Physical Education-Prof: Careers in College Athletics

Provides an overview of how students can apply their experiences and skills in the professional world of collegiate athletics. Students will learn about different careers and have the opportunity to discover relative coursework, internship experiences, networking skills, and resume development.

Open to Degree and PACE students; Asynchronous Online Course

Course Summary: This course offers an overview of how students can apply their experiences, skills, and knowledge in the professional world of collegiate athletics. Students interested in this career path will have an opportunity to learn firsthand what job opportunities are available in the field, regardless of major/minor or courses taken. Students will learn about different careers in the field, such as marketing, promotions, event operations, fundraising/annual fund, sponsorship sales, ticket operations, athletic communications, licensing/branding, business operations, athletic administration, compliance, and academic support. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn about relative courses, internship experiences, networking skills, and resume development. Using undergraduate academic experiences, students will learn through a variety of assignments. Please note coaching will not be covered in this course. Learning Objectives: • Discuss available careers in collegiate athletics. • Identify your personal career interests and map out the key steps to gaining experience in collegiate athletics during your time at UVM. • Create a cover letter and resume to assist in the application process for employment.

• Students are responsible for access to the Internet to participate in this course on the dates as outlined. • A large part of this online course is participation. Students will read and comment on classmates’ work on the discussion boards. • Proofreading, spell check and proper grammar are required on all posts and assignments. Be clear and concise. Additional Expectations… Online Learning Model: This is a highly self-directed course. Accountability and participation are key throughout this learning experience. Proper access to the Internet and organization will help make the experience that much better. Attendance and illness: Your health and well-being are the #1 priority. Please be in touch if you need special accommodations or an extension. My Role: I have experience in all of the areas we will cover in this course, but in no way am I an expert. My role is to instruct the material being covered and share my personal experiences. I will provide reading materials relative to the course content, create assignments, and answer questions. It is my goal to do so in a creative, open forum where you can learn through reading, participating, asking questions, and researching. In turn, I will read your posts on the discussion board and your writing assignments. I will ask questions that challenge and stimulate your thinking. I will not comment on every post, but I will read each and every one. I will comment and provide feedback on all writing assignments within 48 hours of being due. You will have time to review my feedback and ask any follow up questions before the next assignment is due.

Readings/Podcasts/Videos – There is no text for this course; however, materials will be posted on Bright Space in the modules. These readings, podcasts, and videos are designed to present a better idea of professional responsibilities in each field as well as the day-to-day experience. Coursework – There will be three forms of work required: discussion postings, writing assignments, and a final cover letter & resume assignment as outlined below. Most assignments will challenge you to think about your own career path whether it is related to the module material or not.  Discussion postings: Throughout the course there will be questions posted on Bright Space under Course Tools > Discussions. Students are divided in to 3 teams to better engage with a smaller cohort than if we were to hold a discussion with all 30+ students enrolled. Students will be required to submit initial posts by 12noon Tuesday and subsequent posts by Thursday at 11:59pm. The module will then close for that week’s topic. Commenting on classmates’ posts is an important part of your discussion and participation grades. For full credit, you will need to post a minimum of 3 times per discussion, in addition to your initial submission. These posts should be about quality, not quantity. With that said, I expect thoughtful, in depth responses to classmate’s contributions to the discussion; not just a line or two. For a sample of a full credit discussion post, please visit course materials on Bright Space. Word count for initial post: 250min – 500 max.  Blog Writing assignments: There will be online exercises or self-evaluative activities posted on Bright Space under Course Tools > Assignments. Each assignment will be clearly outlined with specific due dates and the point values in the module. These are minimum 1-page, maximum 2-page assignments to be posted in the assignment feature on Bright Space (not in a word attachment). These will be due on Thursday at 11:59pm. There will be a 5-point deduction for each day the assignment is past due. You do not have to comment on your classmates’ blogs. Some form of module content should always be referenced in your writing assignments. For a sample of a full credit blog entry please visit course materials on Bright Space. If you would prefer to record your assignment and submit it via audio or video, I would welcome that as well! Word count: 400min – 600 max.  Final Assignment: Students will research a job posting and submit a cover letter and resume to a position of their choice. I will provide feedback so students can use this as a template for real-life application. There will be a reflection component to the final as well. This will be due the final week of class. Grading: • 50% Class Attendance, Participation, and Engagement – Based on class attendance; logging on to the class weekly, class discussions, and responses to classmates’ and the instructor’s postings. This includes responding to the instructors questions directed towards you in the discussion forums AND your response to your fellow classmates questions and posts. • 35% Written Assignments – The discussion posts and writing assignments as outlined above will be an important part of your overall grade. There will be a 5-point deduction for each day the assignment is past due. • 15% Final Assignment – Cover Letter, Resume, Position Description / Job Posting, and class evaluation.