Dr. Jess Ponting
Office: PSFA 450
jess.ponting@sdsu.edu
Ph: 619 594 8499
Office Hours.
Tues/Thurs 11am- 12pm
Hi, I’m Dr. Jess Ponting, your instructor for
RTM 101. Before coming to San Diego I
worked in recreation and sustainable
tourism research in Australia, Indonesia,
Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.
Being in the recreation and tourism field is
to work in an industry that serves
communities and makes the lives of others
better. We’re in the business of making
people feel happy and fulfilled in their lives.
A career in recreation and tourism really is a
career with meaning.
I work hard to make this class interesting
and relevant to you and your future career. I
value your feedback and I’m always happy
to help you with any questions you might
have through the semester. Please read this
syllabus carefully as it outlines everything
you’ll need to do to do well in this class.
Course Description
Hello and WELCOME to RTM 101 Recreation and Tourism
Management! Over the semester you will gain an
understanding of all three emphases within the RTM
major: Recreation Systems Management; Outdoor
Recreation; and Sustainable Tourism. The class
investigates the vitally important roles that recreation
and tourism play in society to maintain happy, healthy,
communities and individuals. Utilizing sociology,
psychology, and consumer theory, the meaning of
leisure, recreation and play are explored in their
historical and contemporary contexts. Additionally you
will carry out research into generational change in
recreation and leisure, you will research your dream job
and how to get it, and you will interview visitors to a San
Diego tourist attraction as o part of a group project. The
class involves readings, guest speakers, video, field
research, and the use of new blended learning teaching
technologies including online assignments, quizzes, and
exams.
RTM 101 Fall 2015 - 3 Units
Schedule# 22927
August 25th – Dec 10th
TTh 9:30 – 10.45 AM
WC 210
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Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Explain the role of leisure in meeting physical,
psychological, and sociological needs of the individual
and community.
Articulate the nature of a variety of professional
opportunities in the recreation, parks, and tourism
industries and demonstrate an understanding of how to
strategically position yourself for a chosen ‘dream job’.
Synthesize the concept of recreation and discuss key
issues relating to recreation delivery systems, outdoor
recreation management, and sustainable tourism.
Explicate current trends and key future issues in
recreation and tourism.
Discuss the history of global tourism and analyze issues
relating to the commercialization of the tourism product.
Articulate the diversity of stakeholders involved in the supply of the tourism product and
interpret factors influencing tourism demand in both destinations and tourist generating
regions.
Design, conduct, and analyze primary research relating to a tourism attraction in San Diego
and prepare a professional report detailing findings and recommendations.
RTM 101: Recreation & Tourism Management (3 Units)
Course Components
Online Exams x 2 (140 points: 2 x 70 points)
Dates: Oct 8-13. Dec 10-20
Two online exams will be given to measure your
comprehension and retention of key concepts from course
lectures, guest speakers, and readings. These exams will be
objective in nature (matching, true-false, multiple choice).
You will be able to take the exam anytime, anywhere with a
reliable internet connection, while the exam is opens. Exams
will close at 11.59pm on the closing day.
Online Quizzes x 4 (40 Points: 4 x 10 points)
Dates: Aug 27 – Sept 1, Sept 3 - 8, Nov 5-10, Nov 12-17.
Four online quizzes will be taken throughout the semester.
Quizzes will test comprehension of reading and may be
taken anytime anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
Quizzes will open on a Thursday after class and close the next
Tuesday at 8am before class.
2
San Diego Tourism Research Project (130 points)
Date: Dec 10
Profiling tourists to San Diego. Working in groups, you will go out in to the field and interview
tourists visiting an attraction in San Diego. The data collected will form the basis of a report
which develops a profile of visitors to that particular attraction. A more detailed outline of the
assignment will be provided during the semester.
Cyber-Days x 2 (80 points: 2 x 40 points)
Dates: Sept 10 (due 8am Sept 16), October 23 (due in-class October 28)
Two classes are allocated as “Cyber-Days”. On these days rather than attending normal classes
you will participate in online assignments which will involve reading, online research, and in
some cases, collection and analysis of primary and secondary data. Assignments are to be
uploaded to Blackboard.
Cr/NC Online Assignments x 2 (10 points 2 x 5 points)
Dates: Sept 18, October 7th (Due online 11.59pm same day)
Like cyber-days, there is no class on these days but you will
be given an online task to complete.
