Texas Tech University

O.P.C

Leadership Development Program

The Outdoor Pursuits Center (OPC) provides the Texas Tech community quality resources and services through a unique leadership development program. The OPC, primarily made up of undergraduate students, offers a wide variety of programs and activities that require a significant amount of training and competency to successfully lead. Students are responsible not only for the Climbing Wall and the equipment rental program but are also trained to lead their peers through complex and challenging environments. Students lead a variety of trips such as Whitewater kayaking, backpacking, rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, caving, canoeing, rafting, canyoneering, and mountain and road biking. This is possible due to the dynamic and intensive leadership development program designed to complement students' academic learning. Outdoor Pursuits Center employees are extremely versatile; all employees work in the equipment rental shop, at the indoor climbing wall, and out in the field leading adventure trips.

Each spring semester the OPC seeks highly motivated students who want to enrich their college experience by increasing their workplace and leadership skill sets. Students who desire to get the most out of their college years, and are not afraid of challenging themselves, are invited to apply to become a part of this outstanding program. Our primary goal is to provide Texas Tech students an opportunity to be significantly and holistically challenged while undergoing leadership skill development. Through rigorous field-based training, continuous professional development, and daily workplace responsibilities, this student-led program stands apart as a unique campus opportunity.

Mission

To provide the Texas Tech University community with quality resources and services to both enjoy and create an 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 an opportunity for meaningful relationships and meaningful learning.

University Recreation