Welcome to Class. Here is where the syllabus lives. Please note that the schedule of the syllabus may change slightly. I will keep you up to date with any changes.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O0wWglrtABN4Y5ih6Pd1qsH9JAV8Er75/view

what's the business closet?^

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18egqSt3slx_X7M6sR8NCqUZMco4lGMFQ/view

Business closet- how to access^

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkgLE53cgg36qxUejOsU0JwLPcnzChgE2 SM 301 playlist link^

Download it here -> SM 301 Syllabus.docx

PROFESSOR: Caleb Thornburg, MA

Office Location: Williams Gym

Office Hours: M/T/W- 9-10:00am, 11:00-12:00pm

Email Address: thornburgc@carolinau.edu

Carolina University Mission Statement

We are a Christ-centered university committed to student success.

Course Information

Course Prerequisites

N/a

Course Description   

This course includes the elements that shape the planning and construction of sports

facilities and the issues and problems involved in facility and event management, including

marketing, production, personnel, and budget. Students may participate in the

management of events. This course also includes visits to local facilities and a series of

guest lecturers who are experts in the field.

Course Delivery and Methods

This hybrid course will include an in-person class once a week, followed by discussions, assignments, and a final project submitted online.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the historical roots and evolution of sports events, highlighting their

significant roles in societal development and emphasizing the importance of

Understanding stakeholder relationships for effective event management within the

global sports events industry.

2. Identify the organizational structures of international and national sports governing

bodies and their utilization of events for the development and promotion of their

respective sports. This involves examining the relationships between governing bodies

and other event organizers, such as governments, educational institutions, clubs, and

commercial promoters, to understand the dynamics of event management within the

sports industry. Additionally, assess the impact of centralized governance on the global

calendar of sports events and its implications for standardization and accessibility

across different scales of events.

3. Develop a comprehensive event planning process model that ensures strategic

consideration of long-term legacies for major international sports events, incorporating

a staged approach with clear progression, iterative adjustments based on evaluation

feedback, and the establishment of SMART objectives to facilitate continuous

monitoring and alignment with event goals.

Course Resources

Required Texts:

Managing Sport Events 2^nd Edition

By T. Christopher Greenwell; Leigh Ann Danzey-Bussell; David J. Shonk

ISBN: 9781718217638

Required Resources:

N/a

Recommended Resources:

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com – We will use this website to discuss current sports venue news.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/index.html - great resource for reminders on how APA formatting works.

Course Requirements and Assignments

Final Grades are weighted. More information about each category is displayed below:

Participation 20%

Every class time and online time, there will be multiple opportunities to participate in class. Understanding each student learns and communicates differently, there will be several unique opportunities to earn a satisfactory grade. Participation can include: contributing to the discussion board, coming to class prepared (reading/listening/ watching that week’s materials), discussing the weekly topic, conversing with others in class by responding and respecting what others might say, responding to the QOTD (Question Of The Day), and other various group work. Participating in classroom activities will not only ensure a pleasing grade but also prepare the student for success in the field of sports business.

Discussions 20%

All students will contribute to the Discussion Forum prompts on a weekly basis. There will be six (6) discussions throughout this class. These discussions will come from the book. Each Student must provide:

-initial post responding to the prompt (150-200 words). This post will include a reference (the book we are using, or an outside source, such as a journal or article). Post the reference with the correct APA citation for full credit. This post is due every Thursday at 11:30 pm.

-Engage with two classmates' posts (75-100 words each post) by responding to continue the academic conversation. Due every Sunday at 11:30 pm.

Assignments 40%

Throughout this class, there will be four (4) assignments that each student must submit:

- One (1) full page of academic writing that is correctly formatted in APA (Purdue OWL).

- College-level opening and closing paragraphs, as well as two (2) to three (3) main points throughout the body paragraph(s). The opening and closing paragraphs can be small compared to the body paragraphs.

- Thoughtful and academic writing that responds to and answers the topic or question within the prompt.

- Contains two (2) references that are properly APA cited (reference page). One cite must be from the book, the other can be from the book as well, or any other scholarly articles. Due on certain Sundays at 11:30 pm.