Missed Exams, Late Assignments, Grade Re-evaluation:
You must complete exams by their assigned time/date except for serious and compelling
reasons. Assignments are due at the required class meeting unless otherwise arranged by the
instructor. Late assignments will be reduced at the rate of 5% of the total possible points per day
except for serious and compelling reasons. You are required to provide documentation for any
absence before the student is allowed to make up missed work. Students participating in
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University activities (such as sporting events) are expected to give each instructor a statement
before the absence signed by a responsible official that specifies the dates and times the
student will miss class. The instructor will revise grades up to one week after they have been
released; students must have read the instructor’s comments regarding their grade and have
outlined their argument for re-assessment in advance of requesting a re-evaluation of their
grade.
Writing Format: All written assignments are to be typed, double spaced, applying a 12-point
Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins. Assignments are to be referenced using APA style
referencing. Students are required to spell-check their work before submitting it to the
instructor.
Grading
Assignment of final semester grades will be based upon the following percentage system
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
Percentage (%)
93 and above
90-92.9
87-89.9
83-86.9
80-82.9
77-79.9
73-76.9
70-72.9
60-69.9
59.9 and below
Final Mark
372 and above
360 to 371.9
348 to 359.9
332 to 347.9
320 to 331.9
308 to 319.9
292 to 307.9
280 to 291.9
240 to 279.9
239.9 and below
Evaluation
Final course marks will be determined by the percentages (as above) derived from the
following weighted assessment tasks
Assessment
Points
Percentage
Exams
140 (2 x 70points)
35%
Online Quizzes
40 (4 x 10 points)
10%
Cyber-Days
80 (2 x 40 points)
20%
Online Assignments Cr/NC
10 (2 x 5 points)
2.5%
San Diego Tourism Project
130
32.5%
Total
400
100%
Learning Environment
This course will involve lectures, discussion of assigned readings, in-class exercises including the
use of ‘clickers’ (see below) group exercises, videos, etc., it is very important that students
attend class in order to learn. Students are responsible for the course material covered in class.
SDSU’s course management system, BlackBoard,, will be employed to make all course-related
communication, syllabus, lectures, and assignments available to students. In addition, students
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will be utilizing BlackBoard to post completed assignments. In case of lack of familiarity with the
BlackBoard system, please obtain immediate training through Student Computing Services.
Additional Information
 Late arrivals to class and early departures will
lose participation points.
 Please turn off your cell phone while class is in
session
 You are responsible for obtaining all course
information and materials, including
assignment instructions, missed as a result of
absence from class.
 All written assignments are to be typed with
12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch
margins. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period, and assignments that
are late will incur a 5% deduction per day (including weekends) in overall grade for that
particular assignment. Email attachments will not be accepted.
 Since writing is an important component of this class, always spell-check your work before
submitting it to the instructor. Assignments with spelling, grammatical, and/or formatting
errors will be penalized via point deductions.
 Developing academic and professional writing skills is
an important part of your education. As such be sure
that essays follow correct essay format and that
reports follow correct report format (further
information will be supplied during semester).
Additionally it is very important that you learn to
reference secondary sources of information correctly
and in APA style. As such, correct format and
referencing will strongly influence the grade you
receive for written work.A guide to APA referencing is
provided on the class Backboard site.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
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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
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Statement on What I Can and Can’t Do To Assist You
I will do everything within reason to actively support a wide range of learning styles. I will also do
everything possible to make this class as well-organized and straightforward as possible so that
students may be successful. My concern is for ALL of the students in the class, making sure that
everything is fair, and that everyone has the opportunity to earn the highest grade possible.
For those who would seek special treatment:
Over many years of teaching I have found that, recently, the number of students who seek special
consideration at the end of the semester has increased. This practice is especially common among
students who have missed quizzes or done poorly on the midterm exam.
Seeking special favors is not fair to all the hard-working students who have
kept up with the course work over the entire semester and reflects a lack
of integrity. Furthermore, university policy does not allow professors to
change grades or permit individual students to earn extra points without
that same opportunity being available to every student in the class.
If you are concerned about your grade the time to do something about
that is right now at the beginning of the class and throughout the full semester.
If you must have a certain grade in the class to meet eligibility requirements for a major, a
scholarship, athletics, or graduate school then it is your responsibility to see that you earn that
grade. Out of respect for hard-working and honest students in the class, and university policy, I
cannot provide special treatment for individual students. Although it is my hope that everyone is
successful, that will ultimately be up to each of you. The course is
designed to reward your efforts. If you want to do well in the class you will.
Extended deadlines for “emergency” situations:
You must present written documentation (police report or notice from
Student Health Services, for example) and meet in my office during office
hours to make up quizzes or exams. Otherwise, you lose all the points for
missed quizzes and half the points for a missed exam. Don’t needlessly
lose points by missing quiz and exam deadlines. If you can’t manage your
time effectively, I encourage you to drop the course immediately.
