syllabus :: course title :: faculty member's name

Class Meeting Time: Tuesday evenings 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. and all day Saturday, March 15

Professor's Course Description: Are you happy with your recreation life? Are there activities you would like to try, but haven't? Do you find you just don't have enough time for leisure activities and that recreation too often loses out to work?

This course is about you and the recreational aspects of your life. While the central concepts to the field of leisure and recreation will be a part of the course, this is less of a content-focused experience than it is a course where you will be guided through reflective experiences to look at the activities of your life: what's good, what's not, and how to plan and create a better leisure lifestyle.

Because it is an advanced writing course, students are required to compose 5 papers (see below). However, these papers aren't research papers--they're meant to guide you through a review of who you are as a person and what that has to say about the opportunities and constraints in your current life for recreation

Catalogue Description: Basic philosophical, historical, psychological and scientific foundations and development in leisure and recreation theory; review of the cultural forces, institutions and theories that affect individuals and society; application of the concepts of leisure education to reach an understanding of the importance of leisure in one's life; and, the establishment of an effective and potentially fulfilling lifestyle plan for the future.

2. Required: Materials located at the course website in the handouts link. These materials will detail the necessary components of course assignments.

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

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.

* While participating in this required field trip away from campus, students will be covered by ASI insurance--providing the students have signed the CSUS Warning, Waiver and Release of Liability Form (Form SS-95 Rev 08/29/95 or later version) and included their SSN. Due to the new university policy on liability exposure, additional policy discussion will be provided in class prior to the field trip.

Grade	Description of accomplishment	Points	Percent
A	Excellent work, outstanding achievement	720 – 800	90-100%
B	Very good performance; exceeds course requirements	640 – 719	80-89%
C	Average	560 – 639	70-79%
D	Passed, but not at average achievement standards	480 – 559	60-69%
F	Failure to meet class requirement	480 or less	< 60%
Incompletes: If a student finds her/himself unable to fulfill the requirements of RLS 42 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 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.

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.

Coursework Completion Standard: Written work must follow the guidelines in Dr. Rolloff’s Writing Handout unless otherwise stated.

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

Because RLS 122 is classified as a General Education Advanced Study Course, the composition and grading parameters are specific:

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

The following are brief descriptions of the course assignments. Specific details and instructions for the completion of the assignments are located in both the handout links and in the course packet. Please note that exact assignment requirements may change during the course of the semester. Alterations will be announced in class.

Assignment 1 – Time Budget Survey

How do you spend your time? Many people have misconceptions about how they utilize their time, so in this assignment, you are asked to document and review your use of time over a 7-day period. You’ll particularly want to pay attention to discretionary time, what you did with that time, and the emotions you experienced during that time. The assignment concludes with you making an assessment of balance in your life.

Assignment 2 - From Wants to Goals: A Goal Setting Exercise

Do you know how to "set" a goal? In this interesting exercise, the student will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the process of establishing achievable goals. The basic purpose of this exercise is to help students to shape their hopes, aspirations, desires, dreams, and wants into carefully formed goals.

Assignment 3 - Values Clarification Paper

Values clarification is the process of deciding and clearly stating what you believe. It fosters self-confidence and places you in control of your life. Values clarification is necessary to obtain a clear understanding of who you are, what you want, and where you are going in life. It helps you address the question, "How do I want to live the rest of my life?"

Assignment 4 - Challenge Experience/Leisure Motivations Paper

The exercises in this assignment are reflective and experiential. The reflective portion will guide you to become more aware of the characteristics and qualities of your recreation and leisure life. Participation in a learning process called the challenge course is the experiential portion of the project, and is a one-day outdoor event oriented toward experiential learning and personal growth.

Assignment 5 – Lifestyle Prescription Paper

In this final written exercise, the student brings the semester's exposure to leisure life-style planning to its culmination in a report that expresses, "How the student intends to live the rest of his or her life" by drawing from all of the information that the student has compiled about him or herself through assessments, evaluation, and research during the semester.

Assignment 6 - Life Line Exercise (to be used w/ Assignment 7)

This project centers on the creation and use of a visual aid artistically depicting the flow of your future lifestyle for the next fifteen years.

Assignment 7 - Oral Presentation of Life Line

This is an opportunity for you to share your Life Line project with the members of the course, asserting and illustrating your plan for happiness. For listeners, it provides insight into the diversity we all possess as creative, productive, thinking individuals who are striving to become fulfilled and actualized.

Students must complete ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS in order to receive credit for the course.

If a student finds her/himself unable to fulfill the requirements of RLS 122 and wishes to take an Incomplete (I) grade, the student must petition the RLS Department with the proper application available in the RLS Office (Solano 4000).

The student must be passing (e.g. by the end of the term have accumulated 480 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.

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: 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.

Because this is my first year at CSUS, I’m going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t for RLS 122. 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.

Dr. Rolloff's RLS122 Course Syllabus

RLS 122 syllabus