SM445:
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
1.0
Upon successful completion of this course…
1. The student will be able to recognize, define, and apply key legal terminology.
2. The student will be able to discuss the federal and state court systems in the United States.
3. The student will be able to recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to tort law and
develop strategies to limit liability.
4. The student will be able to recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to contract
law in sport and/or physical activity situations.
5. The student will be able to recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to Title VII,
Title IX, the Equal Pay Act, and the ADA, and in sport and/or physical activity situations.
6. The student will be able to recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to
Constitutional Law (1st, 4th, 14th,) in sport and/or physical activity settings.
Required Textbook:
Name: Introduction to Sport Law
Edition: 3rd Edition
ISBN: 9781492597773
Author: John O. Spengler, Paul M. Anderson, Daniel P. Connaughton, Thomas A. Baker III
Publisher: Human Kinetics, Inc.
Course Description:
A study of legal issues affecting the delivery of sport services; focuses on liability in sport activities. We live in an increasing litigious society in which there has recently been a dramatic increase in the number of lawsuits filed within courts of law. Sport and physical activity have not been spared from this trend. Future professionals within the realm of physical activity and sport need to be aware of the law and the numerous implications it brings to their chosen fields. This class is designed to provide an introduction to various aspects of the law and its influence on sport and physical activity in order to decrease the probability that they will be involved in litigation.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Recognize, define, and apply key legal terminology.
2. Discuss the federal and state court systems in the United States
3. Recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to tort law and develop strategies to limit liability.
4. Recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to contract law in sport and/or physical activity situations.
5. Recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to Title VII, Title IX, the Equal Pay Act, and the ADA, and in sport and/or physical activity situations.
6. Recognize, define, and apply legal aspects and cases pertaining to Constitutional Law (1st, 4th, 14th,) in sport and/or physical activity settings.
7. NIL refers to the rights of college athletes to control and profit from their name, image, and likeness.
Tentative Course Schedule:
NOTE: The tentative schedule for the course is posted and regularly updated on Blackboard. The schedule is subject to change at the professor’s discretion to best serve the student’s academic learning. It is the student’s responsibility to verify any possible updates in the course schedule prior to class. NOTE: Course Class Schedule will be on Blackboard
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
WEEK 1 — 1/12–1/18
Class Chapter Focus
(Tues) Overview Intro to Sport Law
(Thurs) Ch. 1 U.S. Legal System
WEEK 2 — 1/19–1/25
(Tues) Ch. 2 Negligence basics
(Thurs) Ch. 2 Defenses; foreseeability
WEEK 3 — 1/26–2/1
(Tues) Ch. 2 Causation & damages
(Thurs) Ch. 2 Assumption of risk
WEEK 4 — 2/2–2/8
(Tues) Ch. 3 Risk identification
(Thurs) Ch. 3 Risk-response strategies
WEEK 5 — 2/9–2/15
(Tues) Ch. 3 Reasonableness
(Thurs) Ch. 4 Agent authority
WEEK 6 — 2/16–2/22 — NIL Begins
(Tues) Ch. 4 + NIL Intro Agency principles & NIL basics
(Thurs) NIL Module Representation, compliance, conflicts
WEEK 7 — 2/23–3/1
(Tues) Ch. 4 Agent contracts & red flags
(Thurs) Review NIL legal authority
WEEK 8 — 3/2–3/8
(Tues) Exam Mid Term Exam 1
(Thurs) Ch. 5 Contract formation
Spring Break — 3/9-3/15
No Classes
WEEK 9 — 3/16-3/22
(Tues) Ch. 5 Breach & remedies
(Thurs) Ch. 5 Coaching contracts
WEEK 10 — 3/23–3/29 — NIL & Employment Law
(Tues) Ch. 6 Employee status
(Thurs) Ch. 6 Employment protections
WEEK 11 — 3/30-4/5
(Tues) Ch. 6 Collective bargaining
(Thurs) Ch. 6 Gender equity
WEEK 12 — 4/6-4/12
(Tues) — State-level NIL laws
(Thurs) Ch. 7 First Amendment
WEEK 13 — 4/13-4/19
(Tues) Ch. 7 Due Process
(Thurs) Ch. 7 Searches & investigations
WEEK 14 — 4/20-4/26
(Tues) Ch. 8 Title IX & equity
(Thurs) Ch. 8 Policies & harassment
WEEK 15 — 4/27-5/3 — NIL & IP
(Tues) Ch. 8 Program inequities
(Thurs) Ch. 9 Trademarks & copyright
(Thurs) Ch. 9 Brand protection
Week 16 FINAL EXAM - 5/7
(Thurs) Ch. 9–11 IP, NIL, agency, contracts, employment
Blackboard Site:
All non-textbook readings, assignment guidelines, student grades, PowerPoints, and the course schedule are posted to the course Blackboard site. Students must log onto the site on a regular basis to ensure they are prepared for class and are completing the required assignments.
