COSMA Annual Report 2025 - 26

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

SM 3050 (Sport Promotion and Sales) is designed to provide students with information and practical knowledge and skill competencies needed for marketing, promotion, and sales within the context of sport industries. Among the topics explored include strategic marketing, brand management, product development, and social media promotion.

For the marketing proposal presentation assignment, the students worked with a group to develop and present a comprehensive marketing plan for a sport brand or team of their choice. Prior to this assignment, the students applied course contents to build towards their presentations through information retrieval, market research, strategic planning, and idea generation. The proposal presentation assignment was the pinnacle of this semester-long project, where students were tasked to effectively deliver their work within the time limit (15 minutes) through organized slides and verbal communication.

Interpretation of the Results

As shown on the Student Assessment Results Summary Table, 88.9% of students in class successfully completed the presentation assignment, exceeding expectation. One group (4 students) that did not meet expectations delivered an underdeveloped presentation that needed further work overall.

The indirect measure was a one-item survey given to students in the section asking how they perceive their ability to convey information about the course contents in a clear, concise, and accurate manner. All students who participated in the survey (n=34) rated themselves a 3 or 4 on a 4-point Likert scale.

Action Plan: Assessment-based Changes to the Course

While most of the students exceeded verbal presentation expectations, there is room for improvement based on the assessment. Including the group that did not meet expectations, several groups relied on reading off slides during presentations. Although specific instructions were given, encouraging students to keep visual materials concise and less wordy, students were naturally inclined to create a safety net they can rely on to manage anxiety. In order to address this, I will dedicate more time in instructing students on how to effectively present their materials in a concise and engaging manner. Additionally, specific feedback will be given on verbal presentation skills on smaller presentations that precede this particular assignment.

SLO 4 – Measurement: Sport Promotion and Sales Presentation (SM 3050), Direct Measure

Indirect measure (Suggested Survey Question):

Q: After completing the course, I feel that I am able to convey information about sport marketing clearly, concisely, and accurately.

1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Agree
4 – Strongly Agree

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

Students enrolled in SM 3900 – Legal Aspects of Sport and Recreation are required to complete a Semester Project: Major League Baseball Salary Arbitration (“MLB Arbitration”). The MLB Arbitration is a dispute resolution system that is designed to determine annual salaries of eligible players under the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) in case of impasse in salary negotiation between clubs and players. Initially, students were assigned to multiple groups that represented either MLB teams or players. The groups mainly needed to complete three tasks during the semester: (1) arbitration prospectus; (2) memorandum; and (3) oral argument. The prospectus was a preliminary research paper that highlighted arbitrated players’ strengths and weaknesses, comparable players, market values of the arbitrated players, and asking salaries. The memorandum was a fully developed advocative paper in which students were required to present coherent arguments on behalf of their assigned clients (team or player). The oral argument was a set of adversarial proceedings in front of a presiding arbitrator (instructor) and a jury. As such, the semester project provides different direct assessment tools (i.e., memorandum and oral argument) for the two SLOs (2 & 4). Table 1 and 2 are grading rubrics for the memorandum and oral argument.   

During the oral argument, while a pair of student groups participated in the dispute resolution, the rest of the class not participating in the process became a jury that essentially evaluates the merits of the advocating arguments. Given the information presented to them, the jury determined the salary of the arbitrated player in terms of the midpoint analysis, a decision-making scheme specifically mandated under the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement. The jury must complete the midpoint analysis for each arbitration case. Students also performed self-assessment for the SLOs though a brief survey at the end of the semester.

Interpretation of the Results

The Student Assessment Results Summary Table indicates that students successfully met the expectation (80%) for the memorandum (SLO2) while they performed better (100%) for the oral argument in terms of the direct measure. The indirect measure revealed that they exceeded the expectation (100%) for both SLOs. According to the late submission policy of the course, students could earn 70% of what they scored on an assignment. Two student groups (20% of the class) could not meet the benchmark for SLO2 because they submitted their memoranda late.

The prospectus was not a direct measure for SLO2. But the assignment was a preliminary group research paper which had to demonstrate the foundational information to be developed toward the memorandum. The prospectus required students to explore many possible comparable players in the league and come up with the arguable market values of the arbitrated players in consideration of the CBA provisions that the real-world MLB Arbitration implements. Thus, it was a precursor of the student group’s overall performance in the semester project. One of the two groups that did not submit the memorandum on time was also late for the prospectus. The other group performed exceptionally well in the prospectus as well as oral argument, but they submitted the full memorandum late.