Final Project 20%

The final project will require 2-3 students in each group to analyze and research a current sporting venue. The students will

1. Pick a venue from the following
   1. Sofi Stadium
   2. Wembley Stadium
   3. Yellow River Sports Center
   4. Allegiant Stadium
   5. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
2. Investigate the history, capacity, its past and current tenants (teams who play/ use the facility), the staff/ organization group who manage it (CEO,  CFO, Stadium Operations).
3. Find out the profitability of this venue and why. How much did it cost? What’s the region and economy around it because of the facility?
4. What new technologies are being used in the facility? How is the venue keeping up with the high volume of visitors (vendors: security, parking, concessions/merchandise)?
5. What’s one thing that could be implemented to improve the venue? E.g., a new parking deck near the stadium that provides more ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) parking, because reviews of the stadium are negative when it comes to ADA accommodations.
6. Find a 15-30second video highlight (embedded in the presentation) from that venue that showcases a popular game or concert that happened there.

The final project will consist of a PowerPoint presentation in class, along with a full page of notes for the speakers to reference (also submitted online before presentation day). The PowerPoint will contain:

1.  1 Opening (Names, venue chosen, etc.)  and 1 closing slide (references).
2. 6-8 informational slides answering the topics above. Presentation time, not including the QA portion, should last between 5-7 minutes.
3. Pictures of the venue that might refer to what the student is talking about at a certain point in the presentation.
4. A minimum of 4 properly referenced resources throughout this project.  An APA-formatted reference slide on the last slide of the presentation.
5. A time for other students to ask questions about the venue/ presentation.

Course Schedule

*Subject to Change

Week 1

08/18/2025 to 08/24/2025

• Discussion Board 1(no references required this week). Due Sunday 11:30 pm. In the Lecture Video.
• Review Textbook Chapters 1 & 2
• Watch Lecture Week 1
• Watch SWOT Analysis
• Be prepared to discuss chapters next week.

Week 2

08/25/2025 to 08/31/2025

• Discussion Board 2. Original post due Thursday 11:30 pm. Two responses due Sunday 11:30 pm.
• Assignment 1.
  • Job Description
    • Research a job within event management. More specifically, pick a venue, find someone in that current job at the venue, and discuss their role in event management. Look for a job opening in this field- what does this role require (education, experience)? See Assignments for specifics.
• Review Textbook Chapters 3 & 5
• Watch Lecture Week 2
• Watch Sport Commissions
• Be prepared to discuss chapters next week.

Week 3

09/01/2025 to 09/07/2025

• Discussion Board 3. Original post due Thursday 11:30 pm. Two responses due Sunday 11:30 pm.
• Assignment 2.
  • Olympic Overview
    • Briefly explain the bidding process for a country to host the Games and what costs are associated with it. How does sponsorship work inside the Olympics? See Assignments for specifics.
• Review Textbook Chapters 6 & 7
• Watch Lecture Week 3
• Watch Olympic Sponsors
• Be prepared to discuss chapters next week.

Week 4

09/08/2025 to 09/14/2025

• Discussion Board 4. Original post due Thursday 11:30 pm. Two responses due Sunday 11:30 pm. In the Lecture Video.
• Assignment 3.
  • ADA Compliance
    • Americans with Disability Act-  What is this act? What does it look like for a venue to comply with ADA? What risks are involved if a venue is not ADA compliant (legal, logistical for visitors, etc.). See Assignments for specifics.
• Review Textbook Chapters 8 & 9
• Watch Lecture Week 4
• Watch Event Branding Tips
• Be prepared to discuss chapters next week.
• Be prepared to event plan in class.

Week 5

09/15/2025 to 09/21/2025

• Discussion Board 5. Original post due Thursday 11:30 pm. Two responses due Sunday 11:30 pm.
• Review Textbook Chapters 10 & 4
• Watch Lecture Week 5
• Watch FIFA World Cup Preparations
• Be prepared to discuss chapters next week.

Week 6

09/22/2025 to 09/28/2025

• Discussion Board 6. Original post due Thursday 11:30 pm. Two responses due Sunday 11:30 pm.
• Assignment 4.
  • Travis Scott Concert 2021
    • Evaluate the Astroworld Festival Crowd Crush. What went wrong? What event services were involved and could be held accountable for the incident? Could Logistical planning have prevented this? How could risk management planning have helped this event? See Assignments for specifics.
• Review Chapter 11 
• Watch Lecture Week 6

Week 7

09/29/2025 to 10/05/2025

• Review Chapter 12 &13
• Watch Lecture Week 7
• Final project presented in class. See Final Project for specifics.

