Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Course Format:
This course is taught face-to-face. You will attend class in the physical classroom during the regularly scheduled day/time. You will be expected to attend class, participate in class activities, and independently complete homework outside of class by assigned due dates.
Contact Information
1.0
Upon successful completion of this course…
1. The student will be able to define the philosophical terms used.
2. The student will be able to Identify and explain the ethical positions of the different issues discussed.
3. The student will be able to explain and defend one’s own ethical beliefs regarding these issues.
Woods, R.B., & Butler, B.N. (2021). Social Issues in Sport (4th edition). ISBN: 9781492593850
Course Description:
A study of moral issues in sports, including the relative fairness of performance, enhancing drugs and techniques, cheating and deception, the role of violence in sports, and the nature of sportsmanship. Other topics may include ethical issues in youth sports and the economics of sports.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the class, the student should be able to:
Understand the philosophical terms used.
Identify and explain the ethical positions of the different issues discussed.
Develop and defend one’s own ethical beliefs regarding these issues.
Tentative Schedule
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
Weekly Assignments Note: Subject to Change look at Blackboard for Assignments
Week 1 8/24-8/28 – Foundations of Sport & Ethics
Chapter: Ch. 1 – Sport and How We Study It
Focus Paper: How sport reflects society’s values and how to apply ethical frameworks.
Case Study/Dilemma: A high school football coach schedules mandatory practices on a holiday important to some players’ families. Should players be penalized?
Discussion Prompt: How do cultural values and ethics interact in sport policymaking?
Week 2 8/31-9/4 – Business, Media, and Moral Responsibility
Chapter: Ch. 3 – Impact of Sport Business, Management, and Media
Focus Paper: Commercialization, sponsorship ethics, and media influence.
Case Study/Dilemma: A pro team accepts a large sponsorship from a sports betting company. Should they reject it to avoid promoting gambling?
Discussion Prompt: Where’s the line between profit and social responsibility in sport?
Week 3 9/7-9/11 – Youth Development and Moral Growth through Sport
Chapter: Ch. 4 – Youth Sport and Development through Sport
Focus Paper: Ethical responsibilities in youth sport, positive development, and protection of young athletes.
Case Study/Dilemma: A youth league emphasizes winning over development, leading to limited playtime for weaker players. Is that ethical?
Discussion Prompt: Should youth sport prioritize skill development over competitive success?
Youth Sport Review Paper: Youth Sport Review. State of Play: Trophy Kids
Week 4 9/14-9/18 – Leadership and Moral Standards in Sport
Chapter: Ch. 5 – Coaching and Leadership in Sport
Focus Paper: Ethical leadership, role modeling, and athlete well-being.
Case Study/Dilemma: A winning coach verbally berates players and pushes them to play injured. Should their methods be tolerated for the sake of victories?
Discussion Prompt: Should coaching success be measured more by wins or by player development?
Week 5 9/21-9/25 – Core Principles of Sporting Behavior
Chapter: Ch. 8 – Sporting Behavior, Ethics, and Moral Behavior
Focus Paper: Sportsmanship, moral decision-making, and fair play.
Case Study/Dilemma: An athlete admits to faking an injury to gain an advantage. Gamesmanship or unethical conduct?
Discussion Prompt: Where is the ethical boundary between competitive strategy and cheating?
Reaction Class Paper: Netflix series Bad Sport (Hoop Schemes)
Week 6 9/28-10/2 – Social Issues in Sport
Chapters: Ch. 9 – Race, Ethnicity, and Sport/Ch. 10 – Gender and Sport
Focus Paper: Discrimination, access, and gender equity in sport.
Case Study/Dilemma: A college cuts a women’s sport to save money while men’s sports are overfunded. Should funding be equally divided by gender or by revenue?
Discussion Prompt: Is equity about equal funding, equal opportunity, or both?
Week 7 10/5-10/9 – Politics, Policy, and Power in Sport
Chapter: Ch. 14 – Government, Politics, and Sport
Focus Paper: Political influence, governance, and athlete rights.
