OL 111 Introduction to Outdoor Leadership (3 Credits)
Designed to introduce students to the field of outdoor recreation, outdoor education, adventure education, therapeutic recreation, and experiential education. This course is a recommended foundation for other outdoor leadership program courses.
OL 171 Technical Skills for Outdoor Leadership (2 Credits)
Introduces basic skills, gear, and systems necessary for a variety of outdoor pursuits, including alpine mountaineering, challenge course and rock climbing. Provides an introduction to a variety of skills, with the intention of moving into more guide-oriented courses later in their program. Presents technical skills that will serve as a foundation for the advanced training in specific outdoor disciplines. Introduces gear, such as software (ropes, webbing, harnesses) and hardware (carabiners, friction devices); skills, such as knots, belaying, rappelling; and systems such as anchors, raises, lowers.
OL 194AA Avalanche Level I Training and Companion Rescue (2 Credits)
Introduces the various factors that contribute to avalanche hazard including terrain, weather, snowpack, and the human component (good vs. bad decision making). Avalanche safety equipment such as transceivers, probes and shovels are also presented, with instruction on how to use each of these critical pieces of safety gear. Field time is spent on: 1) developing rescue skills, including transceiver search techniques (single and multiple burial), probing and shoveling; 2) snowpack assessment; and 3) safe travel practices / group travel skills.
OL 194AC Avalanche Level II (2 Credits)
This course is designed to build on the skills developed in an Avalanche Level I course. The various factors that contribute to avalanche hazard including terrain, weather, snowpack, and the human component (good vs. bad decision making) will be reviewed, as will avalanche safety equipment such as transceivers, probes and shovels and their correct use. New material will include use of a field notebook and standardized data recording, as well as completing full pit profiles. Field time is spent practicing and reviewing transceiver search techniques (single and multiple burial), snowpack assessment (through test pit, test pit plus, and full pit), and safe travel practices and group travel skills. Students must have completed an Avalanche Level I or Level I Refresher course within the past five years.
OL 199 Selected Topics: Outdoor Leadership (1-4 Credits)
This course is in development.
OL 207 Seminar in Outdoor Leadership (2 Credits)
This course will help prepare students for entering the job market and/or setting up a professional practicum through the following: where to search for jobs, how to apply and how to interview; and how to prepare professional resumes, cover letters, experience resumes and professional portfolios. Professional development opportunities such as conferences, certifications, trainings, etc. will be discussed, as will current research and trends in employment in fields related to outdoor leadership.
OL 244 Psychology of Risk and Adventure (3 Credits)
Introduces students to psychological theories and topics relevant to adventure and risk, including perception, motivation, anxiety, arousal and risk-taking. This course will provide a theoretical and skills-based approach to understanding why the psychological components of risk and adventure play a pinnacle role in outdoor leadership.
OL 251 Wilderness First Aid (1 Credit)
Designed to provide the student with the necessary knowledge and skills to care for an injured or suddenly ill person in a remote location. The methods and protocols presented follow the Wilderness Medical Society guidelines for a 16 hour certification and are specific to a wilderness setting. The Wilderness Medical Society defines wilderness as a remote geographical location more than one hour from definitive care. Open to all and counts as an elective for Outdoor Leadership students.
OL 253 Wilderness Advanced First Aid (3 Credits)
This Course is designed to provide the student with the necessary knowledge and skills to care for an injured or suddenly ill person in a remote location. The methods and protocols presented in this class follow the Wilderness Medical Society guidelines for a 36 hour certification and are specific to a wilderness setting. The Wilderness Medical Society defines wilderness as a remote geographical location more than one hour from definitive care.
OL 255 Outdoor Living Skills (5 Credits)
Educates the student on how to travel safely for extended periods in the backcountry. Presents essentials of life (water, food and shelter/clothing) and how they can be provided in an outdoors setting. Also, discusses navigation, backcountry medicine and wilderness use/wilderness concepts. Lecture, discussion and lab (demonstration, practical application and practice) used. Students conduct one solo overnight and one group weekend outing. This course is a recommended foundation for other outdoor leadership program courses.
OL 261 Wilderness First Responder Recertification (2 Credits)
This a wilderness first responder recertification course designed to provide a review of current wilderness medicine and the basic skills to treat the most common injuries and illnesses encountered in the wilderness. Students are required to have complete a CPR- Adult, Child, Infant CPR course with AED certification in order to satisfy the WFR certification. Students must have a current WFR certification through an agency accredited by Wilderness Medical Society or Wilderness Medical Association, that includes a hands-on practical skill component or be within the one-year grace period of most recent WFR certification.
