MGMT 362 - Intercollegiate Athletics in Higher Education

(3 credits)

This course examines ethical theory and moral reasoning as applied to sport and athletics. Students will explore contemporary ethical dilemmas in amateur, intercollegiate, and professional sport. Emphasis is placed on developing structured ethical decision-making skills and applying ethical frameworks to real-world cases involving governance, athlete welfare, equity, performance enhancement, commercialization, and leadership.

Students will examine the conceptual framework for ethical decision-making using sports as prism to examine normative perspectives. Varied ethical perspectives are analyzed through the conflicts presented in critical sports-related questions. Course readings and lectures examine the theoretical constructs of ethical decision-making from Christian and non-Christian positions, giving specific attention to Franciscan values and the Franciscan Goals of Higher Education.

Athletes, coaches, physical therapists, trainers, and sport managers in sport frequently face difficult decisions and dilemmas, often with ethical and moral implications. It is therefore critical for current and future participants and leaders in sport to explore their understandings of moral and ethical concepts and principles and how these understandings inform decision-making and policy in sport. This course will challenge students to examine ethical issues central to contemporary sport. Students will learn to recognize moral questions, understand various ethical theories and how to apply them to solve moral problems, and develop an appreciation for philosophic inquiry concerning a pervasive and powerful part of American society.

This course is designed for college administrators and coaches from all disciplines with the intent of enhancing the understanding of the role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education. Through an in-depth consideration of the history, present, and future of sport within the context of colleges and universities, students are prepared to work effectively with athletics administrators, coaches, and student-athletes in the campus environment. Class participants will examine the role intercollegiate athletics plays within the higher education community and the larger society. The reasons for the often-perceived divide between the academics and athletics “sides” of campus is examined, as well as ethical issues facing sports in higher education today.

This course examines the governance, leadership, finance, compliance, and contemporary challenges of intercollegiate athletics. Students explore NCAA structure, conference systems, athletic department organization, revenue generation, NIL, media influence, diversity and inclusion, and student-athlete welfare. Emphasis is placed on practical application through case studies, a practicum or strategic analysis.