A Delphi Study Exploring the Impact and Feasibility of Entrepreneurial Initiatives in College/University Kinesiology Programs

As public revenue sources dwindle, and society urges institutions to freeze their ever-increasing tuition rates, universities must be creative to increase their internal revenue. While kinesiology programs have begun to discuss such methods, they must also evaluate what is feasible and financially impactful. The purpose of this study was to gain a consensus of opinion regarding the impact and feasibility of entrepreneurial initiatives in higher education and to generate a list of facilitators and barriers that may impact the implementation. A total of 20 expert panelists comprised of higher education kinesiology administrators participated in a two-round Modified Delphi study to explore the impact and feasibility of entrepreneurial initiatives as well as associated facilitators and barriers. The results of this study indicated that the three areas most worthy of entrepreneurial efforts are student recruitment, summer and intersession blended learning, and community partnerships. Additionally, before beginning any implementation of new academic revenue streams, kinesiology professionals need to consider the following aspects in their department: (a) support, (b) belief, (c) time, and (d) money. There is no universal solution for decreasing revenue streams in higher education kinesiology departments, but there is a multitude of options that leaders can implement. Although this study did not produce an exact list for each context, the hope is that the results of this study will inspire kinesiology leaders and professionals to evaluate their situation and begin to establish new revenue streams to help their program remain viable.