The instructor arranged a series of in-class group discussion sessions throughout the semester to check student groups’ progress. Although there was no sign of struggle or lack of within-group coordination, the result was not perfect. A more thorough monitoring system to make sure the group’s linear progress in the semester project would need to be implemented.

Table 1. MLB Salary Arbitration Memorandum (Direct Measure: SLO2)

Table 2. MLB Salary Arbitration Prospectus (Direct Measure: SLO4)

Action Plan: Assessment-based Changes to the Course

According to the data, student groups could not complete their memoranda on time despite the in-class group work sessions. Given the problem, the following changes will be implemented during AY 2026-27 to aim for better learning outcomes:

• More closely supervised group discussion sessions. While the instructor had occasionally set up group sessions where students exchanged their ideas, the sessions were basically student-initiated. The instructor would assign more specific goals for each group discussion session so that more linear development would be achieved.
  
  
• Integration of Artificial Intelligence. Large Language Model Artificial Intelligence (LLM-AI) would be a good information gathering tool, at least for the initial research stage for the semester project. Students may use the technology for the prospectus and memorandum under a set of clear guidelines. For instance, students will need to fully disclose to what extent they used the technology in terms of framing questions to elicit relevant information, input-output, revisions made, etc.
  
  
• Additional exam questions. There were extra credit questions on the midterm about some aspects of the MLB Salary Arbitration. Additional questions about the dispute resolution system will be included in the exam so that the students can be engaged with the whole concept more. 

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

SM 3950 – Applied Sport Sales was a new course the program piloted. It was designed to provide students with a hands-on introduction to sport ticket sales through a unique partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Students will learn fundamental sales strategies, relationship management, and fan engagement techniques while applying these skills in real-world settings. Through direct collaboration with Cavaliers sales executives, students will practice prospecting, pitching, and closing sales, as well as explore the role of ticketing in revenue generation and organizational success.

For the Lead Generation Form assignment, the students collaborated with peers to generate possible leads to reach out to in order to sell tickets. This assignment introduced students to the first stage of the sport sales process—prospecting. Students identified, researched, and qualified potential Cleveland Cavaliers ticket buyers using professional sales criteria and sport consumer behavior concepts.

The Lead Generation Form assignment supports the assessment area, “Students will collaborate with others in diverse group settings to promote teamwork and inclusion in sport,” by requiring students to work collaboratively to identify and evaluate potential ticket buyers using shared decision-making and professional sales practices. As students research and qualify prospective Cleveland Cavaliers customers, they engage in discussion, divide responsibilities, and synthesize diverse perspectives regarding consumer behavior, demographics, and purchasing motivations. The assignment encourages students to recognize differences in consumer needs and preferences, fostering inclusive thinking about sport audiences and fan engagement. By mirroring an entry-level sport ticket sales environment, students develop teamwork, communication, and collaborative problem-solving skills essential for working effectively within diverse sport organizations.

In the Sales Portfolio assignmentstudents design and execute a complete sales plan to sell ticket inventory for one designated Cavaliers home game, simulating an inside/group sales role for that specific date. All components (research, prospecting, scripts, role-plays, reflection) must reference that game explicitly, including opponent, date, time, and arena.​

Although completed individually, the Sales Portfolio assignment develops students’ capacity to collaborate effectively in diverse sport settings by requiring them to think strategically about varied consumer audiences and engage in peer-based role-play, feedback, and professional communication. The assignment simulates the collaborative nature of ticket sales departments, where employees coordinate outreach efforts, tailor messaging to diverse fan segments, and contribute to shared sales goals. Through research, prospecting, and game-specific sales planning, students build the interpersonal and inclusive thinking skills necessary for teamwork in sport organizations.

The Student Self-Assessment Survey (Indirect Measure) aligns with the assessment area, “Students will collaborate with others in diverse group settings to promote teamwork and inclusion in sport,” by asking students to reflect on their perceived growth in communication, teamwork, professional interaction, and understanding of diverse consumer populations within sport sales contexts. Survey items related to professional communication, confidence in sales interactions, relationship-building, customer needs identification, and career readiness provide indirect evidence of students’ preparedness to work collaboratively in sport organizations.

