Mission

To enrich the human spirit at Adams State University by fostering fitness, wellness, and play.

Vision

Adams State is Grizzly Tough in Mind and Body.

Creating healthy life habits requires skill and will. Therefore, it is the ambition and resolve of Campus Recreation and Wellness to create and sustain a culture of holistic wellness at Adams State.

Organizational Values

We believe that a healthy mind and body support personal success during college and throughout life. We believe that our workplace culture is the single most important factor in our ability to make a difference for our customers. In our work, we put our values into action.

Program Areas

Adventure Programs, Adventure Sports, Fitness and Wellness, Intramurals, and Sport Clubs.

Program Facilities

The Rex Fitness and Wellness Center houses the Adventure Program Climbing Wall and Equipment Rental Shop, the Adventure Sports office and bike maintenance shop, and the offices for Fit/Well, Intramural Sports, and Sport Clubs. Additionally, the Adventure Program manages the Challenge Course facility located on the Northeast corner of campus on the Rio Grande river.

History of Rex Activity Center

Constructed in 1938-39 through Public Works Administration project funds, Rex Activity Center was originally built as Adams State’s first free-standing gymnasium. The college’s first president, Dr. Ira Richardson, wished to acknowledge and celebrate the Hispanic culture of the San Luis Valley, and had the gym, along with the president’s residence, and three dorms built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, by the accomplished Denver architect, William Norman Bowman.

The Rex, named for Clifford P. Rex, who served on the Board of Trustees of State Normal Schools from 1925-1949, stood vacant for 30 years after construction of Plachy Hall. After a capital fee was passed by students in 1995, the Rex was remodeled for an on-campus fitness center which included cardio and weight equipment, a group fitness space, a climbing wall, two racquetball courts, and a half basketball court. In 2014, Eldorado Climbing Walls was selected to design and build a state of the art indoor climbing facility. Most recently, the Rex has converted one of the racquetball courts into a fitness studio, redesigned the layout of equipment to provide more appropriate accommodation for weight training and fitness activities.

Today, the Rex is more than a gym. It is growing into a comprehensive recreation program to better serve our students and support their health and well-being. The Rex is continuing to expand beyond the physical features. In the Spring of 2015, Student Life and Recreation rebranded and restructured to create Campus Recreation and Wellness. Now within Campus Recreation and Wellness are the areas of Adventure Programs, Adventure Sports, Fitness and Wellness, Intramural Sports, and Sport Clubs. In the Spring of 2016, a renewed partnership with Athletics has created more opportunities for our students to play intramurals, open basketball and volleyball through the use of Plachy Hall’s fieldhouse.

Restoration

In 2007, a State Historical Fund grant of $25,000, funded by limited stakes gambling taxes, supported a planning project to evaluate and analyze the deteriorating stucco, paint and the methods of the early construction, as well as later patch jobs on the exterior of the Rex. The original appearance of the building was researched and methods were developed for the safe removal of detrimental materials and application of new materials to replicate the appearance and function of the originals.

In 2009, Adams State received an additional $198,000 from the State Historical Fund for exterior improvements to Rex, including a new stucco finish coat in the original texture and brick cleaning and repair. Adams State matched the grant with $100,000. Architect Belinda Zink created the construction documents and supervised the exterior rehabilitation of the Rex. Tawney Becker, now Adams State grant specialist, assisted with writing the grant.