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EXSC 496

PRACTICUM

SPRING 2016

Faculty Glenna G. Bower, Ph.D.

Office: PAC 311

Phone: 465-1265

E-Mail:

Office Hours: By Appointment

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Catalog Description

Practical experience in an area of professional preparation.

Prerequisites

Must have completed required courses in major.

Required Text

Bower, G. G. (2014). A guide to field experiences and careers in sport and physical

activity. Deer Park, NY: Linus Publications.

Course Objectives

1.  Students will have the opportunity to gain practical experience in a specific area in Kinesiology and Sport Industry under professional supervision and guidance.

2.  Students will have the opportunity to apply theories and principles from their formal education to specific situations within the Kinesiology and Sport Industry.

3.  Students will have the opportunity to use interpersonal and professional communication skills.

4.  Students will have the opportunity to learn to work with other individuals trained in the Kinesiology and Sport industry.

5.  Students will complete a resume that is appropriate for the Kinesiology and Sport Industry.

6.  Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving skills.

7.  Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate creativity, initiative, and responsibility.

8.  Students will have the opportunity to observe and analyze professional behavior in the Kinesiology and Sport Industry.

9.  Students will have the opportunity to exercise and improve their time and stress management skills.

10.  Students will complete written reports enabling them to assess and evaluate their organization’s business and management practices.

Course Requirements

Blackboard

The student must be familiar with Blackboard in order to access documents relevant to this course (i.e, assignments and grades).

E-Mail

Each student is required to have an email account. Please check your email at least two to three times a week for any new information regarding this class. You are responsible for monitoring your e-mail messages. Periodically notification of assignments will be sent via e-mail. USI provides free e-mail accounts for all enrolled students. Failure to regularly respond to e-mail message will result in an unsatisfactory grade for the field experience.

Practicum Expectations

Professional Conduct - While working at the Practicum site, you are considered a representative of that organization, and need to conduct yourself ethically and according to professional standards. Remember, you represent not only yourself, but your field experience site organization, the University of Southern Indiana, and our Kinesiology and Sport Department. Leave a positive impression whereby employers will want more of our students!!

Attendance - A field experience is the equivalent of being a regular employee of your organization. You must be on-site whenever you are scheduled in order to maximize your experience. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU MUST BE ABSENT, YOU MUST NOTIFY THE SITE SUPERVISOR.

Potential Problems or Termination of the Practicum - Circumstance may arise which would cause a student to desire or need to terminate their Practicum prior to the scheduled end date. If, for any reason, a student feels that early termination of the field experience may be desired or needed, the student MUST meet with the professor and discuss the situation, desires, and needs. Under no circumstance should a student prematurely terminate a Practicum without first notifying the professor.

Class Requirements and Due Dates

Requirement / Date Due / Date Submitted/Completed
Orientation / November 12, 2015
Application / January 11
Practicum Work Agreement / January 11
Resume, Cover Letter, Reference Page / January 11
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / January 25
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / February 8
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / February 29
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / March 14
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / March 28
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / April 11
Bi-Weekly Timesheet
& Evaluation Logs / April 25
Mid-Term Site Evaluation / 75, 100, 125, or 150 hours
Final Site Evaluation / 150, 200, 250, or 300 hours
Showcase Portfolio / April 25
Presentation / April 25

Evaluation

Practicum

Orientation - Students must attend an orientation prior to beginning their practicum.

Attendance is required! No intern will be permitted to begin a practicum without

attending an orientation unless approved by the Faculty Coordinator. The orientation will

be scheduled following pre-registration during the Fall and Spring semesters before the

practicum begins so the application process is not delayed. Students will be asked to drop

the course if they do not attend an orientation class.

Approval of Site – Each student is required to obtain a practicum at an approved site.

