AVS 101 Fundamentals of Backcountry Living
Credit: 3 hrs
A comprehensive introduction to planning, managing, and leading backcountry expeditions in the non-winter mountain environment. This course is designed to immerse students in the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to professional preparation as outdoor and adventure leaders. This course will emphasize industry standards of practice, professional certification, experiential skill development and application, equipment use, managing risk and environmental impact, emergency and rescue management, backcountry first aid, mountain ecology, basic backcountry navigation and technology, Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics, trip planning, and expedition leadership in the non-winter mountain environment.
AVS 102 Basic River and Backcountry Canoeing
Credit: 2 hrs
A comprehensive introduction to planning, managing and leading backcountry canoe expeditions on basic and moving water. This course expands upon AVS 101 and is designed to immerse students in the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to professional preparation as outdoor and adventure leaders. This course will emphasize industry standards of practice, professional certification, the development and application of fundamental paddle skills, trip planning, emergency and rescue management, “reading water”, managing risk and environmental impact, basic backcountry navigation and technology, Leave No Trace ethics for aquatic environments, aquatic ecology, trip planning and expedition leadership in the aquatic environment.
AVS 103 Introduction to Eastern Mountaineering
Credit: 2 hrs
A comprehensive introduction to planning, managing, and leading eastern mountaineering winter expeditions. This course expands upon AVS 101 and is designed to immerse students in the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to professional preparation as outdoor and adventure leaders. This course will emphasize industry standards of practice, professional certification, the development and application of technical skills associated with winter travel, winter camping, eastern mountaineering, and planning, managing and leading winter expeditions, as well as snow physics and avalanche safety, cold weather survival and injuries, winter ecology, expedition risk management, backcountry navigation, Leave No Trace ethic for the winter environment, technology in the backcountry, and expedition leadership in the winter environment.
AVS 140 Foundations of Adventure Education
Credit: 3 hrs
A comprehensive overview of the theoretical, philosophical and historical foundations of contemporary Adventure Education, students will examine history, growth and development, models, theories, patterns and trends, research and outcomes, resources and literature, contemporary issues, and professionalization of outdoor adventure education, recreation, and leisure services. This course will emphasize Adventure Program leadership through practical application of Adventure Education theoretical models.
AVS 178 Adventure Program Operations Internship
Credit: 3 hrs
A cooperative internship program integrating practical work experience in Adventure Program Management and Operations with classroom seminar experience, students will be required to: spend a minimum of 120 hours in an Adventure Sports: Leadership and Management intern position consistent with the student’s area of concentration; fourteen hours in a seminar session for discussion, reflection, and analysis of experience; maintain a working journal of the experience; and complete a final report. An evaluation of the student’s performance will be completed by site supervisor/mentor.
AVS 230 Adirondack Park Policies and Issues
Credit: 3 hrs
A comprehensive environmental, social, economic, and political overview of the Adirondack Park including policies and the current issues impacting the park, this course will include the role of the New York State Licensed Guide, usage issues, political issues, conservation issues, flora and fauna, and history of the park.
AVS 240 Adventure Program Management
Credit: 3 hrs
A comprehensive study of adventure education leadership and program management, this course prepares students for positions of leadership in the adventure and outdoor industry. This course will examine leadership theory, adventure program operations, policy and procedures, standard operating procedures, and standard administrative practices of accredited adventure programs. Emphasis will be placed on accreditation standards for adventure programs defined by the Association for Experiential Education.
HED 108 Wilderness First Responder
Credit: 3 hrs
An intensive professional certification course designed to develop standards of practice for outdoor professionals providing pre-hospital backcountry first response and emergency medical care in remote environments. Designed to provide outdoor professionals with the medical knowledge and skills needed to deal with medical emergencies in isolated settings, this course prepares outdoor leaders to make critical medical and evacuation decisions in remote locations.