Recreation and Tourism Management

Recreation and Tourism Management

RTM Vision

The Department of Recreation and Tourism Management aims to be the preeminent academic program in the greater Los Angeles area in preparing next generation professionals to be leaders in the multi-billion dollar industries within Tourism, Hospitality, and Recreation Management.

RTM Mission

The mission of the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management is to facilitate students' achievement of their educational and career goals through a learning-centered academic program that develops intellectual capacity and practical skills, is committed to excellence, experiential learning, and to the development of innovative professionals capable of adapting dynamic environments, using the Greater Los Angeles area as a laboratory.

We promote appreciation of, and advocacy for, the benefits of play, leisure and recreation across the lifespan for all CSU Northridge students by offering a variety of general education courses.

We provide a challenging, student centered education to prepare professionals with a commitment to enhancing the quality of human life through recreation, leisure and play. We value each student as a unique individual and work in partnership with the community to match student strengths and interests in field placements where classroom theory comes to life.

RTM Values 

Values are implicit in the RTM mission and they reflect both terminal or end game aspirations as well as instrumental or process values.  As such, the following values reflect both RTM goals and processes of achieving RTM goals.

The value of higher education: faculty members have affirmed values of higher education by their chosen career, a commitment to teaching and research and being lifelong learners.

We value each student: each student is a unique individual representing a diversity of backgrounds and we seek to match student strengths and interests with their unique career aspirations and develop their intellectual and professional potential.

  • A commitment to experiential learning drives our educational methodology in our curriculum and teaching methods in the classroom
  • A balance between theory and practice drives our educational methodology in our curriculum and teaching methods in the classroom
  • A commitment to excellence in facilitation student achievement of learning objectives

The value of collaboration and teamwork: though sometimes at odds with the larger corporate values of the institution the department seeks to work together and move toward consensus on decisions made in the department. We examine and re-create aspects of the work environment designed to improve the living and learning environment over time for faculty and staff.

We also embrace values of the leisure services industry which we seek to incorporate into our educational program, including but not limited to:

  • Functions of discretionary time and space environments that enhance human development across the lifespan
  • Systems of play, parks, recreation, and hospitality precipitate opportunities to explore holistic cognitive, physiological and emotional dimensions of human experience – mind, body and spirit
  • Practices of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice intersect with the design, implementation and evaluation of educational and professional aspects of the field
  • Maintaining lifestyle balance while navigating tensions sometimes experienced between different aspects of personal and professional life
  • Contributing to the multidisciplinary perspective required to respond to complex issues and times
  • Continued learning, intellectual growth, and professional development
  • Embrace adaptability, flexibility, and innovation

More from Dr. Nathan Martin, Department Chair