Services

We attribute much of our success to our ability to attract and retain highly regarded professionals with a passion for collegiate recreation and student development. CENTERS’ employees are comprised predominantly of people who have earned advanced degrees and have worked within higher education. They have the experience, skill, and knowledge required to successfully integrate with a campus community and develop all facets of a campus recreation department. CENTERS’ employees know how to manage facilities, design programs, and deliver services that often exceed best practices within the profession.

CENTERS’ professional staff is driven by a passion to mentor students and takes pride in fostering an active student learning environment. Learning outcomes are developed and then assessed to determine if the desired competencies are being achieved.

We believe the foundation of a successful student employment model consists of the following:

• Intentionally creating appropriately tiered employment so students have the opportunity to take on progressively more responsible positions
• Assessing student learning goals when reviewing and revising job responsibilities and expectations
• Involving student employees in the recruitment and selection process
• Providing performance evaluations and peer reviews on an annual basis
• Utilizing ethical and sound hiring practices
• Providing appropriate training that accommodates various learning styles
• Entrusting students with responsibility and authority
• Creating a culture of high expectations that motivates high performance

At all CENTERS locations, annual satisfaction surveys and program assessments are conducted.  The data collected are used to refine CENTERS’ approach to its people and services, thereby continually expanding the level of quality we provide our clients.

Designing and implementing effective programs that generate high participation and/or revenue are dependent on actively listening to participants and having a keen sense of industry trends. Many CENTERS employees also are industry leaders within campus recreation and are encouraged to be innovative, but only when such action is cost-effective and aligned with the university’s mission.

As a company dedicated to the management of collegiate recreation and the development of community on campus, CENTERS offers two realized values that are acknowledged by our clients: extra time and money. We believe this is most appreciated because clients can reallocate their resources and redirect their attention to other important administrative matters while we manage their high risk asset efficiently. Our clients are confident that our services will ensure their recreation department is fulfilling its purpose and serving the needs of the campus community.

CENTERS’ experience speaks for itself: we are career campus recreation professionals with more than a decade’s experience managing under the CENTERS model, and we are proud to have a 100% renewal rate since 1999. We pride ourselves in being self-sufficient and responsive. Customer service and professionalism are the two foundational pillars of our delivery every step of the way. We couple this philosophy with a business-minded / bottom-line-driven approach that places emphasis on cost-benefit analysis and operating efficiencies, both of which are factored into all our decision making when operating the facility.

CENTERS supports its on-site staffing with centralized administrative support to increase efficiency, improve service delivery, and reduce costs.  Our central office staff members have expertise and provide support in operations, human resources, marketing, financial reporting, payroll and accounting, and information technology. Additionally, CENTERS manages a fully integrated facility software system to provide accurate reporting and data collection.  

CENTERS has developed relationships with several key vendors and suppliers in the athletic and recreation industry, including some of the top manufacturers (e.g., Life Fitness and Precor) and suppliers (e.g., BSN Sports and Texon Towels).  We have successfully leveraged our relationships and purchasing authority to secure discounts and extended service warranties that rival large scale universities and government agencies, and these cost savings are passed on to our clients.  Additionally, we can manage the procurement, assembly and inventory process for all equipment.  This inventory is entered into a life cycle management tool that logs all preventive maintenance, repairs, and usage, and helps minimize risk and ensure even use of all equipment thereby maximizing its trade-in value.

Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D) and CENTERS share a purpose: to inspire and empower organizations to maximize the value of investments that advance communities. CENTERS’ services fulfill the strategic objectives that B&D defines early in the planning process. CENTERS builds upon B&D’s methodologies, data points, and analyses in order to effectively manage the staff and structure the facility operations in a way that is consistent with the university’s mission and strategic goals.

Having planned over 200 student recreation centers, B&D’s research and methods team continually acquires and disseminates the most current and usable data. This collaboration between B&D and CENTERS provides access to nationwide facility data such as utility costs, staffing levels, programming scope, and the financial performance of collegiate recreation centers.