Dale Adkins, Chair

Full Faculty Listing  

The Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education is an innovative, diverse and forward-thinking academic unit consisting of three program areas:

• Physical Education Activity (PEA) program offers a variety of General Education Wellness Literacy courses that prepare students to participate in health-enhancing physical activity throughout their lives;
• Health, Physical Education and Coaching (HPEC) prepares students for careers as K-12 health and physical educators, school-based activity directors and coaches;
• Recreation Management (RM) prepares graduates for careers as recreation management professionals.

Student organizations that are supported by the department include the Recreation Management Association and the Health, Physical Education and Coaching Club.

The Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education programs and student organizations are supported by high quality faculty who engage in effective teaching, germane scholarly activity, and relevant service.

Health and Physical Education, K-12 (with teacher licensure) (HPE)

Graduates earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education (HPE), K-12 Teaching will be prepared to assume the challenging role of 21st century educators who are capable of and committed to improving school-aged children’s health and wellness. Twenty-first century health and physical educators must possess the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to advance psychomotor, cognitive and affective learning in both the classroom and movement-centered instructional environments. Accordingly, the HPE degree is nationally accreditated (NASPE/NCATE BTS) at the unit level and state program approval (NCDPI) to ensure that teacher candidates achieve desired outcomes. Graduates with Appalachian State University’s HPE degree will:

• Be prepared for licensure as K-12 Health and Physical Education Teachers;
• Be competent instructors, committed-ethical leaders, and reflective practitioners committed to lifelong professional development;
• Employ empirically validated planning, instruction and assessment behaviors;
• Possess the ability to impact school-aged children’s health and wellness in positive, meaningful, and sustainable ways;
• Work to resolve, in a proactive, collaborative and responsible fashion, community, state, and national health issues.

Health and Physical Education Curriculum

The health and physical education curriculum consists of 45 semester hours and operates in a coordinated sequence and utilizes a cohort grouping system. This structure allows for a vertical model of integration where salient knowledge and skills are initially introduced and systematically developed across the curriculum through a variety of highly connected classroom, laboratory, and field-based teaching- learning experiences. Each successive teaching-learning experience across the curriculum requires the integration of increasingly sophisticated content knowledge and pedagogy. Additionally, HPE majors select an 18-semester hour Second Academic Concentration (SAC) and complete 24 semester hours of Professional Education coursework, which includes a 12-semester hour Student Teaching internship as part of the degree requirements.

The HPE program promotes the development of health and physical education professionals who are prepared to advance the fitness, psychomotor, cognitive and affective learning of school-aged children.

Recreation Management (RM)

Students completing the Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management are prepared for careers in outdoor recreation, experiential education, travel and tourism, club management, recreation program management, city, state and national park management, and resort recreation.

Physical Education Activity Program (PEA) - General Education Wellness

As part of Appalachian State University’s General Education Program, all students are required to complete two semester hours of Wellness Literacy courses. The PEA program offers a wide variety of activity-based courses that meet General Education Wellness Literacy and CORE Physical Activity/Wellness guidelines.

PEA program courses are based on current guidelines for appropriate practice in college/university physical activity instruction programs outlined by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). Courses reflect the following premises: education is the central mission; emphasis on motor skill acquisition and health-related physical activity; curriculum and instructional practices reflect sensitivity to individual students and societal needs; and the promotion of values consistent with safe, lifelong participation in health enhancing physical activity.

The PEA program is dedicated to enhancing student wellness through activity-based learning experiences and is committed to assisting students to develop as physically literate individuals. A physically literate individual has learned the skills necessary to perform a variety of physical activities, participates regularly in physical activity, is physically fit, knows the implications of and the benefits from involvement in physical activities, and values physical activity and its contributions to a healthful lifestyle.

PEA program courses are graded on a standard A-F letter grade basis.

Programs

• Health and Physical Education, K-12, BS
• Recreation Management - Commercial Recreation & Tourism Management Concentration, BS
• Recreation Management - Outdoor Experiential Education Concentration, BS
• Recreation Management - Recreation and Park Management Concentration, BS

• Sport Science and Coaching Certificate

• Recreation Management Minor
• Sport Science and Coaching Minor

Courses

• P E 1840 - Softball (1)
• P E 1850 - Archery (1)
• P E 1873 - Alpine Skiing (1)
• P E 1874 - Intermediate Alpine Skiing (1)
• P E 1876 - Alpine Snowboarding (1)
• P E 1877 - Intermediate Alpine Snowboarding (1)
• P E 3520 - Instructional Assistance (1)

• R M 2000 - Nature and Youth (3)
• R M 2100 - Leisure in Society (3)
• R M 2110 - Introduction to Recreation and Leisure (3)
• R M 2120 - Leadership and Group Dynamics in Recreation (3)
• R M 2130 - Principles of Commercial Recreation and Tourism (3)
• R M 2140 - Natural Resources: Becoming an Informed Citizen (3)
• R M 2210 - Recreation Resource Management (3)
• R M 2220 - Principles of Outdoor Experiential Education (3)
• R M 2310 - Administration of Leisure Services I (3)
• R M 2400 - Leisure and Lifespan (3)
• R M 2410 - Recreation Program Planning (3)
• R M 2500 - Independent Study (1-4)
• R M 3140 - Camp Management/Conference Center Management (3)
• R M 3151 - Climbing Site Facilitation (2)
• R M 3152 - Ropes Course Facilitation (2)
• R M 3153 - Water-Based Paddlesports (2)
• R M 3154 - Outdoor Experiential Education Laboratory (3)
• R M 3155 - Wilderness First Responder (3)
• R M 3156 - Wilderness and Remote First Aid Instructor (3)
• R M 3157 - Environmental Education Skills (3)
• R M 3161 - Swift Water Rescue (1)
• R M 3210 - Inclusive Recreation (3)
• R M 3220 - Planning and Design of Leisure Facilities (3)
• R M 3221 - Aquatic Facility Management (3)
• R M 3222 - Lifeguarding Instructor (3)
• R M 3223 - Aquatics/Water Safety Instructor (3)
• R M 3230 - Commercial Recreation Management (3)
• R M 3235 - Introduction to Sport Management (3)
• R M 3236 - Sports Officiating I (3)
• R M 3237 - Sports Officiating II (3)
• R M 3241 - Travel and Tourism (3)
• R M 3242 - Tourism in Costa Rica (3)
• R M 3243 - The Cruise Line Industry in a Cultural Context (3)
• R M 3244 - Coastal Tourism: A Field-Based Understanding (3)
• R M 3315 - Career Development in Leisure Services and Recreation (1)
• R M 3500 - Independent Study (1-4)
• R M 3520 - Instructional Assistance (1)
• R M 3530-3549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• R M 3561 - Leisure Services Promotions (3)
• R M 3610 - Administration of Leisure Services II (3)
• R M 3630 - Interpretive Methods (3)
• R M 3900 - Recreation Practicum (3)
• R M 3910 - Disney College Program Practicum (3-6)
• R M 4110 - Evaluation in Recreation and Leisure Service Management (3)
• R M 4140 - Outdoor Leadership (3)
• R M 4141 - Outdoor Recreation Policy Development (2)
• R M 4210 - Senior Seminar (2)
• R M 4450 - Seminar in Tourism Development (3)
• R M 4560 - Leisure and Aging (3)
• R M 4600 - Ski Area Management Seminar (3)
• R M 4900 - Internship (1-12)