OL 263 Wilderness First Responder (5 Credits)
This is a wilderness first responder certification course designed to provide an individual with an in-depth knowledge of wilderness medicine and the basic skills to treat the most common injuries and illnesses encountered in the wilderness. This course is appropriate for those who spend a lot of time in remote locations (professionally or recreationally). The methods and protocols presented in this class follow the Wilderness Medical Society guidelines for minimum of 70-hour certification and are specific to a wilderness setting. The Wilderness Medical Society defines wilderness as a remote geographical location more than one hour from definitive care. Students are required to have a CPR- Adult, Child, Infant with AED certification in order to satisfy the WFR certification.
OL 271 Facilitating Group Experiences (5 Credits)
Introduces group facilitation in adventure programming. Covers facilitation process models and relation to experiential learning. Integrates introductory concepts of leadership, group dynamics, and experiential education theory. Completes application through facilitation of groups effectively and confidently in a variety of learning environments.
OL 273 Outdoor Recreation Leadership (5 Credits)
Provides group leadership theoretical and practical knowledge in an outdoor setting. Presents topics in lecture to be discussed in various leadership scenarios and applied in student planned and lead group outings. Emphasizes group safety issues and risk assessment/risk management.
OL 280 Co-op Work Experience-OL (2 Credits)
Provides practicums by the department in conjunction with the community in outdoor recreation, outdoor education, adventure education, environmental education, experiential education, and wilderness therapy. Students must be approved for enrollment by an HHP-OL advisor before registering for this course. Repeatable for credit. P/NP grading.
OL 294AC Alpine Climbing (3 Credits)
Designed to introduce the student to guiding, teaching and leading technical mountain travel with specific emphasis on rock, snow, and ice anchors; glacier travel and crevasse rescue; and climbing steeper snow and ice. Additional relevant topics may also be introduced (e.g., avalanche safety, high altitude).
OL 294CA Canoe Program Instruction and Guiding (3 Credits)
Introduce students to guiding, teaching and leading flat and moving water canoe programs. May also introduce swift water rescue, whitewater techniques, etc.. Students will be instructed on the use of a variety of canoeing equipment and techniques used for travel by canoe within instructing/guiding situations (this course will teach much of the preliminary level material). Topics will include such areas as: water dynamics, rescue, client care and welfare, managing a group setting, risk assessment, as well as specific technical skills. Emphasis will be placed on advanced technical skill development and practical application. Although some time will be spent canoeing, this is not an activity course; all aspects of the course will be designed to teach the basic concepts of leading others in a variety of canoeing situations.
OL 294MB Mountain Bike Guiding and Trail Stewardship (3 Credits)
This course is designed to instruct the student how to provide a fun and safe guided mountain bike experience to people of all ages through a combination of field lecture and hands-on practice. Students will learn how to teach basic mountain bike skills, design and lead group trips, diagnose trailside mechanical issues and perform basic trailside bike maintenance, and understand the characteristics and importance of sustainable mountain bike trail development and stewardship. The majority of the class time for this course will be spent in the field.
OL 294RC Teaching Rock Climbing (3 Credits)
This course is designed as an introduction to guiding/teaching rock climbing. Students will be instructed on the use of a variety of climbing equipment and techniques used for top-roped and lead climbing in guiding/teaching situations (this course will not teach beginning level material except in how to teach such material to a beginner student/client/friend). Topics will include such areas as: client care and welfare, managing a group setting, risk assessment, as well as technical skills. Emphasis will be placed on group work, discussion and practical application. Although some time will be spent climbing, this is not an activity course; all aspects of the course will be designed to teach the basic concepts of leading others in a variety of rock climbing situations.
OL 294WG Whitewater Raft Guiding (3 Credits)
This course is designed to instruct the student on how to provide a fun and safe whitewater raft experience to people of all ages through a combination of lecture and hands-on practice. Students will learn how to guide paddle rafts and oar rafts, read whitewater, lead group trips, and execute various whitewater rescue techniques. The majority of the class time for this course will be spent in the field, including overnight camping, and a variety of weather conditions may be encountered. A background in camping or outdoor living skills is strongly recommended. Please dress appropriately.
OL 298 Independent Study: OL (1-6 Credits)
Individualized, advanced study to focus on outcomes not addressed in existing courses or of special interest to a student. P/NP grading.
OL 299 Selected Topics: Outdoor Leadership (1-4 Credits)
Provides a learning experience in outdoor leadership not currently available; this course is in development to be proposed as a permanent course.
