Curriculum and Requirements

Course Offerings

Courses are offered in four six-week sessions during the year. Each course is .13 unit, except where noted.

Goals for the courses include: (1) engaging in physical activities that maintain and improve personal wellness; (2) fostering an appreciation of physical activities that will bring enjoyment and well-being while in college and in future years; (3) promoting comprehension of the benefits of physical activity on health; (4) developing practical athletic skills; (5) learning how to maximize the results of physical activity throughout life; and (6) developing a broad knowledge base regarding personal health and wellness.

The grading of activity-based courses is pass-fail, but these do not count against Kenyon's limit of 2 units of pass/fail credit. Sports Medicine and Wellness, CPR and First Aid, Lifeguard Training, Wilderness First Aid, and Topics in Human Performance receive a letter grade and count toward the student's grade point average. Evaluation criteria include attendance, effort, cooperation, written tests, subject knowledge, and physical proficiency. Students may take only one physical-education course per six-week session. PHSD courses may not be repeated for credit. Students may apply a maximum of .5 unit of PHSD courses toward the 16 units needed for graduation.

Physical Education Individual Study Guidelines

Given the nature of physical education courses at Kenyon, individual studies are approved rarely and only under extenuating circumstances. They will be approved only on formal petition to the dean for academic advising and support, the director of athletics, and the coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness. Documentation of the circumstances justifying a proposed individual study must be included with the petition. Petitions without documentable need will be declined.

Individual studies in physical education are intended to provide the student with the opportunity to pursue an independent investigation of a topic of special interest not covered, or not covered in depth, in the current curriculum. The investigation, which is designed in close collaboration with a current physical education instructor, may be designed to earn 0.13 or 0.25 unit of credit in a semester. Students may receive credit for no more than one individual study within the department, which counts toward the total of .50 PHSD credits allowable toward graduation.

Enrollment and Completion Procedures for Individual Studies

To enroll in a PHSD individual study, the student must:

1. Complete the petition process through documentation of need and present the petition to the dean for academic advising and support, the director of athletics, and the coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness. After approval, the student must complete the following no later than the seventh day of the semester:

2. Identify a member of the Physical Education Department willing to mentor the project. If the student is a varsity athlete, the student's coach or coaches may NOT serve as mentor.

3. Working closely with the mentor, draft a detailed course syllabus, including the following:

a. Individual study title
b. Topic background information
c. Desired course outcomes
d. Specific objectives necessary to achieve outcomes
e. Weekly topic schedule
f. Readings: at least one assigned reading per week for the duration of the individual study. Reading must have direct bearing on the topic of the study. The specific reading must be included in the syllabus, which must also include an electronic link to the text in question.
g. Meeting schedule: at least one hour-long meeting with the mentor per week for the duration of the individual study
h. Required assignment set 1: At least one detailed paper of ten to twelve pages on the assigned topic per .13 of credit desired for the individual study. Two papers of this length are required for a .25 credit individual study. Papers must be fully cited using APA or CSE formatting, and each must include at least eight references from accredited sources.
i. Assignment set 2: For courses that involve physical activity or internship/coaching/sport management-style activities as well as academic components, a complete journal of all daily and/or weekly activities must be included, and must contain, at a minimum:

i. Date
ii. Activity completed
iii. Specifics of activity
iv. Course objectives and/or outcomes met by completion of activity

4. Upon completion of the course syllabus, the syllabus must be turned in to the coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness for final topic approval.
5. Upon completion of certain units of the study (at set intervals during the semester) and at the final completion of all individual study courses, the requirements as presented in the course syllabus, as well as copies of all assignments and journals, must be presented to the individual study mentor and the coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness. A timetable of review and submission of these documents will be set by the coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness.
6. The mentor is to forward attendance records and recommended course grades to the coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness.
7. Final course grade will be the result of successful completion of all course requirements as reviewed by both the mentor and coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness. Grading will follow standard College procedures.