Case Study/Dilemma: An athlete is banned for political protest during a medal ceremony. Should sport be separate from politics?
Discussion Prompt: Can sport truly be “apolitical,” or is it always tied to societal issues?
Week 8 10/12-10/16 – Controversies and Future Ethical Challenges
Chapter: Ch. 15 – Deviance, Doping, and Violence in Sport
Focus Paper: Cheating, doping, and athlete safety.
Case Study/Dilemma: A star athlete tests positive for a banned substance but claims it came from a trainer’s supplement. Should intent matter?
Discussion Prompt: How should sport balance fairness, safety, and redemption when rules are broken?
Blackboard Site:
All non-textbook readings, assignment guidelines, student grades, PowerPoints, and the course schedule are posted to the course Blackboard site. Students must log onto the site on a regular basis to ensure they are prepared for class and are completing the required assignments.
In Class Discussion and Group Work:
Written Assignments:
Written assignments must be typed using (12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins and formatted according to APA guidelines). All papers must be submitted as a PDF file via Blackboard prior to the start of class on the due date. Written assignments will be evaluated based on both the quality of writing and the content of the subject matter. Proper APA formatting, including citations and references when applicable, is required. Errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or APA style will result in a lower grade.
Copyright Policy:
This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
Workload:
A minimum of two hours of student work per week is expected for each credit hour awarded for the class. This means that students enrolled in an online 4 credit hour course over a full semester should anticipate spending at least 8 hours of work each week to complete the requirements of the course.
The grading scale will be as follows:
Description of Course Requirements
Reaction Class Papers (Hoop Schemes): 50
Youth Sport Review (Trophy Kids): 50
Participation: 50
Weekly Chapter Assignments: 80
Discussion Post: 80
Mid Term Exam: 100
Final Exam: 100
Total: 510 pts
Grades will be calculated on the following scale:
93-100=A | 90-92.99=A- | 87-89.99=B+ | 83-86.99=B | 80-82.99=B- | 77-79.99=C+ |
73-76.99=C | 70-72.99=C- | 67-69.99=D+ | 60-66.99=D | <60=F
When a student’s final grade falls within (.01 - 1% point), the professor may use his own discretion in increasing the student’s earned grade to the next highest letter grade. For example, an 89.5% may be increased to an A- instead of a B+. In this determination, the professor will examine the student’s class preparedness, behavior in the classroom and outside class activities, and overall studious behavior.
Focus Papers:
Reading Focus Papers: Write a one- to two-page discussion on what you consider to be the most important point(s) from each assigned chapter. You should not summarize the reading. Instead, focus on your analysis and interpretation. Some questions to help guide you: What was the central issue? What stood out as a moral dilemma? How does this connect to broader themes in the course?
Requirements:
- One-to-two typed pages,
- Standard fonts (Times New Roman, Verdana, etc.), standard font size (12 pt.)
- Double-spaced,
- Standard margins (1’’ or 1.25” all around).
Youth Sport Review: Trophy Kids
Each student will watch the documentary Trophy Kids and submit a one-to-two-page synopsis on the moral and ethical situations that were portrayed throughout the documentary. The paper should also reflect your personal feelings regarding current youth sport programs in America and its future.
Requirements:
- One-to-two typed pages,
- Standard fonts (Times New Roman, Verdana, etc.), standard font size (12 pt.)
- Double-spaced,
- Standard margins (1’’ or 1.25” all around).
Examinations:
There will be a Mid Term Exam and a Final Exam (200 points total). Each will be an exam consisting of a mix of short answers and essay questions. The structure is open to the instructor’s discretion. The exams will cover an instructor's designated selection of material. Unless explicitly declared otherwise, students should expect any material covered in any reading, lecture, or discussion to be fair game for an exam question.
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance Policy
The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
- Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips).
- Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician, if possible. In relation to students experiencing COVID19 related symptoms or illness, students should be provided an excused absence and should not be penalized for electing not to attend physical classes in these instances.
- Family or personal emergencies.