Written Assignments:
Written assignments must be typed using (12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins and formatted according to APA guidelines). All papers must be submitted as a PDF file via Blackboard prior to the start of class on the due date. Written assignments will be evaluated based on both the quality of writing and the content of the subject matter. Proper APA formatting, including citations and references when applicable, is required. Errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or APA style will result in a lower grade.
Case Preparations:
For this assignment, students will 1) research the given topic as it relates to sport, 2) research three legal cases associated with the assigned topic, 3) discuss the importance of each legal outcome and 4) discuss why as sport management professionals it is important to know these laws and outcomes. Page length of this assignment is 2-3 pages.
Case Study Response Papers:
Students will research in their textbook a legal case provided by the instructor. After reviewing the assigned case, students will write in their own words a 1-2 page summary of the case.
Mock Trial (Moot Court) Assignment:
Classes in legal issues in recreation and sport provide an excellent opportunity to employ the case method of learning, which facilitates active and reflective learning and results in the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. At its core, legal cases are stories about people in trouble. Through critical thinking and problem solving, students figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. They experience the role of an expert witness in a case and are better able to understand how this person might interact in support of or in opposition to their side. Students also must seek out information that will aid them in arguing their cases, which in turn teaches them how to research subjects of relevance to their issues and apply this information to their cases and shape their legal arguments. Additionally, they develop risk management skills to improve the safety of the programs and services they may someday manage, thereby decreasing their risk of liability.
Copyright Policy:
This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
Workload:
A minimum of two hours of student work per week is expected for each credit hour awarded for the class. This means that students enrolled in an online 4 credit hour course over a full semester should anticipate spending at least 8 hours of work each week to complete the requirements of the course.
Infused Writing Skill Component:
This course includes intensive instruction in writing. Students will be required to write one-page response papers that make an argument about the law cases, based on a prompt that the instructor will provide in class. Additionally, students will submit “2” Individual case preparations (4-5 pages double spaced) analyzing legal case studies based on sport topics. This will be explained in detail in class with specific instructions for each participant in the class.
Mock Trials: Each student will be assigned a specific set of law cases to analyze. The student will focus on utilizing the course material to ascertain the pro and con arguments by analyzing responses to sport law practices. Each case study will be followed by a debate of their analysis against their peers within a classroom environment and will have a defined rubric detailing the goal or purpose of each assignment.
The goal of the infused writing component is to promote proficiency in writing and research. Students will learn to write to a law review, develop coherent essay organization, and support their legal analysis through appropriate examples, exposition, and argument. Students are expected to submit professional, quality written work. All law reviews should contain a legal precedence that sets forth a central, argumentative assertion, a body that proves that assertion, and a conclusion that summarizes the key arguments and discusses the implications of the thesis. All written work should be substantially free of grammatical and spelling errors.
Writing Objectives:
- Delivering content and forming an appropriate representation of the subject matter.
- Showcasing well researched and well-rehearsed analysis of the facts from the case.
- Engagement of the specific course work theories within the law review
- Proper use of appropriate and factual examples from the legal court case.
- Inclusion of content that is well-researched.
- Usage of appropriate organizational structure and format.
- Utilization of adequate examples and support for the legal precedence
- Providing disciplined appropriate vocabulary or terminology
- Demonstrating competencies in language, grammar, and sentence structure
The grading scale will be as follows:
Grades will be calculated on the following scale:
93-100=A | 90-92.99=A- | 87-89.99=B+ | 83-86.99=B | 80-82.99=B- | 77-79.99=C+ | 73-76.99=C | 70-72.99=C- | 67-69.99=D+ | 60-66.99=D | <60=F
When a student’s final grade falls within (.01 - 1% point), the professor may use his own discretion in increasing the student’s earned grade to the next highest letter grade. For example, an 89.5% may be increased to an A- instead of a B+. In this determination, the professor will examine the student’s class preparedness, behavior in the classroom and outside class activities, and overall studious behavior.
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance Policy
The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips).
Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician, if possible. In relation to students experiencing COVID19 related symptoms or illness, students should be provided an excused absence and should not be penalized for electing not to attend physical classes in these instances.
Family or personal emergencies.
When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous.
