Outdoor Recreation at GFU Sees Low Student Involvement

Reported by Audrey Grice

Photo by Luci Lettau

This fall semester, Outdoor Recreation (OREC) at George Fox University (GFU) experienced low participation in its organized trips. These activities, which include local hikes, whitewater rafting, backpacking, outdoor rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, bodyboarding, and paddleboarding, are designed to appeal to various interests. Despite this variety, student involvement fluctuated throughout the semester.

Approximately 37% of outdoor activities this semester were canceled due to low participation, with six cancellations occurring within the first six weeks. Of the 30 excursions offered, 23 were not filled. Megan Tollisen, GFU’s Outdoor Recreation coordinator, noted that this is not unusual.

“It’s not that abnormal,” Tollisen said. “We tend to see trends.”

Tollisen attributed the variable attendance to several factors that shift over time. “The strongest reason is the time of year and people’s commitment levels… also, a huge contributing factor is the weather,” she said. “September: most of our trips fill. October: it’s hit or miss.”

Tollisen observed a notable difference between the 2022-23 school year and the current semester. “Some years are better than others [in terms of participation],” she said. “I would say this year has been a little worse than last year, but last year was better than any previous year we’ve had. It’s hard to predict.”

The Pacific Northwest offers ample opportunities for outdoor exploration, including the Ape Caves, Silver Falls, Mount St. Helens, and the Deschutes River. However, Oregon’s unpredictable weather—marked by persistent rain during the fall, winter, and spring—can discourage participation.

Looking ahead to the spring semester, Tollisen anticipates different participation trends. “Our biggest numbers [in the spring semester] tend to be in April, while in first semester, it tends to be at the beginning,” she said.

Spring semester activities, like those in the fall, are influenced by weather conditions. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding are offered during the snowier months of January and February, while April brings warmer-weather activities such as bike rides, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and camping. Two week-long spring break trips are also planned, providing students with opportunities for deeper engagement with nature.

“I’m guessing we’ll have a little bit of trouble getting our footing, especially in [February and March],” Tollisen said. “We’re going to try some different tactics, though.”

To address low participation, OREC experimented with offering discounts on trips that are harder to fill. Tollisen explained that this strategy was successful in the fall. “We have a scholarship fund that anyone can apply for for any trip,” she said. “But we also occasionally use it to discount specific trips that we’re… worried about running.”

This approach proved effective for a whitewater rafting trip near the end of the semester, one of only two OREC activities that reached full capacity in October and November. “People like the idea of ‘oh, I’m getting a really good deal,’” Tollisen said. “So I think we’ll probably utilize that on some of our bigger… overnight [trips] especially.”

While some GFU students may feel too busy or view the cost of OREC activities as prohibitive, the program offers trips with varying time commitments for all skill levels. Additionally, the scholarship fund aims to make these activities accessible to all students.

Crescent ASC