Course Grading

University Grading Scale

Grading of assignments and substantive feedback is to be done within 3 days of the due date for regular assignments and 7 days for larger assignments.

Some assignments may require additional time to grade due to the length of the project and the directive to provide substantive feedback that will assist you throughout the learning process.

In cases where the assignment is not returned with feedback within the stated period, refer to communication from your professor to facilitate expectations on subsequent assignments. Students are not expected to apply adjustments on subsequent assignments in advance of returned grading and feedback.

Professional Interaction & Communication

• Please use email whenever possible. Only university email and related systems should be used for institutional communications. Do not use personal email or video conferencing accounts.
• You should check email regularly, especially when enrolled in an active course.
  • Use subject lines appropriately. It is helpful to include the name of the course (including sections) whenever possible. Avoid using the subject line as the body of the email—include full details in the message itself to ensure clear communication.
  • Refer to professors and CU employees by their last names with appropriate honorifics (e.g., “Dr.” or “Professor”).
  • University communications (including emails and discussion board posts, etc.) should not resemble text message, chat, or social media posts. Use complete sentences with correct capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• Throughout an active course, faculty should respond to all emails and voicemail messages within 24 hours. Faculty and staff are not obligated to respond to communications where these guidelines are not followed.
• When participating in classes or meetings, be on-time and mentally present. Dress according to the Student Handbook or classroom standards and conduct yourself in a professional manner. Do not introduce distractions into the class and be prepared to stay for the duration of the session per normal classroom behavior.

Course Attendance and Participation

All courses follow specific attendance policies found in the Academic Catalog for that course level and format. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with these policies and to keep track of their own attendance. Per the university attendance policy, accrued absences may contribute negatively toward a student’s final grade. Attendance and participation may be used by instructors to determine a portion of a student's grade for a particular course. Whereas attendance is typically defined by statuses identifying a student’s presence in a class, participation typically includes the assessment of activity within that course. In some cases, the methodology, subject matter, learning environment, or other factors may require attendance.

Physical, in-person class attendance will be recorded for hybrid courses, whereas attendance for online courses will be gauged by regular academic engagement. Students should refer to the course syllabus for the course’s grade weighting table and course-specific policies regarding the grade percentages attributable to each component in a course, which may include attendance and participation. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with these policies and to keep track of their own attendance and comply with the rules.

Hybrid course attendance must be entered weekly (daily for modules) and be accurate.

Course-Specific Policies

No late assignments will be accepted unless there is approved permission 48 hours in advance of the deadline (Dean of Business, FAR, or faculty who is allowed to grant this permission). Official documentation must be emailed and provided 48 hours before the deadline. Life happens- doctor’s visits, funerals, dog ate the homework, therefore it is in your best interest to communicate with me at least 48 hours in advance of the deadline.

It is beyond vital that you are in person for your final project presentation day.

Communication is key- if you have a question about an assignment, lecture, or anything in regards to this class, please email or visit during office hours. I do my best to respond within 24 hours of an email. If you do not get a timely email response, please reach out again and gently remind me.

This syllabus is subject to change. I will communicate any changes to the syllabus.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of generative AI tools is permitted in this class for the following activities:

• Brainstorming and refining ideas
• Fine-tuning research questions
• Drafting an outline
• Checking grammar and style
• AI-specific assignments (per the provided instructions)

The use of generative AI tools is not permitted for the following activities:

• Impersonation in classroom context (e.g., composing discussion board posts)
• Completing group work
• Writing a draft of a writing assignment
• Writing entire sentences, paragraphs, or papers to complete class assignments

In the case of an A.I. violation, a minimum of two AI checkers will review the submission and then graded accordingly.

Disability Assistance

Carolina University welcomes students, faculty, staff and visitors with disabilities to our campus and to our programs. Our goal at CU is to ensure an accessible, inclusive welcoming learning and working environment for individuals with disabilities while complying with federal and state regulations.

