SMGT 611 Foundations of Outdoor Adventure Sport

This course will provide an in-depth examination of the philosophical, ethical, ecological, and cultural foundations of outdoor recreation and adventure sport. The emphasis is on studying the interaction of the participant in the experiential environment as it relates to the complex challenges faced by management professionals working in public, commercial and not-for-profit sport and recreation delivery systems.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


The rapidly expanding body of knowledge regarding outdoor adventure sport, outdoor recreation, action sports, extreme sports, lifestyle sports and the increased demand for specialized knowledge of experiential and resource management within the recreational sport management profession requires competent managers to acquire a broad base of understanding. As a result, in order for students to be effective outdoor sport and recreation managers, they must understand the philosophical, ethical, ecological, and cultural discourse that serves as a knowledge base for decision makers.


Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (5)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in five Discussions. A discussion consists of an initial thread and two replies to other students’ threads, applying a biblical worldview as appropriate. Each initial thread for a discussion should contain a minimum of 400-500 words and each reply should be at least 200 words. This promotes writing that is thorough, yet concise enough to permit classmates to read all the posts. Attention to good grammar and spelling is imperative, and appropriate references should be made in APA format. First person writing is allowed in the posts.

Reading Report Assignment

After reading Dustin et al.’s book, Stewards of Access/Custodians of Choice, the student will write a five-page paper on the information in the book. The student will summarize the book in the first third of the paper. In the second third of the paper, the student will critique and evaluate the book. In the final section, the student will apply the book to himself/herself and/or his/her situation. Appropriate sub-headings and APA formatting should be used. The Reading Report must be submitted through Turnitin.

Outdoor Adventure Philosophy Project: Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Before beginning the Final Paper, the student will create an Annotated Bibliography consisting of a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed sources. It should not summarize the article or book, nor should it list the article’s content; rather, it should briefly explain:

  1. the author’s main point or argument;
  2. the author’s method or approach; and
  3. the place of the piece in the literature as a whole (e.g., does the author agree with other scholars).

The Annotated Bibliography, as a whole, should provide a solid overview of the existing research in the area that the student is studying.

Outdoor Adventure Philosophy Project: Final Paper Assignment

The student will be required to compose a personal philosophy paper (between 10 to 15 pages). This is arguably the most important paper the student will write; however, this is not expected to be a finished product that will never change. The student should draw from all of his/her readings and classes during the semester and from his/her personal experience using this paper to articulate personal outdoor adventure philosophy. The student should consider the significance of natural and protected areas from personal, cultural, ecological, ethical, political and/or economic perspectives. The Final Paper should address the role of wilderness in the student’s personal life and the value of wilderness to society and ecological systems. The student should discuss how he/she thinks adventure sports and outdoor recreation should be managed in light of his/her personal convictions and biblical worldview. A minimum of 10 peer-reviewed articles must be used to support ideas; citations must follow APA format. The paper should have a title page, abstract, and reference page (not included in total page count); all content should be formatted in APA style. 

Quizzes (3)

The student will complete three open-book/open-notes quizzes encompassing material from both required texts. The student will be given one hour to complete five short answer/essay questions. The answer to each question must show critical thinking skills, personal reflection, and be underpinned by course content.

Outdoor Fundamentals Written Exam Assignment

A comprehensive open-book/open-notes final quiz will be utilized to measure the student’s ability to recall, analyze, and apply the concepts covered in the course. The student will answer four essay questions from the questions provided; each answer must be a minimum of one page and cite two peer-reviewed sources.


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