UREC Student Employees' GPAs Show Academic Strength

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Following the spring semester, the 353 students employed by University Recreation had an average spring GPA of 3.38 (up from 3.30 after fall) and an average cumulative GPA of 3.35 (up from 3.32 after fall).

"Employing this many students and maintaining this type of GPA is incredible," said Jeremy Battjes, UREC director and assistant dean for administration in the College of Education and Health Professions. "Not only are our students performing well academically, they are taking advantage of the full co-curricular UREC professional development experience." 

This past academic year, 17 students completed UREC University, a seven-week program that aids in leadership and professional development. Another 55 attended Brain Food events, a program that aims to improve and enhance life skills such as budgeting, stress management, and resume creation. At the beginning of the Spring semester, UREC hosts a department-wide training with breakout sessions designed to address professional development topics relevant to the number of years a student has been employed with UREC.

UREC employs over 350 students annually in a variety of program areas. Employment with UREC provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience working within their area of interest, with the possibility for advancement within the department. Benefits of UREC employment include competitive pay, flexible scheduling, leadership development, free CPR First Aid/AED certification, and a free small locker and towel service.

Recent graduates are pursuing graduate degrees in a variety of fields at universities across the country or have obtained employment in and outside the field of recreation. 

University Recreation holds two main hiring periods each year. The first, in October, is for spring semester positions. The second, in March, is for summer and fall semester positions. There will be additional positions hired as needed. All positions are posted on jobs.uark.edu.