Interpretation of the Results

As shown on the Student Assessment Results Summary Table, students did a great job on the course assignments. All students in the course received at least a B (80%) on the assignments. I attribute this to the students understanding the connection between the course, the assignments, and the

The indirect measure was a survey given to students in the course. Because ticket sales require adapting communication to different consumer backgrounds, motivations, and needs, the survey indirectly measures students’ awareness of inclusion and ability to engage diverse sport audiences.  All students who participated in the survey (n=14) all rated themselves a 4 or a 5 on a 5-point Likert scale.

Action Plan: Assessment-based Changes to the Course

The students did a fantastic job in the course, but there is always room for improvement. I can increase the number of mock sales calls and role-play scenarios that require students to work with different classmates throughout the semester. Included in that can be structured peer feedback rubrics focused on communication, professionalism, and inclusive customer engagement. Within the role play scenarios, I can embed assignments requiring students to sell to varied consumer segments (such as, families, first-time attendees, corporate clients, older adults, youth teams, multicultural communities, fans with accessibility needs). These changes are intended to strengthen students’ teamwork competencies, communication skills, and ability to work effectively in diverse sport settings consistent with professional expectations in ticket sales.

Applied Ticket Sales Course
Student Self-Assessment Survey (Indirect Measure)

Purpose

This survey is designed to assess your perceptions of learning, skill development, and preparedness resulting from this course. Your responses will be used to improve the course and evaluate student learning outcomes.

Instructions

Please indicate your level of agreement with each statement using the scale below:
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Neutral
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly Agree

Section I: Knowledge of Ticket Sales Concepts

Section II: Applied Ticket Sales Skills

Section III: Professional Development & Career Readiness

Section IV: Course Learning Outcomes

Section V: Reflection Questions (Open-Ended)

1. What was the most valuable skill you gained from this course?
______________________________________________________________________
2. What aspect of ticket sales do you feel most confident about?
______________________________________________________________________
3. What aspect of ticket sales do you still want to improve?
______________________________________________________________________
4. Describe one way this course prepared you for a career in sport business.
______________________________________________________________________
5. What recommendations do you have to improve this course?
______________________________________________________________________

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

SM 4100 – Issues and Governance in Sport Organization is designed to provide students with information, knowledge, and skill competencies needed for understanding various sport governance contexts. The course begins with relevant theories such as organization theory, game theory, and legal foundations of governance. The class then explores geographical perspectives to understand macro-level problems and challenges in sport, i.e., local, national/regional, and international sport governance. Lastly, several key product-specific segments are explored by focusing on governance aspects, i.e., competitive balance issues in professional sport, strategic collaborations in sport media and goods/licensing, government role in fitness and wellness industry, value creation in sport marketing services, regulatory schemes in sport wagering, etc.

The Strategic Governance Analysis was a group semester project that required students to scrutinize real-world problems and challenges in different sport governance contexts and propose solutions. For the project, students proposed strategic collaborations or ways to enhance competitiveness for different sport governing bodies through three different work products, i.e., Prospectus, Memorandum, and Oral Presentation. Prospectus was a preliminary research paper where students had to explain the strategic aspects of the assigned governance cases. The memorandum was a fully developed paper that provides a comprehensive analysis for different sport governing bodies based on theoretical and conceptual foundations that students learned during early weeks of the semester. The Oral Presentation was performed to deliver the essence of the proposed plans. Table 1 is the grading rubric that was used as a direct and an indirect measure of SLO 2 (“Develop quality solutions to complex sport industry problems using informed reasoning skills”). By Week 7 of the semester, student groups could select one of two different governance contexts, i.e., either realignment/relocation of sport team franchises for a league or competition/collaboration policy between two sport governing bodies. They could choose specific sport organizations analyzed in the governance contexts. The combinations of the strategic contexts/organizations were Realignment/Team Relocation for MLB, Collaboration between NBA/EuroLeague, Realignment/Team Relocation for MLS, and Competition/Collaboration between NHL/KHL. A brief student survey was conducted to assess perceived group performance as an indirect measure for the SLO at the end of the semester.   

Table 1. Strategic Governance Analysis (SLO 2 Direct Measure)

Interpretation of the Results

According to the Student Assessment Results Summary Table, the direct measure indicates a better learning outcome (100%) than the indirect measure (89%). The indirect measure asked whether student groups could develop a quality solution to problems in the sport industry (“Our group could develop a quality solution to complex sport industry problem(s) by using informed reasoning skills” 1 = “Strongly disagree” 5 = “Strongly agree”). While most respondents answered either “Strongly agree” (10 students, 53%) or “Somewhat agree” (7 students, 37%), two students responded, “Strongly disagree” and “Neither agree nor disagree,” respectively. Although it is not clear that the negative feedback from two students was primarily linked to their learning experience or problematic within-group coordination, it is still noted.  

