Athletic Administration and Leadership

This course provides students with a basic knowledge and practice of health and wellness, and the importance of lifelong healthful living. Topics such as physical health and fitness, healthy behavior changes, stress management, nutrition, weight management, and relationships will be discussed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the importance of the athlete’s mental and physical well-being and their success in sports. Pre-Requisite: None.

This course provides students with an introduction to athletics at all levels—recreational, secondary-school, collegiate, semi-professional, and professional—including the governance organizations and organizational structures under which each reside, and the opportunities within and challenges faced by each. Additionally, students begin the study of the management and operations of athletics, such as budgeting, scheduling, negotiation, planning, purchasing and inventory. Pre-Requisite: None.

This course continues the introductory study of managing athletics at all levels in AAL1400. This course will focus on the legal, ethical, and practical issues related to compliance, eligibility, and gender equity in sports. Students will examine how compliance varies between and among levels of sport. Topics include Title IX in collegiate environments, NCAA academic eligibility, the Rooney rule in the NFL, salary caps in professional sports, and maternity leave for female athletes. Pre-Requisite: AAL1400.

This course will provide selected theory and principles from management, leadership, psychology, and sociology that have proven effective in the ethical, moral, and mental development of the individual and team, in preparation for life on and off the “field”. Strategies will be presented to aid the students in the development of a consistent value system based on justice, responsibility, and beneficence. Attention will be given to an understanding of the challenges associated with motivation and emotion in sport; legal liability; the daily, weekly, and seasonal planning; and the integration of the whole individual and team in preparation for contests. Pre-Requisite: AAL2400

This course introduces the sociological concepts and theories used to examine sports. The history of activism, advocacy, and agency in and throughout sports will be examined. Students will be introduced to concepts of sport activism and learn about the interplay between types of resistant actions against oppressive systems across diverse societies. Attention will be given to a variety of issues and controversies in sports and society, including the environment, (dis)ability, religion, gender, sex, and race. Pre-requisite: AAL1400

Students will gain an initial practical experience with an appropriate department on campus, providing students with the opportunity to apply the skills acquired in course of study. Students are expected to complete 84 hours of work for this department on an athletics-related project. This will expose students to the expectations of the workplace. Students will meet once weekly as a class to share experiences,

provide updates on their work, and engage in discussions on topics related to their work. Each student will give a final presentation on their project. Pre-Requisite: Junior status and completion of a minimum of 25 credits of coursework towards the major

This course serves as the culminating experience for students, providing each with the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained and skills developed throughout the program in an athletic setting external to the college. Each student will work 126 hours over the course of the semester at this site. Coursework required includes, but is not limited to, the weekly submission of work logs and discussions and a final paper or presentation summarizing the internship experience. Pre-Requisite: AAL4898 and GPA of 2.0 or better in the major.

Students will study theories of mass communication and the role that mass communicators play in modern society. The rise of print and electronic media will be discussed in detail. Special attention will be given to the rights, responsibilities and practices of mass media and merging trends.

Examines the principles and foundations of sports management and how the concepts of planning, organizing, leading and controlling apply to the sport enterprise. The focus is on the application of core management principles, including ethics, to provide a basis for understanding the development and oversight of sport organizations, and for addressing current management issues facing this industry.

This course will provide the student with an understanding of the sports communications industry. This course will cover the history and evolution of sports communication,the varying and expanding methodologies of sport communications(covering print,electronic,and online media resources),understanding the importance of advertising and public relations,and the role they play in the media,sociological and legal aspects of sport communication,as well as careers in this sport communication and media industry. This course builds on and enhances skills learned in the introduction to Sports Management course,and serves to compliment topics introduced in other courses such as Sports Law, Sports Economics,and Facility Management. Note: Communication does offer a course in sports writing (COM3410), but it does not capture any of the other areas of sport communication, which are far more significant in today’s sports industry. Additionally, COM3410 does not address any aspects of available careers or the evolution of communications.

This course will cover the practical issues involved with selecting and developing a team, identifying and mentoring team leaders, and dealing with violations of team rules/organizational code of conduct. Students will learn from an athletic coach or leader about the real challenges of managing a team or athlete and how to resolve conflicts or violations through case studies, examples from the coach’s or leader’s career, and group discussions. Pre-requisite: AAL1400.

This course covers the operational aspects of scheduling athletic games and matches, including practices, permits and rentals, equity among teams for facilities, visiting team accommodations, travel to a visiting team’s facility, and equipment needs. Students will learn from an athletic coach or leader about the real challenges of scheduling, how to resolve conflicts for resources through case studies, examples from the coach’s or leader’s career, and group discussions. Pre-requisite: AAL1400.

This course covers the basics of the college athlete recruitment process, including contacts and visits, tracking, the admission process, financial aid considerations, and the NCAA Eligibility Center. Students will learn from an athletic coach or leader about the challenges of college recruiting and how to source prospects in line with governing body regulations through case studies, examples from the coach’s or leader’s career, and group discussions. Pre-requisite: AAL2400.

In the course, students will learn to develop, nurture, and maintain relationships with parents, alumni, community leaders, local business owners, among others. Students will learn from an athletic coach or leader about establishing and strengthening connections with external stakeholders through case studies, examples from the coach’s or leader’s career, and group discussions. Pre-requisite: AAL2400

Budget management and fiscal responsibilities are the focus of this course. Students will learn about

The operational aspects of managing a budget are covered in this course. The ability to ensure that all

Students will learn from an athletic coach or leader about the real challenges of budgeting, fiscal judiciousness, and prioritizing needs through case studies, examples from the coach’s or leader’s career, and group discussions. Pre-requisite: AAL2400

In this course students will gain an understanding about how the coaches and athletic leaders operate within the governing bodies. Additional topics include governance bylaws, institutional compliance, diversity and inclusion, and Title IX. Students will learn from an athletic coach or leader about the dynamics of athletics and regulatory bodies through case studies, examples from the coach’s or leader’s career, and group discussions. Pre-requisite: AAL2400

The Communication Department programs and operates 91.9 WAIC FM as a learning laboratory for our students. This course provides an overview of the broadcasting business and provides training in various aspects of broadcasting, including scheduling, traffic, advertising and ratings, basic engineering, announcing and practice in news and informational radio.

This course presupposes the student’s ability to write clear and concise stories of publishable quality under deadline pressure. Topics covered include the elements of a good sports story, newspaper, television and radio coverage, and developing sources of sports information. Topical sports issues such as salary caps, women’s sports, and pseudo-sports such as the WWF will be discussed. Students will also explore participatory sports such as fishing and are free to pursue their own sports interests in print and broadcast media.

This course provides practice in the construction of speeches, analysis of appeals to various audiences, and development of the speaking voice. It is a practical course offered to fit the needs of students in all fields. In cases of over-enrollment, seniors will be given preference.

This course is a study of adolescent behavior, including current theories concerning the nature of adolescence. Emphasis is placed on physical, emotional, and cognitive forces, and how they interact to shape the adolescent personality.

Examines psychological theories and research related to sport and exercise behavior. The course is designed to introduce students to the field of sport and exercise psychology by providing a broad overview of the major topics in the area. Students work to increase understanding of how psychological factors influence involvement and performance in sport, exercise, and physical education settings, and to increase understanding of how participation in sport, exercise, and physical education influences the psychological makeup of the individuals involved.

This course analyzes the legal principles and issues involved in the field of sports and recreation management. It explores tort liability, negligence, and product liability, constitutional law, labor laws, personal freedom and individual rights, discrimination issues, due process, and risk management.