The benefits of an intramural program are many. However, in the intramural community, it is impossible to satisfy as many participants as possible. It cannot be all things to all people. Nor can one program do everything. It must have priorities and focus. The best way to facilitate the priorities is making a mission for the community. Because for the leaders of the community, without the focus, they perhaps could somehow get somewhere, but neither they nor the community members will know how to get there again.
The mission statement tells what our community wants its intramural program to be and provides direction. The first thing we need to decide for our mission is to define a central theme that explains what our intramural programs are and how they can be great benefits for the members. We will try our best to make the mission realistic and incorporate fun and interesting activities.
The next step is to get others’ input. We will ask fro ideas from all program staff and participants, including coaches, referees, officials, volunteers, supervisors, and students. It’s also a good idea to look at other institutions’ intramural missions and priorities. We will make sure our priorities reflect the common intentions of everyone involved in the program, which require us to take the time to understand everyone’s thoughts, goals, and plans for the program.
Another important action that needs to be taken for the healthy development of our intramural programs is saving costs. Charging enrolment fees for exciting events or activities might be a good idea since the participants are usually willing to pay a fair price to take part. Also, shopping for the lowest price is also a good idea, but saving on expense should never threaten the safety of participants. There is other ways t save money too. These involve on-campus partnership with various departments such as art, graphic design, marketing, and off-campus partnership with organizations and companies.
Finally, as with any plan, the priorities should be evaluated from time to time and adjusted as necessary, either to improve the message or to reflect more closely the purpose and values of the program.