RLS105 Course Syllabus

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Management of Leisure Services: Course Syllabus

Class Meeting Time:  Mondays and Wednesdays 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.

Class Meeting Location:  Solano Hall 2000

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Objectives :: Texts ::  Technology :: Assignments/exams :: Grading :: Attendance Policy :: Technology :: Writing Standards ::  Accommodations :: Meeting Format

Professor's Course Description:  This course is a topical survey aimed at providing undergraduates in Recreation & Leisure Studies with a sense of what managers of recreation organizations need to know to conduct their professional lives.  While the course contains introductory technical information (e.g. how job descriptions are written, how one joins a professional organization, what determines discrimination), another focus is on each student developing her or his own planning skills, including goal setting and weekly planning. 

Catalogue Description:  An analysis of the functions of managers including planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. Also examines basic principles, techniques and tools associated with these functions. Consideration of internal and external environments which influence the managerial process and the manager’s role in various areas of enterprise activity.

Course Objectives

Through successful completion of classroom participation, experiential exercises, written assignments, and exams, students will be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Managerial planning, goal setting and time management

• Professionalism, ethics, and the recreation manager

• National and state associations (NRPA, CALSPRE)

• Career planning and the recreation manager

• Organizational behavior

• Approaches to diversity in the workplace and as a professional value

• Discrimination, sex harassment, equal opportunity, and affirmative action

• Personnel management, hiring, evaluation, and termination

• Fiscal management

• Facilities and maintenance management

• Risk management and liability

• Evaluation processes and evaluative judgments

Texts and Materials

Required Texts: The two primary reading sources for the course this semester are:

• Kraus, R.G. and J.E. Curtis.  2001. 6th Edition.  Creative Management In Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services.  Boston, MA: WCB McGraw-Hill.

• Covey, S.R. (1990).  The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  New York: Simon & Schuster. 

You can purchase books through the Hornet Bookstore. Check their Online Textbook Sales page at http://www.foundation.csus.edu/bookstore/textbooks/ for ordering information.

Other booksources can be found at Borders.com and Amazon.com. 

Other Required Materials:

• A Weekly Planner: This should be a planning calendar  that has adequate room for you to create a list of tasks which you will need to accomplish for each day of the week.  For example, a "Week at a Glance" calendar will likely work while a "month at a glance" calendar would be inadequate.  The best planners are the Dayrunner & Franklin planner products.  Dr. Rolloff will discuss planners the 1st week of class. 

• Other important materials (articles, websites) will be assigned reading for the course and can be found through links on this page. 

Software:

• You will need a copy of the software MS Word to view some files in these webpages.  Registered students can obtain this software at a very reasonable cost.  See the University Computing and Communications Services for more information on obtaining this software. 

 Assignments and Exams

Print a copy of "How Am I Doing in RLS 105?" to keep track of your grade.

*Percentages are approximate, due to rounding. 

 Celebrations of Knowledge (Quizzes, Homework, and Exams)

• Information from the assigned readings, class lectures, and handouts will be celebrated.  All quizzes, homework assignments, class attendance, participation, and tests will total 500 points by semester’s end.  Exams will weigh 225 points total (about 45% of grade), quizzes will weigh 50 points (10% of grade), papers and projects (about 35% of grade), and attendance/participation weighs 5 points per class, or 50 points (about 10% of the grade).

• Five quizzes are the only part of the course that will be unscheduled, so students who celebrate the course with regular preparation of the reading material will be richly rewarded.  Those who do not will risk losing both attendance and quiz points.  Quizzes will also help prepare you for the exams.  Quizzes will be in a multiple-choice format, and will be very similar to what you’ll see on exams.  They may happen in class or they may be give online at the course WebCT site.  These quizzes add up, and can make the difference between one letter grade and a lower grade. 

• Don’t miss the party.  If the prospective celebrant should fail to participate in an assigned Celebration on the scheduled date, his/her unexcused absence will result in a score of zero (0) for that event, unless there are extreme circumstances preventing your attendance in which case, a make-up may be offered at the discretion of the instructor.

 Writing & Coursework Standards

No late papers will be accepted unless arrangements have been made prior to the due date with Dr. Rolloff. 

Writing Assignment Standards

• Written work must follow the guidelines in the link Dr. Rolloff’s Writing Handout unless otherwise stated.   

• All written assignments are to be typed, double-spaced and utilize a 12-point Times New Roman font. All margins should be one inch (top, bottom, left, right).

• Papers are expected to be free from spelling and grammatical errors before being submitted for grading. References (if any are used) should be listed in APA style. APA handbooks are available on the second floor of the CSUS library.

Late Assignments

• Late papers are not accepted unless you have arranged this with Dr. Rolloff.  Part of a university education includes professional preparation, and because late projects are unacceptable in the work world, they will not be accepted here.  However, legitimate excuses will be considered prior to the respective due date, but not on or after the due date. So if something comes up, be sure to talk with David.

• Excused papers must be turned in directly to the instructor (in person is best), not to the RLS office. Legitimate excuses will be considered prior to the respective due date, but appropriate documentation will be required by the instructor for late papers (doctor’s note, etc.).

