Catalog

Academics > Catalog > 2011-2012 > Courses of Instruction > PE

Physical Education

The charge of a liberal arts education includes opportunities for intellectual, physical, and spiritual development; the offerings of the Department of Physical Education encourage physical well-being, cultivate leadership, and provide opportunities for collaboration. Courses and activities are coeducational and introductory unless otherwise labeled. They are designed to instruct students in various lifetime physical recreative activities that will provide a foundation for a healthy, physically active lifestyle. Activities offered may emphasize one or more of the different components of physical fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, coordination, agility, learning skills of a sport/activity, weight loss and increase of lean body mass, and maintenance of good fitness.

Physical education courses emphasize physical activity and fitness components and are based on active participation, which allows the student to accrue the physical, social, and healthful benefits of the activity. Regular physical activity is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle; it prevents disease and enhances health and the quality of life. Students are encouraged to select an activity that will offer a new exposure, develop skills in an activity with which they are already familiar, or supplement a current fitness program.

More information on the physical education and athletics programs is available on the websites (www.bates.edu/PE.xml; www.bates.edu/sports.xml).

Activity Courses

Activity courses provide all students with an opportunity to build a foundation for a lifetime of enriched living. The department offers a diverse program of seasonal physical recreative activities in a setting of instructional physical education. Specialized courses in outdoor activities utilizing Maine's natural resources as well as many traditional activities courses are available to all students.

Required Physical Education

The program consists of two activities courses, each ten weeks in length and scheduled for two periods per week. Students are required to successfully complete this program in order to graduate. They are strongly urged to complete the requirement during their first year in residence. All students are encouraged to participate in this program beyond the two-activity requirement on an elective basis.

Physical education activity courses include: alpine skiing, badminton/pickleball, ballet, ballroom dance, bowling, conditioning (beginning and advanced), cross-country skiing, 5K-race running, golf, hip hop dance, ice skating, indoor climbing, individual fitness programs, karate, kickboxing, Latin dance, modern dance (beginning and advanced), pilates, racquetball, self-defense for women, snowboarding, snowshoeing, squash, strength training, swimming, Telemark skiing, tennis, wallyball, and yoga.

Theory and Study

The courses cited below are designed for students planning careers in education and for those wishing to study the role of physical recreative activities in modern society. Students considering professional careers in physical education, coaching, recreation, and related areas should confer early in their college careers with the chair of the department.

Courses

PE 250. Ethics and Human Rights in Sports.

Sports play a major role in most cultures. Issues pertaining to sports and culture—and the ethical choices made surrounding these issues—can have a significant impact in the lives of people everywhere. This course examines some of the philosophical, political, economic, sociological, religious, and legal issues associated with sports. Topics include corporate ethics and sports, gender issues, racism and sports, ethical decision making, and specific sports-related human rights issues. Designed for first- and second-year students. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Normally offered every year. G. Purgavie.

PE 360. Independent Study.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.

Short Term Courses

PE s20. Methodology of Coaching.

This course explores various methodologies of successful coaching. Students complete the American Sport Education Program's Coaching Principles Course, which leads to a level of certification widely accepted in secondary schools. Topics include the development of a coaching philosophy; sports psychology; sports pedagogy; and team management. In addition to the classroom component, the course involves a service-learning component, in which each student coaches in an assigned elementary school or another community program related to youth development and mentoring. Enrollment limited to 25. G. Purgavie.

PE s50. Independent Study.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.