Action Plan

Throughout the semester, the instructor monitored group coordination by implementing multiple small assignments. But some additional checks on group collaboration might be called for due to the negative feedback from a few students.

• To motivate students to be engaged with their peers, each discussion session will require a progress report, which content would eventually be integrated into Memorandum. This piecemeal monitoring effort hopefully results in more visible linear progress made by student groups.
  
  
• Individual students may split different parts of the writing project with clear identifications of contributors. This would likely enhance students’ perception of fairness and accountability.
  
  
• Integration of LLM-AI technology. Large-Language Model Artificial Intelligence may become a good learning tool if used with clear guidelines and limits. Individual group members would be assigned to same assignments with a series of directions to utilize multiple AI platforms, provide various types of information, and ask different framing questions. This would help students understand how technology can be a powerful source if it is properly used. 

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

Students enrolled in SM 4250 – Sport and Gender were assessed on Student Learning Outcome (SLO) #5: Students will collaborate with others in diverse group settings to promote teamwork and inclusion in sport. The course was intentionally designed to develop this competency through a combination of case-based learning, collaborative project work, structured classroom discussion, and applied analysis of contemporary issues in sport. Collectively, these activities provided multiple opportunities for students to practice teamwork, navigate diverse perspectives, and engage in collaborative problem-solving.

A significant component of the assessment strategy involved in-class discussions centered on current events and their connections to historical and contemporary issues in sport. These discussions were designed to encourage active participation, critical reflection, and collaborative learning. Participation in these activities was required to meet the learning objectives of the course and was evaluated through a point-based participation assignment recorded in the gradebook.

Additional assessments were incorporated to support classroom discussion and promote students’ ability to apply course concepts to contemporary sport issues. These assessments included:

• Weekly and unit discussion boards, in which students co-created content by sharing examples, responding to peers, and engaging in collaborative analysis of course topics.

• Annotation assignments, which required students to critically engage with assigned readings and apply key concepts from the course to contemporary sport-related issues and events.

• Module reading quizzes, designed to assess comprehension of foundational concepts and theories presented throughout the course modules. The course content was organized into three primary modules, two of which included group project components.

The course also utilized collaborative group projects to simulate professional working environments commonly found in the sport industry. Students worked in teams to evaluate complex sport-related issues and develop evidence-based recommendations. To assess teamwork and accountability, each group project incorporated a peer-evaluation process in which students rated both their own contributions and those of their teammates. This assessment structure emphasized individual accountability within a collaborative setting and aligned directly with the learning outcome by requiring students to navigate group dynamics, communicate effectively, and coordinate efforts toward a shared objective. The group projects were specifically designed to mirror the collaborative problem-solving and organizational decision-making processes commonly encountered in sport management settings.

Interpretation of the Results

The assessment data represent a combined sample of 49 students enrolled during the 2025–2026 academic year. Results are reported for those assignments that most directly measured SLO #5: Students will collaborate with others in diverse group settings to promote teamwork and inclusion in sport. Overall, the findings suggest that students successfully achieved the intended learning outcome. The strongest evidence of achievement emerged from the collaborative assignments, including the group projects, peer evaluations, and structured classroom discussions. In contrast, the participation assignment was the only assessment in which a small number of students failed to meet expectations, with lower scores primarily reflecting attendance-related issues rather than deficiencies in collaborative skills.

Performance on the module projects, which served as the primary direct assessment of the learning outcome, was particularly strong. Approximately 80% of students earned scores of 80% or higher, indicating that the majority of students demonstrated proficiency in collaborative problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. The peer-evaluation component further supports this conclusion. Students reported positive group experiences and generally rated their peers highly for contribution, engagement, and accountability throughout the project process.

Peer- and self-evaluation data provide additional evidence of successful learning outcome attainment. Of the 49 students included in the assessment sample, 42 students were rated by their peers as exceeding expectations for teamwork and contribution within their project groups. These findings suggest that most students not only participated effectively in group settings but also demonstrated the collaborative behaviors necessary for successful team performance, including communication, responsibility, coordination, and respect for diverse perspectives.

