Message from the Dean

Hi, and welcome! We're glad you decided to join us on this virtual "sneak preview" and tour of Barry University's School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences (HPLS). As you search our site for career options and information, keep in mind that you can be enjoying all of the benefits of our outstanding academic programs in an enviable tropical setting with a perfect year-round climate. Studying certainly seems much more palatable while sitting under a palm tree or by the ocean with sand between your toes and a cooling gulf stream breeze in your face. Our location in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale metropolitan area is also ideal for providing almost every sport venue imaginable for internship and field experiences in the sport and exercise sciences. Where else can you find every major professional sport franchise represented, or experience successful collegiate athletics programs at both the Division I and II levels, or work in a setting at the NASDAQ 100 Open or at the Doral Genuity Championship that allows you to be "up close and personal" with celebrity tennis stars and golfers, or where you can join the team that plans and promotes the FedEx Orange Bowl extravaganza?

But that's all just "the icing on the cake." As you continue to explore our website you'll get into the real ingredients which, when blended together, make us such an outstanding choice. There is also a special ingredient - a treasure within these BUCCANEER walls - that can be found throughout all four areas that comprise the School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences. It's our people! They are all highly student-oriented and have YOU and your best interests as their primary focus. I know there are many other institutions that also make the same claim, but we actually live it. Faculty in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences are exceptional in their knowledge about their respective disciplines and passionate about best preparing you for your chosen profession. They are accessible and friendly and they are as committed to quality advising as they are to quality teaching. They are accomplished and highly respected in their fields. Within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics , our administrators and coaches are truly dedicated to the real reason you should choose to attend Barry: attaining your college degree. There is no lip service here! We have been able to achieve the perfect balance between academic accomplishment and athletic success, fielding nationally competitive teams made up of athletes who are also great students (as many as 63% of our student-athletes have boasted GPAs of 3.0 or better). The The Department of Campus Recreation & Wellness constantly seeks student input in determining desired offerings for wellness and recreational programming to fill some of your out-of-class time. All staff members are extremely enthusiastic, highly energized and very involved in all of the broad range of activities. None of these three units, however, could devote themselves to the primary purpose of educating you and enhancing your college experience without the unselfish dedication of our Support Staff. They are our front line for servicing your requests and responding to your inquiries. They are also the "energizer bunnies" that keep us running so that we can best serve YOU.

I can assure you that although this sounds too good to be true, it isn't! Opportunities in sport, recreation and exercise sciences abound - whether your interest is preparation for a career, participation on a varsity team, or pursuing an active lifestyle during your leisure hours. It is my job to make sure that every resource possible is made available to insure you an outstanding education in the classroom and a positive collegiate experience as a student-athlete or recreational participant. After you complete your exploration of our website, call to make arrangements to visit our campus so that you can see our outstanding facilities and our labs firsthand and also experience for yourself the warmth and commitment of our treasure chest of people who create our "family atmosphere" in HPLS.

G. Jean Cerra, Ph.D.