All approved sites are located on the practicum website

http://www.usi.edu/science/physicaled/practicuminfosheet.aspare approved sites. Students may request a site that is not on the practicum website by submitting appropriate paperwork to the professor for approval. Procrastination by the student could result in failure to secure a Practicum at a preferred site during the desired semester.

Approval Paperwork & Other Documents - Student are required to submit a practicum application, practicum work agreement, resume, cover letter, and reference page PRIOR to completing the field experience. The practicum application and practicum work agreement must be signed by the student and the site supervisor PRIOR to beginning the internship. Failure to complete the paperwork PRIOR to the practicum will result in removal of hours if the student began the practicum without submission of proper paperwork. The practicum application and practicum work agreement are found on Blackboard and are worth 25 points each.

Students must submit their updated resume, cover letter and reference page they developed in the KIN 283 Field Experience course. For those students that did not maintain a current resume, cover letter, or reference page may refer to the required text for this course (listed above). Students will be evaluated and have the opportunity to make corrections. The resume and cover letter are worth 25 points each and the reference page is worth 10 points.

The Time Commitment & Tracking System - The student is required to commit to a minimum of 150 hours (3 credit hours), 200 hour (4 credit hours), or 250 hours (5 credit hours) or 300 hours (6 credit hours) with a Kinesiology and/or Sport business, department, or other agency. The practicum is worth the total amount of hours (150, 200, 250) the student is completing is tracked through the submission of Bi-Weekly Timesheets and Evaluation Logs. Failure to submit an evaluation log with the timesheet will result in half the points.

Site Supervisor and Student Self-Evaluations

Site Supervisors and students are required to complete a midterm and final evaluation. It is the student’s responsibility to give the evaluation for completion along with reminding the Site Supervisor of the due dates. Students should notify the Site Supervisors when each evaluation is due. The midterm evaluations are due at 75 hours for a 3 credit hour practicum, 100 hours for a 4 credit hour practicum, and 125 hours for a 5 credit hour practicum. The final evaluations are due following the completion of all hours. The site supervisor and student evaluations are worth 25 points each for a total of 100 points.

Faculty Site Visit

The Faculty Practicum Coordinator may conduct a site visit once during the practicum to evaluate the site and meet with the site supervisor. The Faculty Practicum Coordinator will NOT complete a site visit on a facility that was reviewed in a prior semester unless for special circumstances.

Presentations

Students will present the last day of class. All students are required to develop a maximum of 12 Powerpoint slides to have enough copies to distribute to the entire class. BUSINESS ATTIRE IS A REQUIRMENT for the presentation. Failure to turn in all the materials or dress in business attire for the presentations results in a deduction of points from the presentation score. Students must use the Personal Evaluation Outline located on Blackboard to develop the presentation. The presentation is worth 50 points.

Showcase Portfolio

Students will submit a showcase portfolio on the last day of class. Students should not have to prepare to much in developing the showcase portfolio as this was an assignment that began once they took KIN 283 – Field Experience in Sport and Physical Activity. The Showcase Portfolio Professional Growth check-off sheet should be submitted with the portfolio and be placed in the beginning of the portfolio in left hand pocket). In the event the student did not maintain his or her portfolio the required text list above will provide guidance in organizing the portfolio. The showcase portfolio is worth 100 points and students must complete an 80% or higher to receive a P for the course. Students will have one opportunity to make the necessary changes to the portfolio in the event he or she does not make an 80% or higher.

Criteria for Evaluation

This course is graded on a Pass/No Pass/Incomplete basis. In order to receive a passing grade (P), students must submit ALL of the assignments and accumulate at least 80% of ALL the assignments listed below. Incomplete (I) grades will only be given at the discretion of the Faculty Practicum Coordinator.

The Faculty Practicum Coordinator reserves the right to submit a “no passing” grade for any student who violates any university policy or any laws of the State of Indiana or the state in which the student is completing their practicum; or if the student engages in any acts which expose the USI Physical Education Department program to disrepute.

