Dr. Cheryl R. Rode, associate professor in the College of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management at Niagara University, recently published an article titled "Sport Management Experiential Learning: Faculty Perceptions of Opportunities, Benefits, & Supports" in The COSMA Journal.
In the article, Dr. Rode explored the varied experiential opportunities available in college sport management programs in the United States, including in-classroom activities, internships, practicums, cooperatives, and service learning. Four themes were present after reviewing the data: a variety of internships and experiential learning opportunities, practical application, networking, and resources available to faculty. The themes presented showed the importance of experiential learning opportunities, the range of experiences in sport management programs, and the perceptions of the faculty, she noted.
“Experiential learning is an important aspect in any learning program, but in sport management programs, it might be considered essential to the learning process and post-graduation career success,” Dr. Rode said. “In many instances, more than one type of experiential learning is being used to enrich the student’s experience and prepare them for post-graduate careers.”
Dr. Rode joined Niagara University in fall 2017. Her research focuses on sport tourism and on gender issues within sport including women in sport, transgender issues in sport participation, and experiential learning in sport management settings. She has been published in the Global Sport Business Journal and the Journal of Sport, and has presented at several regional, national, and international sport management conferences, including the North American Society for Sport Management, College Sport Research Institute, and Sport Entertainment & Venues Tomorrow.
She received a B.S. in horticulture, a B.S. in agriculture science with teacher certification, and an M.S. in kinesiology with a concentration in sport management from Texas A&M University. She received her Ph.D. in sport studies with a concentration in sport management from the University of Tennessee.