Students with disabilities are encouraged to reach out to University Accessibility Services (UAS) as soon as possible to explore possible accommodations. UAS serves as a central resource on disability-related information, procedures and services for the university community and partners will work with the student and any other campus partners to identify barriers and implement plans for access. More information about UAS can be found at https://carolinau.edu/university-accessibility-services

Academic Integrity and Misconduct

The Student Handbook has a detailed list of different ways students show a lack of academic integrity, including academic technology misuse, cheating, complicity, fabrication or invention, falsification, forgery, multiple submissions, plagiarism, and sabotage.

Academic integrity is the honest and responsible conduct of studies, scholarship, research, information collection, and presentation. The university expects students to submit assignments that are original to them and to properly cite and reference other peoples’ ideas using the prescribed style guide. The very foundation of a good university education is academic integrity. Learning how to express original ideas, cite sources, work independently, and report results accurately and honestly are skills that carry students beyond their academic careers. If a student is uncertain about an issue of academic honesty, they should consult the faculty member to resolve questions in any situation prior to the submission of the academic exercise.

Maintaining your academic integrity involves:

• Creating and expressing your own ideas in course work.
• Acknowledging all sources of information including verbal, written, digital, and graphic.
• Completing assignments independently or acknowledging collaboration.
• Attending classes, exams, and required academic events.
• Accurately reporting results when conducting your own research.
• Honesty during examinations.
• Not tampering with or misusing technology.
• Not aiding or abetting other students in violating any academic rules or policies.

Courses at Carolina University will utilize proctoring for select exams to ensure exam integrity. Per Carolina University directives, all exams that represent 25% or more of a course grade are required to be proctored. Instances of cheating or inappropriate behavior will be considered violations of the Academic Integrity policy and will result in disciplinary action.

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s distinctive ideas or words without acknowledgment. All researchers are expected to acknowledge the use of another author’s words by the use of quotation marks around those words in the text of a paper and by appropriate citations. Plagiarism can occur in an oral, written, or media project submitted for academic credit or for some other benefit. Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to), the following:

• Word-for-word copying of another person’s ideas or words;
• Mosaic (interspersing of one’s own words here and there while, in essence, copying another’s work);
• Paraphrasing without citation (the rewriting of another’s work, yet still using their fundamental idea or theory);
• Submission of another’s work as one’s own;
• Having another person write a paper;
• Buying or procuring a ready-made paper from a research paper “service” on the Internet or from another such service;
• Neglecting quotation marks on material that is otherwise acknowledged;
• Fabrication of references (inventing or counterfeiting sources)

Appeals & Complaints

Informal Resolution

Carolina University seeks to provide an excellent educational experience for all students. If a student wishes to make a complaint of an academic nature, in the first instance, they should seek to resolve the matter by informal discussion with the faculty member.

If the discussion is in person, it is recommended that the student follow up with an email summarizing the discussion (complaint and resolution if one is reached).

If the discussion with the faculty member does not resolve the issue, the student may also contact your school dean. If your professor is the dean, the next step is to begin the formal resolution process.

Formal Resolution

If informal discussions do not resolve the matter, students have the right to file a formal complaint. The university’s academic catalog includes a detailed description of processes for submitting grade appeals or academic complaints that range from teaching, learning, assessment, grading, or student performance in a course. While these processes differ, both are time-sensitive and begin with timely communication with the faculty member. 

Grade appeals must be initiated with the faculty member within 5 days of the awarding of the grade or status. Both grade appeals and academic complaints must be filed within 7 days of the awarding of grade or status or after the events that are alleged to have caused the complaint. In either case, supporting evidence will be required. The processes are fully outlined in the academic catalog and include links to the appropriate forms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mr. Caleb Thornburg has remained in higher education since the completion of his undergraduate work. Through coaching at the DII and NAIA levels, he has recognized the immediate need for student care in both athletics and academics.

Thornburg graduated from Montreat College with a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Public Relations. He continued his education and pursued a master's in Sports Management and Athletic Administration and Compliance through Wingate University.

 He is currently pursuing his PhD in Leadership at Carolina University, focusing on servant leadership through sports. Ultimately, he wants to remain in higher education where he can make a positive impact on students’ lives through education and sport.