Taken together, the assessment results indicate that the course design effectively supported the development of teamwork and collaboration skills. The combination of collaborative projects, peer evaluation, discussion-based learning, and applied analysis created multiple opportunities for students to practice and demonstrate the competencies associated with SLO #5. The consistently strong performance across these measures provides evidence that students achieved the intended learning outcome and were able to apply collaborative skills in a manner consistent with professional expectations within the sport industry.

Action Plan: Assessment-based Changes to the Course

As indicated by the assessment metrics across the 2025–2026 academic year, students demonstrated strong performance on the majority of course assignments and exceeded expectations on the primary student learning outcome related to collaboration and inclusion in diverse group settings. Students were particularly successful in working with peers to analyze complex issues in sport, engage in collaborative problem-solving, and contribute meaningfully to group projects. Peer-evaluation data further suggested that most students were viewed as valuable and engaged contributors to their teams.

While these results indicate that the course effectively supports the development of teamwork and collaboration skills, the assessment process also identified several opportunities to strengthen student learning and engagement in future iterations of the course. The following action steps are intended to maintain the strengths of the course while addressing areas for continuous improvement.

Planned Course Revisions

• Expand opportunities for structured dialogue on contemporary issues in sport.

The current political and social climate has created challenges for discussing some topics that are central to the course, particularly those related to gender, equity, inclusion, and social change in sport. In future semesters, additional structured discussion activities will be incorporated to create intentional spaces where students can critically reflect on sensitive topics, engage with multiple perspectives, and practice respectful dialogue. These activities will emphasize evidence-based discussion and facilitate students' ability to connect course concepts to contemporary sport issues.

• Integrate AI-assisted concept analysis activities.

Assessment results and classroom observations suggest that some students continue to struggle with several of the more abstract theoretical concepts presented in the course. To support learning, students will engage in guided AI-assisted exercises that require them to compare definitions, generate examples, identify misconceptions, and apply concepts to current events in sport. These activities will serve as formative learning opportunities that provide additional practice before major assignments and discussions.

Additional Recommended Changes

• Introduce collaborative reflection checkpoints throughout group projects.

Although peer-evaluation data indicated generally positive group experiences, students would benefit from more structured opportunities to reflect on team processes before the completion of a project. Future iterations of the course will include short progress reports or team check-ins that require students to discuss role allocation, communication practices, and group challenges. These checkpoints may improve accountability, reduce potential group conflicts, and provide earlier intervention when collaboration issues arise.

• Strengthen connections between course theory and applied sport industry examples.

Future course revisions will incorporate additional case studies, media examples, and current-event analyses that demonstrate how course concepts operate within real sport organizations. Providing more frequent opportunities to apply theory to authentic sport scenarios may enhance student understanding of complex topics while reinforcing the practical relevance of course content. This change is expected to support both classroom engagement and students' ability to transfer theoretical knowledge to professional contexts.

Expected Outcomes

Collectively, these revisions are intended to strengthen students' critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and collaborative skills while preserving the course's strong performance on the teamwork and inclusion learning outcome. Future assessment cycles will evaluate whether these changes improve student engagement with challenging issues in sport.

* During the 2025-26 academic year, the Sport Administration (M.Ed.) program was revised to meet current trends in the sport industry and graduate student needs and interests. The new M.Ed. program, Sport Administration and Kinesiology (SAK), establishes a curriculum (30 credits total) with a core set of courses (12 credits) and an additional 15 credits of coursework focusing on either Sport Administration or Kinesiology (See Appendix A). All students complete a 3-credit culminating experience. For more information, please see attached documents at the end of this report.

New student learning outcomes (SLOs) were created for the SAK program (See Table below). These new SLOs will be assessed starting with the 2026-27 academic year. SLO 1 and SLO 2 will be assessed in core and focus area courses. SLO 3 will be assessed in the culminating experience (internship with portfolio, project, or thesis). A revised Outcomes Assessment Plan is provided in Appendix B.

Student Learning Outcomes for Sport Administration and Kinesiology (M.Ed.)

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

Students enrolled in HMSL 6300 – Administrative Processes of Intercollegiate Athletics were required to complete a semester-long group project, i.e., Administrative Hearing, where they had to advocate different stakeholders and organizations in collegiate sport by proposing policies and/or regulations related to selected issues. For the semester project, groups worked on three different work products, i.e., Prospectus, Memorandum, and Oral Presentation.

