SM385:
Prerequisites
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
1.0
Upon successful completion of this course...
- The student will be able to demonstrate through experiential learning activities (defined as activities involving real-world settings or realistic simulations that require substantial student participation) that may include service activities that improve our communities and significantly enhance their own education with relevant, career-related experience.
- The student will be able to develop proficiency with important technology related to the students' vocations and acquire a general competence that will facilitate the quick mastery of new technologies.
- The student will be able to describe and explain the professions of sport and the practices of sport managers as they relate to sport organizations, events, facilities, and programs.
- The student will be able to describe and explain the principles of administration and the appropriate procedures for decision-making in sport organizations, events, facilities, and programs.
- The student will be able to operate in the field of sport management under the supervision of faculty and practitioners.
Other Required Resources:
Additional required readings will be made available on-line, in-class, or on reserve at the library.
Class Format
Class sessions will include formal lecture discussion, small group discussion, small group projects, videos, in-class exercises, guest lecturers, and student presentations. A minimum of two hours out of class student work is expected for each hour of in class time.
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. Work in Sport Podcast (WISP) Episode will be posted in Blackboard in the WISP Folder.
SM 385 Strategic Sport Management Practicum Spring 2026 Schedule
Week | Guest Peaker Series | Topic In Class | Work in Sport Podcast (WISP) Episode | Assignments Due |
Week 1 1/12-1/18 | Explaining the “Guest Speaker Series” format. | Course Introduction, Syllabus SAC Tour, Preceptor Handbooks, and Networking in Sports | Growing Your Sports Career in Digital Content:
| Blackboard |
Week 2 1/19-1/25 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Sport Career Traits | The 3 Traits You NEED to Thrive in the Sports Industry:
| Work Journal |
Week 3 1/26-2/1 | Guest Speaker – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Internships | These Internship Strategies Will Help Your Job Search | WISP & Journal |
Week 4 2/2-2/8 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders
| Job Search Strategy | Why Your Job Search is Failing (and How to Fix It):
| WISP & Journal |
Week 5 2/9-2/15 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Gaining Experience | The Right Strategy to Gain Sports Experience:
| WISP & Journal |
Week 6 2/16-2/22 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Industry Trends
| Analyzing the State of Sports Hiring Report: | WISP & Journal |
Week 7 2/23-3/1 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Leadership Skills | Developing Your Sports Industry Leadership Skills:
| WISP & Journal |
Week 8 3/2-3/8 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Networking Tips | How Do You Actually Do… NETWORKING?:
| Week 1–8 Hours Check-In, WISP & Journal |
Week 9 3/9-3/15 | SPRING BREAK |
|
| No Assignments |
Week 10 3/16-3/22 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Digital Media/ Career Path Insight | Modern Tips for Succeeding in Sports Journalism w/ Kirkland Crawford: Turning Pro Athletes Into Global Superstars With Roc Nation VP: | 2 WISP & Journal |
Week 11 3/23-3/29 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Skills & Growth | Nobody Likes a Multitasker! Time Management: | WISP & Journal |
Week 12 3/30-4/5 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Resume Advice | Three Sports Resume Questions Answered: | WISP & Journal |
Week 13 4/6-4/12 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Salary Negotiation | Negotiating Your Salary in the Sports Industry:
| WISP & Journal |
Week 14 4/13-4/19 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Career Transitions | Change Your Career to Sports in 7 Steps: | WISP & Journal |
Week 15 4/20-4/26 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Future of Work | The Future of Careers in Sports:
| WISP & Journal |
Week 16 4/27-5/3 | Guest Speaker Series – Connecting Students with Sports Industry Leaders | Reflection & Growth | A Step-by-Step 4-Year Plan From College to the Sports Industry: | WISP & Journal |
Week 17 5/4 | Final Exam |
|
| Week 9–16 Hours Check-In, Final Video Presentation |
Course Requirements:
Assignments:
Assignments are to be typed (12pt font; Times New Roman, 1” margins on all sides) and submitted to the instructor or Blackboard at the beginning of class on the assigned day (unless otherwise noted below). Late assignments will be accepted and evaluated by the instructor but will receive no grade. Make up exams may be arranged with the instructor in advance of the scheduled exam date. Assignments will not be accepted via email unless specified by the instructor.
