Kinesiology 494b

Sport and Community Service

Academic year 2006-2007
Course Description and Selection Process
Dr. Craig Boydell

Course Description:

The purpose of this field experience/seminar is to examine how sport can contribute to personal development and meet social needs through a variety of community service endeavors. In the field experience component of the course students will bring together their own backgrounds in competitive sport and community involvement to plan and carry out community outreach events and programs. Students will incorporate and assess the Intercollegiate Athletic Program, the University as a whole and a number of external organizations as resources to meet community needs.

Prerequisites and Considerations

The formal pre-requisites for the course are registration in 4 th Year Kinesiology and the completion of at least two years in a varsity sport. Registration in the course will be limited to a maximum of ten students and be by permission of the professor. A limited number of non-Kinesiology students may be admitted upon the recommendation of the Professor and permission of the Dean of their home Faculty and the Director of the School of Kinesiology.

Priority will be given to students with volunteer and work experience involving community service activities, organizing community events, planning, promoting and marketing athletic events, and the like. Since course activities will be very public, students should be confident in their ability to represent the University in the Guest Seminar Sessions, with the media, in dealings with the various internal and external partners, and in delivering the events to target populations. Priority may also be given to students whose backgrounds fit the kinds of projects that will be undertaken in a given year.

Applying for Enrollment

Students interested in applying for admission to the course should submit their resume with the online version of their transcript along with a brief statement (<100 words) on why you wish to enroll and what you think you can bring to the course. Also provide phone and e-mail contact information for yourself and your Varsity Coach. Please put your information in a word perfect file and send to Jennifer Symmes jsymmes3@uwo.ca) any time after August 15 th, but not later than September 30th, 2006. The subject heading of the e-mail should be - Application 494b followed by your last name (e.g. Application 494b – Jones).

Eligible students will be short-listed for interviews with the Professor after which students will be admitted to the course on a rolling basis. Once a student has been approved for enrollment by the professor they should report to Jenn Symmes in the undergraduate office to fill out the Field Experience forms.

Information about the course for prospective students

Some information on last year’s version of Sport and Community Service Course will be in a folder available from Jennifer Symmes in the Undergraduate office as of August 28 th Information will also be available on the Course Website, which is currently being updated and will be available again for your perusal in September. The interviews will also serve as a source of information about the course and these will be set up as soon as information packages are completed. The interviews should be seen as a two way process. Prospective students are also invited to examine feedback from students in last year’s course and contact them personally.

Class Sessions and Projects

Each week we will have either a Regular seminar discussion session or an Interactive Guest Seminar Session. Sessions will be highly interactive in nature and will rely heavily on active student participation in some unique seminar and community settings. Students will be able to make some input on the specific guest sessions that will be set up during the winter term as well as on the nature of outreach programs and events. A calendar of the sessions in last year’s course is attached below as a sample. In addition to the seminar sessions there are small group project team meetings. Some travel may be required to facilitate information gathering, event planning and to carry out specific project goals.

Regular Seminar Discussions

The topics that will be raised as issues for discussion and debate in regular seminar sessions will be tied into the major course themes on community service and directed to stimulating thinking on course projects. We will also provide the necessary time in these sessions to prepare for the guest sessions. Background materials will be provided for each of the Guest Sessions one week prior to the session.

Interactive Guest Seminar Sessions

The Interactive Guest Seminar Sessions will be discussion panels and question and answer sessions involving students and invited guests who have considerable experience and reputations in areas relevant to the course. In cases where information would be helpful from outside experts who cannot be involved directly in a seminar discussion, students may conduct individual interviews or have separate meetings with their project groups. While the focus for these sessions will be the class itself, there is the possibility that sessions could be opened up to other interested persons as observers or even held in a public format. It is also possible that some of the sessions and events will involve viewing audiences and media coverage beyond our own video documentation of special sessions and events. One option for this is that one of the sessions may be conducted as a TV show.

Students who are offered a place in the course will be notified by e-mail. Once intention to enroll has been confirmed they must report to Jennifer Symmes to fill out registration materials.

Sport and Community Service (Kin 494b) – Academic Year 2005-2006

 (LAST YEAR – SAMPLE)

Regular Class Sessions and Events*

*Does not include numerous Project Team Meetings and Partner Meetings

*To Download a sample schedule of the 2005-06 year, click here *

Back to Home