Table 1 is the grading rubric that was used as a direct measure of SLO 3 (“Critically evaluate Sport Administration topics through writing”). An indirect measure was a one-question survey that asked students to conduct a self-evaluation of their performance (Q: “Our group could critically evaluate sport administration topics through writing”). During Week 7, student groups were assigned to different administrative cases in collegiate sport: (1) name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) regulations; (2) sport betting; and (3) third-party representation of student athletes. Through the Administrative Hearing at the end of the semester, groups shared policy proposals aiming to deal with the administrative topics. The memorandum was a persuasive writing through which groups advocated their stakeholders in the given contexts. Two groups worked on federal regulations of NIL transactions, on behalf of the NCAA and the Knight Commission, respectively. The third group worked on regulatory reform of the representation of student athletes in collegiate sport whereas the last group proposed sport betting policies in consideration of recent sport gambling incidents. At the end of the semester, students completed the one-question survey that was an indirect measure for the SLO.

For the memoranda, student groups had to explain the factual backgrounds of the topic and current status quo. By using scholarly articles, industry reports, and real-world legislative materials, they proposed regulatory schemes for the assigned administrative issues. Since the Administrative Hearing was an advocative argument, the written memoranda had to deliver persuasive messages by critically analyzing the topics based on relevant theories and policies.

Table 1. Grading Rubrics for Direct Measure

Interpretation of the Results

As shown on the Student Assessment Results Summary Table, students exceeded expectations for the direct as well as indirect measure. All students who participated in the survey (n=26) all rated themselves a 4 or a 5 on a 5-point Likert scale.

Action Plan: Assessment-based Changes to the Course

While the assessment data demonstrated successful learning experience of the students in terms of the SLO. There is room for improvement as one of the four groups scored 40 out of 50 points for the measured items (Analysis 1 and Analysis 2). Especially, the same group showed signs of struggle for the Prospectus, which was a preliminary research paper. Groups had to demonstrate their readiness to conduct in-depth research about the assigned topics. Thus, the instructor will implement the following measures for future group writing projects.

• Increase of class hours and additional assignments for the preliminary research so that the instructor may monitor student groups’ cumulative work products for the project.
  
  
• Integration of Large-Language Model Artificial Intelligence (LLM-AI) to provide more foundational information for the project. Since the technology must be used as a learning tool rather than an avenue for the final work-product, students will need to submit the whole process of interplay with LLM-AI (input-output, revisions, fact-checking for essential information generated by AI).
  
  
• Individual group members may split different parts of the writing assignment while their contributions are clearly indicated. This would improve each member’s accountability while facilitating more efficient and effective coordination and peer evaluations.

Brief Explanation of Assessment Tools

Students enrolled in HMSL 6360 – Social Psychology of Sport (Online) completed assignments related to the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) of: a) Evaluate and synthesize information appropriate to Sport Administration., and b) Argue in a persuasive manner on Sport Administration topics. For the direct assessment of the first SLO, the Article Critique Report required students to locate several scholarly, empirical articles related to a course topic. The professor would let the student know whether articles were appropriate or not for the critique and then the student selected one from the approved articles to critically evaluate and interpret for the report. For the direct assessment of the second SLO, students selected a sport psychology topic and then video recorded an interview of a sport professional or an athlete on that topic. Students were required to create interview questions that would connect the interviewee’s responses with sport psychology concepts and/or theory. This video recording was made available to the class to provide reactions and feedback about the video.

Due to scheduling issues, student needs, and anticipation of moving the M.Ed. program to 100% online, a decision was made to deliver this course in an online format. This was the first time that this course was offered for online delivery. Unfortunately, there was an oversight, and the indirect assessment that had been used in previous assessments was not done. However, select feedback from the student course evaluation will be provided as an alternative indirect assessment to provide some insight. Also, progress checks (e.g., practice or draft assignments) were included in the course and may provide some context and additional insight about each student learning outcome assessment.