A brief description of course assignments are discussed below. More complete information (including rubrics) for each assignment will be posted on Blackboard or distributed in-class.
The following assignments are required of students in this course:
1. Student responsibilities with Preceptor
Each student is responsible for providing 160 hours of dedicated service to one of the 18 registered Preceptors within the Wilmington College Department of Athletics. Each student will be provided with a job description and evaluation method (assignments, expectations, etc.). Mid-term and final evaluations will be submitted by the preceptor to the instructor of the course. IF A STUDENT DOES NOT REACH THE MINIMUM OF 160 HOURS THE RESULT WILL BE A ‘NO-PASS’ GRADE.
2. Policy and Procedure Manual
Students will work with their instructor of the course to create a comprehensive Policy and Procedure Manual for the preceptor. Some of the sections that may be included in the manual are general information, personnel, facilities & operations, business and finance, sport medicine, sportsmanship, athlete policies, eligibility, recruiting, etc. Students will also be required to submit a confidential evaluation of their peer’s contribution to the assignment.
3. Examinations
Each student will have a Final Presentation that will be offered at the end of the semester. The presentation will be a 10–15-minute recorded presentation reflecting on their practicum experience and insights gained during our guest speaker session working in sports, Work in Sport Podcast, and work experience. Topics to discuss will be the learning journey, career goals, and whether their views on working in sports have evolved or changed.
4. Simulations
This assignment requires each student to answer questions and complete simulations. This assignment will be submitted to the instructor through BLACKBOARD.
5. Volunteerism
Students will be expected to volunteer at a sport organization that the professor will provide. Students will have multiple options as to which day(s) he/she would like to participate (may include weekend).
Students will be expected to volunteer their collective efforts in planning, organizing, and running the WC Sports Professional Day.
6. Sport Industry Speakers Series Presentation
This assignment, each student is to reach out to professionals in the sports industry to give a brief presentation or Q&A session for the class. Students will engage with professionals in the sports industry to learn about their experiences, challenges, and insights. This will help students build networking skills and gain a deeper understanding of real-world applications in the sport industry.
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.
Academic Honesty Policy:
Students are reminded that presenting the work, ideas, writings, or concepts of another as one’s own is a serious violation of fundamental academic trust and is unacceptable at Wilmington College – such dishonesty will result in a failing grade for assignments and perhaps for the course. The instructor will enforce Wilmington College’s academic honesty policy as set forth in the Undergraduate Catalog.
See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
The grading scale will be as follows:
Evaluation:
Assignment Points Due on or before
Class Participation 10% Weekly
WISP Podcast 10% Weekly
Preceptor Evaluation 10% Week 15
Volunteerism (As Assigned for Class) 10% TBA
Speaker Series Presentation 15% Weekly
Work Experience Check-In Hours 25% Week 8 & 16
Final Exam (Video Presentation) 20% Week 17
Grading:
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 |Below 59.99=F
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance:
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 traveling to campus dangerous.
Wilmington College recognizes that reasonable attendance requirements will vary somewhat between disciplines, professors and even individual 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 a timely manner as possible. Students who will have to miss class to represent the College should provide schedules of these absences to the faculty members as soon 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. 319) 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. This deduction will equate to 5 points per excessive absence from student’s Class Preparedness score.
Note: Use of cellphone, improper use of laptop, and “excessive” bathroom breaks qualify as an unexcused absence.
Academic Integrity:
Students are reminded that presenting the work, ideas, writing, or concepts of others as one’s own constitutes a serious violation of academic integrity and fundamental academic trust. Such behavior is unacceptable at Wilmington College. Any instance of academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment and may, at the instructor’s discretion, result in failure of the course. The instructor will enforce Wilmington College’s policies regarding academic misconduct, including applicable penalties and guidelines related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI). All students are expected to adhere to the College’s Academic Honesty Policy as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog and the current Student Handbook. These policies address examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the procedures for handling allegations of academic misconduct.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
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.
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.