, and tourism programs to success fueled by the right administrative stuff.