- When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous.
Wilmington College recognizes that reasonable attendance requirements will vary somewhat between disciplines, professors and even an individual's courses. The purpose of this policy is to ensure all concerned are clear about expectations in a given course. Faculty members are expected to accept the College's basic definition of excused absences in their individual policies and monitor attendance, but faculty members may also choose to accept other absences as excused (entirely at the discretion of each faculty member). Students are expected to be responsible for informing faculty members about excused absences (including documentation, if required) and for arranging to make up all work missed because of absences. An excused absence in no way removes this responsibility or obligates the professor to provide a student with special assignments or opportunities.
Good communication between students and faculty members is essential in cases of excused absences. Students are responsible for initiating this communication and in a timely manner as possible. Students who will have to miss class to represent the College should provide schedules of these absences to the faculty member as soon as they are known. In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to discuss excused absences with affected faculty members and to provide documentation of the excused nature of the absence, if the faculty member requires it.
Students should notify the Office for Academic Affairs (ext. 240) if they are unable to attend classes for one week or more (e.g., due to surgery, extended illness, etc.). Extended absences (up to two weeks without notification to the Office of Academic Affairs) can result in immediate administrative withdrawal from the College. In addition, during any term, a pattern of non-engagement or four or more academic alert notices in multiple classes can also result in immediate administrative withdrawal or suspension. Non-engagement is defined as missing classes, refusal to adhere to College policies, non-attendance, non-responsiveness to attempts to communicate, or a combination of these factors.
Students in this course will be rewarded for missing no more than 2 unexcused absences. Students will be penalized for any unexcused absences after their second occurrence. This deduction will equate to 5 points per excessive absence from student’s Class Preparedness score.
Note: Use of cellphone, improper use of laptop, and “excessive” bathroom breaks qualify as an unexcused absence.
Late Assignments Policy
Late assignments will NOT be accepted and will be given a 0. Students are responsible for completing all course requirements and for keeping up with all activities of the course whether they are present in class or not. Students are responsible for keeping a copy of their work, on their computer or hard copy, until they have received a grade for all written assignments.
Classroom Behavior
Students and faculty share responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment in the classroom. Civility and respect create a safe and productive atmosphere in which students can achieve.
The definition of disruptive behavior is at the reasonable discretion of the faculty member teaching the class, and determination of whether a specific behavior is disruptive resides within the authority of the faculty member. Examples of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Showing disrespect for and displaying poor manners toward any faculty member or other students.
- Disruptive or inappropriate use of technology and electronic devices in the classroom, such as Cell Phones, Headphones, and Computers.
- Persistent speaking without being recognized or interrupting other speakers.
- Persistently entering class late or leaving early without an excuse or the faculty member’s permission.
- Threats, harassment, or personal insults of any kind directed toward any faculty member and other students.
A faculty member has the discretion to impose sanctions for disruptive behavior in their classrooms. Some of the sanctions may include: a formal apology, dismissal from the class in which the disruptive behavior occurs, and/or referral to Student Affairs for resolution of the situation.
Dismissal from class due to poor student behavior will result in an unexcused absence.
Academic Integrity:
Students are reminded that presenting the work, ideas, writing, or concepts of others as one’s own constitutes a serious violation of academic integrity and fundamental academic trust. Such behavior is unacceptable at Wilmington College. Any instance of academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment and may, at the instructor’s discretion, result in failure of the course. The instructor will enforce Wilmington College’s policies regarding academic misconduct, including applicable penalties and guidelines related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI). All students are expected to adhere to the College’s Academic Honesty Policy as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog and the current Student Handbook. These policies address examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the procedures for handling allegations of academic misconduct.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
ADA statement that reads, Americans with Disabilities Act: If you have a documented disability that requires accommodations, contact Spencer Izor, the Associate VP for Compliance: spencer.izor@wilmington.edu, 937-481-2365, or visit her office in College Hall, Room 306.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: FA26 Final Exam Schedule
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
Class Attendance Policy Institutional Class Attendance Policy |