Baker University’s Department of Health, Sport and Human Performance updated course curriculums in three of their majors and added a new sports administration major that will take effect in the 2007-2008 academic year to better prepare students for future careers.
“We wanted to look critically at all of our programs and ask ourselves, ‘Are we up to date?'” said Wayne Osness, chair of the department of health, sport and human performance. “Are we really doing the best we can for our students?”
Osness said the addition of the sports administration major, which has a required business minor, is a result of society’s progression toward sporting events developing into a profitable business.
“Most cities now, in the chamber of commerce, hire someone with their sole responsibility to bring to that city sport activities that will bring people into their city because they’ll spend money,” he said.
Osness said cities with quality sports venues realize the ripple effect within their community caused by tax revenue brought in from hosting sporting events, but they also need to understand the specifics of the business aspect. For that reason, the sports administration major requires a business minor.
“You need to know accounting and managing techniques, and you need to know how to handle personnel,” he said.
Osness said he thinks the new major will become as popular if not more so than the exercise science major that was added a year ago.
“In just one year for exercise science, we have 36 declared majors,” he said. “I’m assuming we have 50 or 55 in the program. I suspect sports administration will be even greater than that.”
Athletic Director Dan Harris said the addition will only enhance the university as a whole.
“I personally think it will become one of our top majors on campus,” he said.
Osness said one of the most interesting aspects of the new major is the last semester consisting of clinical experience involving working with a faculty member and other students in a seminar.
“You’re full-time for that whole semester working in a sports management setting,” he said. “I suspect we’ll have some of our people working with the Kansas City Royals and some working with the Kansas City Chiefs.”
He said other possibilities for student clinical experience would be working at the state games, fitness centers and various cities’ chambers of commerce.
“We want to make sure that when one of our students walks into an interview and (employers) start asking them ‘What kind of courses have you had? What skills do you have?’ and on and on, that our people are going to be on the top of the list,” he said.
Exercise science major Jade Geuther said she likes the idea of a new major in the department.
“I think it is a good addition to the university,” she said. “It gives students who are interested in sports another option besides exercise science or athletic training.”
In addition to the new major, Osness said the department added more rigorous courses for health/physical education majors who are not seeking teacher certification. The exercise science major also incurred course changes, including more science and biology classes so students understand how the human body reacts physically and biologically to processes like calorie consumption, various climates and physical exertions.
“Our program was very sport oriented – thinking a lot of the physical education teachers are also coaches – and that made sense,” he said. “However, in today’s world, physical education teachers are also usually responsible for the wellness program in the school district and particularly with today’s problem of obesity.”
Osness said students’ understanding of biological science and exercise physiology of the human body is essential for exercise science majors today more than ever, particularly because the health of America depends on their capabilities.
“It’s pretty easy to go into a weight room and look at the resistance equipment and look at the diagram as to how you do it and start doing it,” he said. “It’s much more scientific than that these days and so our majors have to be ready to do that.”
university as a whole.
“I personally think it will become one of our top majors on campus,” he said.
Osness said one interesting aspect of the new major is the last semester consisting of clinical experience involving working with a faculty member and other students in a seminar.
“You’re full-time for that whole semester working in a sports management setting,” he said. “I suspect we’ll have some of our people working with the Kansas City Royals and some working with the Kansas City Chiefs.”
He said other possibilities for student clinical experience would be working at the state games, fitness centers and various cities’ chambers of commerce.
“We want to make sure that when one of our students walks into an interview and (employers) start asking them ‘What kind of courses have you had? What skills do you have?’ and on and on, that our people are going to be on the top of the list,” he said.
Exercise science major Jade Geuther said she likes the idea of a new major.
“I think it is a good addition to the university,” she said. “It gives students who are interested in sports another option besides exercise science or athletic training.”
In addition to the new major, Osness said the department added more rigorous courses for health/physical education majors who are not seeking teacher certification. The exercise science major also incurred course changes, including more science and biology classes so students understand how the human body chemically reacts.
“Our program was very sport oriented – thinking a lot of the physical education teachers are also coaches – and that made sense,” he said. “However, in today’s world, physical education teachers are also usually responsible for the wellness program in the school district and particularly with today’s problem of obesity.”
Osness said students’ understanding of biological science and exercise physiology of the human body is essential for exercise science majors today, particularly because the health of America depends on their capabilities.
“It’s pretty easy to go into a weight room and look at the resistance equipment and look at the diagram as to how you do it and start doing it,” he said. “It’s much more scientific than that these days and so our majors have to be ready to do that.”