Wilmington College recognizes that reasonable attendance requirements will vary somewhat between disciplines, professors and even an individual's courses. The purpose of this policy is to ensure all concerned are clear about expectations in a given course. Faculty members are expected to accept the College's basic definition of excused absences in their individual policies and monitor attendance, but faculty members may also choose to accept other absences as excused (entirely at the discretion of each faculty member). Students are expected to be responsible for informing faculty members about excused absences (including documentation, if required) and for arranging to make up all work missed because of absences. An excused absence in no way removes this responsibility or obligates the professor to provide a student with special assignments or opportunities.
Good communication between students and faculty members is essential in cases of excused absences. Students are responsible for initiating this communication and in as timely a manner as possible. Students who will have to miss class to represent the College should provide schedules of these absences to the faculty member as soon in the semester as they are known. In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to discuss excused absences with affected faculty members and to provide documentation of the excused nature of the absence, if the faculty member requires it.
Students should notify the Office for Academic Affairs (ext. 240) if they are unable to attend classes for one week or more (e.g., due to surgery, extended illness, etc.). Extended absences (up to two weeks without notification to the Office of Academic Affairs) can result in immediate administrative withdrawal from the College. In addition, during any term, a pattern of non-engagement or four or more academic alert notices in multiple classes can also result in immediate administrative withdrawal or suspension. Non-engagement is defined as missing classes, refusal to adhere to College policies, non-attendance, non-responsiveness to attempts to communicate, or a combination of these factors.
Students in this course will be rewarded for missing no more than 2 unexcused absences. Students will be penalized for any unexcused absences after their second occurrence.
Late Assignments Policy:
Late assignments will NOT be accepted and will be given a 0. Students are responsible for completing all course requirements and for keeping up with all activities of the course whether they are present in class or not. Students are responsible for keeping a copy of their work, on their computer or hard copy, until they have received a grade for all written assignments.
Classroom Behavior:
Students and faculty share responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment in the classroom. Civility and respect create a safe and productive atmosphere in which students can achieve.
The definition of disruptive behavior is at the reasonable discretion of the faculty member teaching the class, and determination of whether a specific behavior is disruptive resides within the authority of the faculty member. Examples of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:
Showing disrespect for and displaying poor manners toward any faculty member or other students.
Disruptive or inappropriate use of technology and electronic devices in the classroom, such as cell phones, computers, pagers, and MP3 players.
Persistent speaking without being recognized or interrupting other speakers.
Persistently entering class late or leaving early without an excuse or the faculty member’s permission.
Threats, harassment, or personal insults of any kind directed toward any faculty member and other students.
A faculty member has the discretion to impose sanctions for disruptive behavior in their classrooms. Some of the sanctions may include: a formal apology, dismissal from the class in which the disruptive behavior occurs, and/or referral to Student Affairs for resolution of the situation.
Dismissal from class due to poor student behavior will result in an unexcused absence.
Disability Services for Students:
ADA statement that reads, Americans with Disabilities Act: If you have a documented disability that requires accommodations, contact Spencer Izor, the Associate VP for Compliance: spencer.izor@wilmington.edu, 937-481-2365, or visit her office in College Hall, Room 306.
Academic Integrity Policy
Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges. See the separate policy dealing with plagiarism below.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another’s words, ideas, concepts, research or creative production without proper attribution whether intentional or unintentional. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism can occur in the submission of one’s own work or in work submitted by a group.
Examples of plagiarism include the following:
The submission of a paper not one’s own, including turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet
Copying word for word information without quotation marks
Paraphrasing information (that is, the use of one’s own words with only minor changes to the original)
Use of information not considered general knowledge without proper citation
Listing of misleading or false sources on a reference page
The use of a paper or project for one course that was previously submitted for another course, either at Wilmington or at any other institution
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and carries serious academic consequences. Violations will be recorded by the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Main Campus and Vice President of External Programs at the Cincinnati Branch Campus.
When an instructor discovers plagiarism, the instructor will first consult with the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs if a main campus student, or the Vice President for External Programs if a branch campus student, in order to determine if the student is a first-time offender. For first offenses, the instructor has the ability to determine the penalty for the offense. Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). For a second offense or more, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Main Campus or the Vice President for External Programs for students at the branch campus, will report the offense to the academic standards and appeal committee and gather evidence for a hearing with the student. It is possible that the student will receive a substantial reduction in grade for the course or will fail the course. Multiple instances could even lead to suspension or expulsion from Wilmington College.
There are many university, college and private websites students may consult about how to avoid plagiarism. Sites with particularly helpful suggestions can be found at:
Copyright Policy
This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.