Candidate for At-Large Director
Adam Burke, Ed.D
University of Minnesota Duluth
Biography/Summary Resume
Dr. Adam Burke is the Director of Recreational Sports Outdoor Program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Adam has worked in collegiate recreation and student affairs for the past 10 years at multiple institutions, including Colorado State University, Oregon State University, and the University of Wyoming. He holds two Bachelor’s of Science Degrees in Forestry and Natural Resource Management, a Master’s Degree in Forestry, and a Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching. He received his Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Wyoming where he focused on the impacts of professional staff on student success in U.S. higher education.
Dr. Burke has served multiple institutions in a variety of roles within student affairs and collegiate recreation. His career began as an undergraduate student where he served as a resident assistant and intramural sports official at Colorado State University. He then served as a graduate assistant in sports and special programs at Oregon State University before graduating and moving into a professional role as the club sport coordinator at the University of Wyoming. While at Wyoming, Adam was promoted into the Assistant Director of Programs position where he oversaw sport clubs, intramural sports, and outdoor programming. He currently serves as the Director of Recreational Sports Outdoor Program, a comprehensive collegiate recreation department.
Dr. Burke has been a NIRSA member since 2012 and has served the association in multiple roles at the state, regional and national level. He has been an active NIRSA member in attending and presenting at NIRSA conferences, at all levels, throughout his career providing him with a broad perspective of the association and it’s members. Some of his service includes hosting state workshops, serving on national conference host committees, and serving on national award committees. Additionally, Adam served as the NIRSA Region V Soccer Coordinator and has volunteered at multiple NCS events. Currently he serves on the NIRSA Assembly, as an Editorial Board Member for the Recreational Sports Journal, and as an author for the NIRSA Campus Recreation Essentials- Sport Club publication.
How have you advocated collegiate recreation’s value in higher education?
I constantly strive to advocate for collegiate recreation and its value within higher education in both my professional work as well as my work within NIRSA. I believe that collegiate recreation plays a pivotal role within student engagement, community development, connection to a sense of place, and addressing student wellbeing needs. Collegiate recreation is uniquely positioned within higher education to be able to influence both institutional recruitment as well as institutional retention of students, two areas of emphasis within all higher education institutions. One area that I have worked to better understand is the impact of professional staff on student success with higher education. This was the topic of my doctoral work, which resulted in findings that support the notion that professional staff, as individuals, have positive impacts on student success. Beyond my academic work, I am actively involved in work that advocates for the value of collegiate recreation, through my service within NIRSA, at a variety of levels. I currently serve on the NIRSA Assembly where we explore topics that may impact or interest the membership into the future. I also serve as an editorial board member for the Recreational Sports Journal, a role in which I can help promote research that will continue to drive the association forward, while also communicating the fields values in a peer reviewed setting. Lastly, I am an author for the NIRSA Campus Recreation Essentials- Sport Clubs publication which is intended to help guide small programs and new professionals in creating a sport club program. These three areas of NIRSA service demonstrate some of the ways that I have advocated for the value of collegiate recreation within higher education.
In reviewing NIRSA’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, what experiences, networks and competencies will you bring to further this work while serving on the board?
As a NIRSA Board Member I would be able to advance the NIRSA strategic plan, and the strategic values through my professional experiences within collegiate recreation and NIRSA. I have been a NIRSA member for the past 10 years and would look to use my network of peers to help guide my work, and further the strategic values of integrated health and wellbeing, striving for inclusive excellence and the re-imagination of learning, education, and networking. These three strategic values are integrated into the work that I do on a day-to-day basis as the Director of Recreational Sports Outdoor Program at the University of Minnesota Duluth and fit well within my ability to promote within the larger NIRSA context. I approach leadership through a service mindset, as I strive to serve others first and foremost. In my work at UMD I serve the students, but also campus recreation staff, both student and professional. My role is to create a supportive and flexible organization that addresses student needs while addressing student wellbeing, through an inclusive excellence lens.
What attributes, experiences and knowledge could you contribute to the NIRSA Board of Directors that speak to the competency based requirements?
I bring many different strengths to the work that I do, including being a Relator, and an Achiever. I lead from a relational perspective, one where I build relationships with those around me to build trust and foster teamwork, a strength that I believe would be an asset for a member of the NIRSA board. I will use my relator strength to connect with campus recreation peers, across the association to build trust and gain valuable feedback, through active listening to advance the strategic plan. This is a function of my communication competency, one which I believe is a strength of mine. I am also an achiever and am driven by a constant need for achievement. This need to achieve and accomplish objectives, tasks, and projects can help drive strategic plan initiatives forward when the big picture gets in the way of progress. Further, one of my top five CliftonStrengths is Analytical, a theme that underlies my critical thinking skills. I prefer to make data driven decisions as I often try and carry myself in an objective manner. I am open to new ideas, new systems, and new processes; however, they must be thought out and grounded in data, patterns, or connections. This strength allows me to make critical thinking decisions that are often seen as logical and uncontroversial, as they the reasoning is present and available for others to understand why the decision was made. My ability to think critically can be seen in my doctoral work that was completed in May 2022, as it is reflected in my dissertation through my ability to analyze a complex issue, review the relevant literature, carry out a rigorous study design, and then present the data in a way that moves higher education forward.
