PRT 508: Risk Management for Parks, Recreation Tourism & Sport     

 

Course Description:
Risk Management for parks, recreation, tourism, and sport organizations with an emphasis on ethical managerial strategies. Students will learn how legal concepts relate to specific managerial functions and how a knowledge of law and its impact on functions of recreation environments can help build a more efficient and successful operation that better serves the needs of its constituents and protects its ability to provide products and services. Students will also learn how effective strategies for risk management in parks, recreation, tourism and
sport organizations can facilitate active-healthy lifestyles and sustainable communities.

Learning Objectives:
1. Summarize principles of risk management within the context of basic management functions such as governance, human resource management, and organizational operations.
2. Identify and describe policies and practices for managing program and service risks. Emphasis on employee selection & qualifications, supervision issues, training considerations, safety and security issues, appropriate documentation.
3. Advanced analysis of policies and practices for managing recreation facility, built environments, trails & open space risks such as maintenance/inspection issues, OSHA guidelines, and compliance, and contract negotiation and management.
4. Identify and describe policies for managing human resource risks (e.g., constitutional law issues, EEO, OSHA, discrimination, fair labor standards, working conditions)
5. Discussion how effective strategies for risk management in parks, recreation, tourism and sport organizations can facilitate active-healthy lifestyles and sustainable communities.
5. Critically evaluate the risks inherent in selected parks, recreation, sport or tourism operations and discuss strategies for managing risks

 

Reflection: Who ever knew parks and recreation could be so dangerous and scary. Well, in fact, it's not, but with any activity especially ones that are outside and require active participation there is a degree of risk. Dr. Kanters’ class provided a comprehensive look at the legal concepts, laws, risks, and strategies that protect parks, recreation, sport or tourism operation managers, stakeholders, and users. This class packed a lot into a summer semester, from hiring and human resource scenarios, to OSHA, to challenges with open spaces and inherent risk. The class helped me look at our field through the risk management lens. The HR exercise was really interesting, and the facility risk audit was also really fun, I looked at both the Apex community center and skatepark analyzing the inherent risks associated with the facilities. Although I have helped facilitate risk management workshops at NCRPA, this class makes me look at parks and open spaces while evaluating the potential for risk.