Interpretation of the Results

As shown on the Student Assessment Results Summary Table, students met the benchmark expectation for the SLOs being measured in this course. That is, 15 out of 18 students, or 83%, earned a score of 80% or higher on one measurement tool (i.e., article critique report) and 100% of students (18 out of 18) earned a score of at least 80% on the other measurement tool (i.e., Video Presentation / Class Discussion Lead) based on the direct assessment of the SLOs. As this is a graduate course, it is not surprising that most students were able to analyze and interpret scholarly literature related to sport psychology or being able to facilitate a classroom discussion with their peers on the topic. For the three students who did not meet the criterion score of 80%, their score fell just below (i.e., 77%). The primary reason was that they needed to include more use of appropriate methodological terminology when discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the article. That being said, the students did quite well in locating appropriate articles, identifying strengths and weakness in their article, and facilitating a discussion through their video presentation. In fact, many students were quite comfortable and enthusiastic about the interview and conducted their interview in a professional manner.

For additional context to interpret the findings, various progress checks and multiple communication contacts were included in the course. For the article critique, a lower-value practice assignment for the article critique was included in the course. This allowed students to receive feedback about any missing elements that were not discussed and use this feedback to improve their score for the higher value article critique. In terms of communication, a student comment in the course evaluation stated, “Dr. Tobar is great at communicating with the class and allowing us time to complete each assignment.”

Similarly, for the interview, progress checks included selecting an appropriate topic and identifying an appropriate interviewee. Additionally, students submitted draft questions prior to their interview and the instructor provided feedback and suggestions. Students seemed to appreciate the feedback which may have contributed to their comfort and confidence in conducting the interview and the overall reception from other students about the videos. For example, in the course evaluation, one student commented, “The interview project and the lecture videos posted were extremely beneficial throughout the semester.”

Although only 5 of the 18 students completed the course evaluation, the overall mean was 4.93 out of 5. Thus, this finding offers some indirect evidence that strategies used in the online delivery of the course were perceived as being helpful and instructive and achieved the student learning outcomes.

Action Plan: Assessment-based Changes to the Course

As revealed in the assessment data, students did very well with meeting the benchmark for the SLOs measured in this course. Future assessments of SLOs utilizing this course will include an indirect assessment through use of a survey based on the assessment plan. That is, students will be asked questions related to perceptions about their ability to critically analyze sport administration topics through a) scholarly writing and b) evidence-based arguments. Survey items will be rated on a scale from 1 – Strongly disagree, 2 – Disagree, 3 – Agree, and 4 – Strongly Agree. Students reporting a score of 3 or 4 will be considered as meeting expectations regarding their perceived ability to complete the respective task.

For OEG 1, the faculty reflected on feedback from professionals regarding trends in sport industry and education enrollment. As noted in some of the internship supervisor feedback, the finance dimension was rated lowest among all dimensions. Upon clarification, supervisors and other industry professionals indicated that our students could benefit from a sales course. In Spring 2026, we offered an applied sales course with the Cleveland Guardians. This course will be offered again next year.

In addition, trends in graduate education and feedback from industry professionals identified opportunities to re-envision our graduate program. The Sport Administration graduate faculty, in collaboration with the graduate Kinesiology faculty, created the Sport Administration and Kinesiology (M.Ed.) program that is 100% online and can be completed in one year. More information is provided in Appendix A.

For OEG 2: we have always offered a number of professional development opportunities for our students, and these opportunities have been well received by our students. However, some additional opportunities were created based on experiences faculty had while attending conferences and continued interaction and collaboration with the Toledo Mud Hens and Walleye. This led to two separate opportunities: the NACDA Career Expo and the Toledo Mud Hens and Walleye Career Expo. Upon reflection of student interest and sport industry trends in data analytics, we also offered a one-year Executive-in-Residence position to the Vice President of Fan & Business Intelligence for the Toledo Mud Hens and Walleye. These opportunities are in addition to a number of other opportunities we offer or support for students to get professional development, such as networking, career/job fairs, and work experience at multiple sport events (e.g., Super Bowl, Columbus Blue Jackets, Cleveland Guardians), hosting professional development speakers, resume workshops, writing and article publishing (e.g., Richard A. Maxwell Media Watch), and more.

For OEG 3, the faculty are primarily engaged in participation in academic conferences. This participation includes presentations of our scholarly research, networking with other sport industry researchers and professionals, and exploring the latest trends in the sport industry, and the faculty believes this is appropriate for our position as university faculty. However, one of our faculty members is involved with sport industry consultation, and the remaining faculty will continue to explore opportunities for additional sport industry consultation.

In sum, all goals were achieved. Nonetheless we are continuing to review and examine our curriculum and professional development opportunities to ensure that our students are receiving the necessary academic and professional experience to be successful in the sport industry.