RTM 475
Commerical Recreation and Attractions Management
Spring, 2015 – Schedule # 22749
Tuesdays/Thursday, 9:30-10:45
Professor Gene Lamke
Office Hours: MTWTH 11:00 am–11:50; by appt.
Room: ENS 291
glamke@mail.sdsu.edu
PSFA 431 – 619-206-7747
Course Catalog Description:
Analysis of commercial recreation field, including design, development, programming and
marketing aspects of various commercial recreation enterprises.
Course Overview:
This course is a project oriented course that explores for-profit leisure, recreation, hospitality,
and tourism businesses in society. Students work in groups to master the theories, strategies and
techniques necessary to operate and manage businesses that seek to make money from offering
leisure and hospitality services.
Structure:
This class is highly participative. The course sessions will include lecture, discussion, guest
presentations, field trips, videos, and in-class group work related to attractions, events and
commercial recreation management. Student teams will develop business plans. Drafts of the
plan components, beginning with an environmental and industry scan and ending with the
financial forecasts, will be created as the course progresses. Class sessions will include a variety
of teaching methods to demonstrate the principles and key issues students will apply during the
development of the plan.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
 Understand and discuss the attractions industry/businesses, its key success factors and
profit drivers, and the business principles of strategy, marketing, service, operations, and
financial management as they relate to managing an attraction/event or commercial
recreation business.
 Understand and utilize data sources to conduct an environmental scan of the major
trends in the operating environment and the industry. Also, summarize key trends and
data as they relate to a specific attraction/event or commercial recreation business
conceptualized by the student.
 Identify and analyze various commercial attraction businesses in San Diego through
participation in structured field experiences. Student should also be able to summarize
their analysis through written case studies.
 Apply course principles in the product, customer, employee and financial areas.
This will occur by correctly utilizing the principles and theories covered during the
course to complete sections of an attraction business plan.
 Develop and showcase a plan for a commercial recreation business or attraction.
Students will be able to develop a business plan and participate in a forum showcasing
the plan’s main concepts and desired results as an active application of the course’s key
concepts and principles.
Industry or Profession Competencies:
This course emphasizes the following competencies identified by industry professionals:
Planning
Time Management
Numberwise
Creative Decision Making
Superior Technical Service
Professionalism
Superior Expressive Service
Resources:
Since I utilize a variety of materials from a variety of academic and professional sources, there is
not a required textbook for the course. Students will work to develop a resource guide of current
articles and data sources through their experience in this course. I will supplement and identify
additional resources within the profession. The templates for the business plan will be provided
by me. Students are required to use Word, Excel, Blackboard and PowerPoint for assignments as
requested.
Blackboard:
SDSU’s course management system, Blackboard, will be employed to make all course-related
communications including announcements, the syllabus and course calendar, lectures, and
assignments available to students. In case of a lack of familiarity with the Blackboard system,
please obtain immediate training through Student Computing Services.
Assessment and Grading:
Weighting of Graded Items
Exam 1
Field Experiences – 2 of 3 @ 25 pts each
Business plan – components, showcase & notebook
Total Course Points
100 pts.
50 pts.
250 pts.
400 pts.
Assigning Final Course Marks
Final course grades will be determined by a percentage of points possible based on the following
system:
A = 90% (360 pts.)
C- = 69% (276 pts.)
A- = 89% (356 pts.)
D+ = 68% (272 pts.)
B+ = 88% (352 pts.)
D = 60% (240 pts.)
B = 80% (320 pts.)
D- = 59% (236 pts.)
B- = 79% (316 pts.)
F = below 59% (235 pts. or less)
C+ = 78% (312 pts.)
C = 70% (280 pts.)
I always strive to be fair towards students. Do not assume things - ask!! If you have a problem,
see me. If you need help, see me. If you do not understand something, see me. I can always be
reached by email. Please, I want you to succeed and learn. If you need anything to achieve that,
please communicate with me.
The Business Plan:
Section
Research
Product Section
Customer Section
Employee Section
Financial Section
Plan Showcase
Notebook
Total
Due
Points
25 points
25 points
25 points
25 points
25 points
75 points
50 points
250 points
Assignments/Components:
Drafts of the plan components are due throughout the course according to the schedule above.
Students receive points for the plan components as the course progresses, as well as for the final
plan. If you must miss a class or an assignment, I encourage you to make advance arrangements
with me so you can complete the assignment upon your return (if warranted). I generally do not
accept any late work.
Optional Industry Experiences:
You will have opportunities in San Diego to get involved in the industry. Professionals in the
RTM/HTM industry are solidly behind this school and offer job shadows, training sessions,
meetings, and other mentor opportunities. Students are encouraged to make contacts, learn about
the tremendous array of opportunities in the field, and engage themselves in practical
experiences to complement the classroom experiences (before, during, or after this course).
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately, within the
first two weeks of the semester, to discuss specific accommodations for which they have
received authorization. If you have a disability, but have not contacted Student Disability
Services at 619-594-6473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an
appointment to see me.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is simply the use of others’ words and/or ideas without clearly acknowledging their
source. As students, you are learning about other people’s ideas in your course texts, your
instructors’ lectures, in-class discussions, and when doing your own work. When you incorporate
those words and ideas into your own work, it is of the utmost importance that you give credit
where it is due. Plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, is considered academic dishonesty and
all instances will be reported to SDSU’s Office of Judicial Procedures. To avoid plagiarism, you
must give the original author credit whenever you use another person’s ideas, opinions,
drawings, or theories as well as any facts or any other pieces of information that are not common
knowledge. Additionally quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words; or a
close paraphrasing of another person’s spoken or written words must also be referenced.
Accurately citing all sources and putting direct quotations – of even a few key words – in
quotation marks are required. For further information on plagiarism and the policies regarding
academic dishonesty go to the Course Catalog section on Standards for Student Conduct
(41310). This and other information regarding student conduct can also be accessed at
http://coursecat.sdsu.edu/catalog/UP.pdf
Pathways to Excellence
Success in life is the result of exhibiting certain attitudes and behaviors. Sometimes students
don’t know what these attitudes and behaviors are, and so we thought it would be a good idea to
list them clearly and concisely. In addition, we’ll ask you to make a deal with us. . .to give us
your word that you will strive to be the kind of person that is successful in our School and who
will be successful in future endeavors. Please access this complete document at this course’s
Blackboard site under Course Documents.