Accommodations for students with disabilities:
I will accommodate students with physical
and/or mental disabilities and will protect
student confidentiality regarding disability
issues. Eligible students must provide “Authorized
Academic Accommodations” from Student
Disability Services. Please visit that office for
details.
Academic Integrity
The faculty and staff demand the highest levels
of academic and professional integrity in all work
at San Diego State University. Plagiarism,
cheating on exams, copying another students work, or any other type of academic dishonesty will
be referred directly to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for disciplinary action. You will
also receive zero points on the exam or assignment which all but guarantees failing the class. Most
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important, if you cheat you are sacrificing your personal integrity and compromising hard working
and honest students.
Pathways to Excellence:
To help you get the most out of your education in our school we have put together the
following pathways to excellence. It outlines our commitment to you, and also what we expect
from you in return.
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Tentative course calendar for RTM 101
Lecture Date
Topic
Assignments/Exams/Activities
1
Aug 25 Intro to Course
2
Aug 27 Recreation & Leisure in
Reading 1: Chapter 1 in Stevens, Murphy,
contemporary American Society Allen & Sheffield (eds) 2010 “A Career
with Meaning”, Sagamore, Urbana.
Online Quizz 1 on Reading 1 Opens
3
Sept 1 Problems defining leisure
Online Quizz 1. Closes. 8am
4
Sept 3 Blended Learning – No Class
Cyber Day Assignment 1. Leisure &
Generational Change.
5
Sept 8 Theories of play and leisure
Reading 2. Russell (2009) “Explaining
Leisure” Chapter 2 in “Passtimes: The
Context of Contemporary Leisure”. Online
Quizz 2 Opens.
6 Sept 10 Theories of play and leisure
Online Quizz 2. On Reading 2 Closes. 8am
7
Sept 15 Periods of leisure and recreation Cyber Day Assignment 1. Due by 8am.
in America & Important figures in
the development of the
recreation profession in America
8
Sept 17 Blended Learning – No Class.
Online Assignment 1. Historical Figures
Online Assignment 1. Historical
Due online, upload to blackboard by
figures.
11.59pm
9
Sept 22 Guest Lecture: Dr Larry Beck
Introduction to the Outdoor
Recreation Emphasis
10
Sept 24 Guest Lecture: Prof Gene Lamke
– Introduction to the Recreation
Systems Emphasis
11
Sept 29 Marilee Gorham: City of
Encinitas Recreation
Department
12
Oct 1 RTM Alumni Guest Lecturers
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Oct 6 Blended Learning – No Class.
Online Assignment 2. National Parks. Due
Online Assignment 2. Watch
online by 11.59pm
national parks video and
complete online assignment
and upload to Blackboard
14
Oct 8 Pre-Exam re-cap
Online Exams Opens
15
Oct 13 Blended Learning- Work on
Online Exam Closes 11.59pm
Cyberday 2
Cyber Day 2. Job Skills Reading 3:
Stevens, C.A. (2010) Chapter 2 in Stevens,
Murphy, Allen & Sheffield (eds) “A Career
with Meaning”, Sagamore, Urbana
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Oct 15 Online video & discussion – intro Watch video & participate in discussion
to ecotourism.
forum
17
Oct 20 Introducing Group Project
Forming Groups for Major Project
18
Oct 22 Time for Group Work – No
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19
20
21
Lecture
Oct 27 Tourism History
Oct 29 Tourism History
Nov 3 Tourism Statistics and Demand
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23
24
Nov 5 Theories of Tourist Motivation
Nov 10 Theories of Tourist Motivation
Nov 12 Theories of Tourist Motivation &
Practical Applications
25
Nov 17 Tourism Supply – Online Lecture
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27
28
29
30
31
32
Nov 19
Nov 24
Nov 26
Dec 1
Dec3
Dec 8
Dec 10
Tourism Supply – Online Lecture
Thanksgiving Week
Thanksgiving week
Tourism Supply
Tourism Issues
Time in class for Group Project
Presentations
Reading 4: Walker & Walker (2011)
Tourism Concepts and Practices, Chapter
2 Motivation for Leisure Tourism. Pages 38
– 48.
Online Quizz 3 On Reading 4 opens
Online Quizz 3 closes 8am
Reading 5. Sloan, Legrand & Chen (2009)
Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry
Chapter 1. Online Quizz 4 on reading 5
opens
Online Quizz 4 closes 8am
No Class
No Class
Group Assignment Due/Group
Presentations/Peer Evaluation
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