• Students who fall behind by two overdue assignments can be dropped from the course.
  Talk to Dr. Rolloff if you’re having trouble with any of the assignments.

Plagiarism (using other's words, ideas, or work without properly giving credit to the source)

• Plagiarism is the act of using another person's ideas or expressions in our writing without acknowledging the source, and is easily avoided.

• Papers in this course must be written by the student submitting the assignments. Having others write your assignments, using someone else's work as your own, or using an author's work without proper acknowledgment all constitute plagiarism, which can subject the student to university discipline.

• Talk to David if you have questions or concerns about plagiarism. See Dr. Rolloff’s Writing Handout for suggestions and tips on avoiding plagiarism through proper referencing in your papers.
   

Visit with Dr. Rolloff if you ever have concerns or questions

about your progress in the course (he likes to talk). 

Grades and Grading Policy

Grade	Description of accomplishment	Points	Percent
A	Excellent work, outstanding achievement	451-500	90-100%
B	Very good performance; exceeds course requirements	401-450	80-89%
C	Average	351-400	70-79%
D	Passed, but not at average achievement standards	301-350	60-69%
F	Failure to meet class requirement	300 or less	< 60%
Incompletes: If a student finds her/himself unable to fulfill the requirements of RLS 105 and wishes to take an Incomplete (I) grade, the student must petition the RLS Department.  The student must be passing (have accumulated 301 or more points) in order to be eligible to apply for an incomplete grade within the RLS Department.  An "I" grade will not be given without the required departmental petition specifying the course requirements to be met for completion and the date by which such requirements are to be completed.  Reasons for requesting an incomplete grade must be stated on the petition and proof of extenuating circumstances may be required at the discretion of the instructor.  A "U" grade will be given if a student fails to complete course requirements or stops attending classes or does not qualify for or arrange for an incomplete (I) grade before the end of the 13th week of the semester.

Attendance and Participation Requirements

Attendance and participation are part of the course evaluation/grade, therefore attendance at all class sessions is required.  Students who come to class will be rewarded with points toward your final grade for each class session attended (totaling 10% of the course grade).  Absences will subtract from your grade point total.

Technology Requirements

Students are required to have a SacLink electronic mail account and computer access to the Web.  This must be accomplished before the 2nd week of class. 

All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services.   Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.

Computing Recommendations

You should be comfortable using a computer and willing to browse the Web. This class requires online class participation through Web assignments and quizzes.  You'll need:

• Macintosh compatible with System 10 (OS X) or higher or Windows compatible Pentium running Windows 98 or XP.

• 128 MB of RAM

• 56K modem or faster connection

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or Netscape 6 (or higher)

• SacLink or other Internet Account

• Word processing skills

Course Assistance & Accommodations

If you have a disability and are in need of accommodation or assistance in this course, please let me know privately how I can help you have a successful learning experience in RLS 42.  If you have special learning requirements I'll need to know during the 1st two weeks of class. 

You may also contact Teresa Mendick, Associate Director for Services to Students with Disabilities at 278-6955 or mendicktc@csus.edu. More information on CSUS’ Services for Students with Disabilities can be found at the website www.csus.edu/sswd/sswd.html.          

 Class Meeting Format

Class Meeting Format: An interactive, discussion-oriented approach will characterize how we will meet as a group. Small group discussion, individual exercises, class conversation and storytelling will be utilized, as well as the more traditional lecture. Any discussion of the readings will expand on the readings, not review or repeat them. Your ability to actively participate will reflect your preparation.

 Professor Note: My First Year at CSUS

Because this is my first year at CSUS, I’m going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t for RLS 105.  Some things will work well while others might not.  I welcome you to let me know of any ideas you might have to make this course more relevant to your interests and needs.  If you have concerns or problems with how the course is going, please let me know right away so I can make adjustments.  Undoubtedly there will be some schedule and project adjustments, so plan on being flexible. 

 RLS 105 Student - Professor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):

Professor Agreement:

As the RLS 105 Course Instructor, I will provide a course in the Management of Leisure Services to the best of my ability, which includes the provisions of this syllabus.  I agree to make adequate explanation of course requirements, including assignments and exams, with students in a timely manner.  I will follow the course schedule, and if it is changed will notify students promptly.  I will agree to hand student paperwork back within 7-10 days of receiving it unless otherwise agreed.  Finally, I will accessible during my office hours or by appointment, and will strive to be open to student suggestions, adding or changing the course content with student input.

 Professor Signature: ______________________________________

                                                         Dr. David Rolloff

Student Agreement:

By signing this MOU, I agree that I have understood the components of this course as described in this syllabus and by Dr. Rolloff.  I agree to meet the course requirements to the best of my ability.  I also agree that if I have questions or concerns about course requirements, including simply needing clarification of coursework, that I will speak to Dr. Rolloff in a timely manner.  I agree to follow the course schedule, preparing for class each week, and handing in the appropriate coursework on-time.  I understand that this syllabus is subject to change, so will stay up-to-date in the class by reviewing the course schedule weekly.  Finally, I understand that coursework will only be accepted late if I have made arrangements prior to the due date with Dr. Rolloff.  

Additional Agreements: 

Signed:  __________________________________

Print name: ________________________________