Outdoor Pursuits

Mission

To provide the Texas Tech University community with quality resources and services to both enjoy and create outdoor adventure based recreational and learning experiences.

Mission to Our Staff

Through enablement, supporting personal agency and creativity, and fostering self-leadership development, we strive to develop competent leaders who positively impact our present and future communities.

OPC Culture

  • Self-Leadership
    We strive to be conscious of our personal responsibilities and take ownership of our attitudes and actions.

  • Effective Collaboration
    We recognize and honor the agency of others. Honest and direct feedback promotes healthy relationships and decreases frustration in cooperative efforts.
     
  • Covenant of Consistent Character
    We are a group of individuals who look to the welfare of others before satisfying our own needs. We value mutual respect, honesty, agency, and personal responsibility. We recognize that every day we are at all times representatives of the OPC and Texas Tech.

  • Learning
    The objective of teaching is learning. We invite learning in others by being passionate about learning ourselves. Imparting knowledge so that others can grow in competency and in judgment is a program priority.
     
  • Judgment
    Learning increases with increased responsibility. The high degree of responsibility placed on all staff demands the development of judgment. Paul Pedzoldt said “judgment is the process of using previous learning and experience to make a decision and execute decisions.” Protocols must be applied to specific situations where judgment then guides decisions and the appropriate application of resources.

  • Invite Change
    By honoring the agency of others, I, whenever possible, allow those in my care the freedom to choose. Why? To invite responsiveness rather than resistance. Promoting autonomy rather than forcing behaviors respects the humanity of others and creates opportunity for meaningful relationships and meaningful learning.

  • OPC Relational Pyramid

Working at the OPC & Leadership Candidate Training

All staff members of the Outdoor Pursuits Center participate in a ten day training expedition as the inital component of their employment. Click here for more information on hiring and LCT.