Leisure-Time Physical Activities in the Rhetorical Agenda of University Administration: The Case of a Brazilian Higher Education Institution

Entering higher education brings about changes in students’ daily lives, which tend to reduce their participation in leisure-time physical activities. This situation requires university administrators to incorporate such activities into governance and planning mechanisms, such as the Institutional Development Plan, which is understood as a symbolic commitment (i.e., a rhetorical agenda). This study aimed to analyze the attention given to leisure-time physical activities in the Institutional Development Plan at a Brazilian higher education institution. It is a qualitative, exploratory, and documentary study based on a thematic analysis of the Institutional Development Plan of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (2025–2030). The results indicate that leisure-time physical activities are present in the document, primarily in the form of services intended for students. Most mentions are linked to the strategic axis “Policy for artistic, cultural, and sports development,” with a predominance of actions focused on participation-oriented sports as an end in themselves and, to a lesser extent, on health promotion. It is concluded that leisure-time physical activities are part of the institutional rhetorical agenda, which may favor their implementation as a decision-making agenda throughout the term of the Institutional Development Plan.