Assignments Points

Application 25

Practicum Work Agreement 25

Resumes 25

Cover Letter 25

Reference Page 10

Bi-Weekly Timesheets & Evaluation Logs 150-250

Employer Evaluations & Student Self-Evaluations (4) 100

Presentation 50

Showcase Portfolio 100 (minimum - 80%)

Total Points 510 to 610

80% passing grade 408 to 488

A No Passing (NP) grade will be given to the student for the following reasons:

·  Not completing all coursework with an 80% passing grade

·  A practicum that is unsupervised by the faculty coordinator in terms of

attending orientation, completing proper submission of application, practicum

work agreement, hours, etc. (may result in an incomplete depending on the

circumstances).

Incomplete Grades will be given for the following reasons

·  Insufficient hours

·  A practicum that is unsupervised by the faculty coordinator in terms of

attending orientation, completing proper submission of application, practicum

work agreement, hours, etc. (may result in a NP grade as mentioned above).

·  The student does not receive a minimum of 90% on the showcase portfolio.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Inclement Weather

The University has a weather alert system (RAVE). Students can sign up at http://www.usi.edu/emergency/alerts.asp and receive accurate and timely text information about weather related decisions - whether the university is open or closed for business. In the case of inclement weather, students need to exercise sound judgment about driving to class and make a decision based on their safety first.

ADA Accommodations

“If you have a disability for which you may require academic accommodations for this class, please register with Disability Resources (DR) as soon as possible. Students who have or who receive an accommodation letter from DR are encouraged to meet privately with course faculty to discuss the provisions of those accommodations as early in the semester as possible. To qualify for accommodation assistance, students must first register to use the disability resources in DR, Orr Center Rm. 095, 812-464-1961 http://www.usi.edu/disabilities. To help ensure that accommodations will be available when needed, students are encouraged to meet with course faculty at least 7 days prior to the actual need for the accommodation.”

Academic Dishonesty

The professor will take action if a student is caught cheating, fabricating, plagiarizing or facilitating any coursework, quizzes, and/or exams within this class (see penalties and procedures related to academic misconduct on page 14 of the syllabus). The following are explanations of what cheating, fabricating, plagiarizing, or facilitating coursework is considered:

“The benchmarks of any great university are high academic standards for both faculty and students. For this reason, truth and honesty are necessary to a university community. The University expects both students and faculty to adhere to these principles and to foster them daily. Put simply, this expectation requires each student to do his or her academic work without recourse to unauthorized means of any kind. Both students and faculty are expected to report instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty should explain the special hazards regarding academic honesty in their discipline. Faculty should also plan and supervise academic work carefully so honest effort will be encouraged. All of the prohibitions mentioned below also apply to the use of electronic, photographic, Internet-based, and other media for intellectual and artistic expression” (University of Southern Indiana 2007-2009 Bulletin, 2007, p. 299).

Cheating (USI 2011-2013 Bulletin, 2011, p. 279-280)

A student must not intentionally use or attempt to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.

1.  A student must not use external assistance during any examination unless the

instructor has specifically authorized such assistance. This prohibition includes (but is not limited to) the use of tutors, books, calculators, notes, formula lists, cues on a computer, photographs, and symbolic representations. Prohibition also includes transmission of information on any recording or communication device, such as cellular telephone, Internet appliance, digital camera, audio recorder, or personal digital assistant.

2.  A student must not copy from another student’s work, including (but not

limited to) a test paper, project, product, performance, or electronic document or file.

3.  A student must not take a test for someone else or permit someone else to take

a test for him or her. A student must not knowingly allow another student to copy one’s work in a test.

4.  A student must not submit, during the same semester, substantial portions of

the same academic work for credit or honors more than once without

permission from all of the instructors who may be involved. In the event a

student seeks to submit in a current course a substantial portion of the same

academic work submitted in a previous course, then only the current instructor

need approve.

5.  A student must not allow others to conduct research or to prepare any work for