Undergraduate Courses 

Wilderness Institute for Leadership Development

Introduction to Accelerated Learning. (3 cr) This course has been developed to train individuals in the effective use of the wilderness environment and dynamic, as a tool for introducing others to a growing, intimate relationship with their God.  While the focus is on the wilderness laboratory, this is a leadership course.  The skills that are introduced are skills that are highly transferable into any environment.  Our goal is to help you to acquire tools that will help you increase your effectiveness in moving people toward God. 

Wilderness Leadership. (3 cr) This course has been developed to train individuals in the effective use of the wilderness environment and dynamic, as a tool for introducing others to a growing, intimate relationship with their God.  While the focus is on the wilderness laboratory, this is a leadership course.  The skills that are introduced are skills that are highly transferable into any environment.  Our goal is to help you to acquire tools that will help you increase your effectiveness in moving people toward God.  

Physical Education

Outdoor Living Skills. (1 cr)  This course has as its overriding purpose to help students become actively involved in outdoor pursuits and to braid those pursuits together with the governing values and purposes in their life.  The focus is not to add something new to a busy student's life but to assist them in integrating ministry passion, fitness activity, and outdoor pursuits.  If we are successful we will see students who are involved in moving people towards godliness while establishing quality fitness habits all in the context of enjoyable outdoor activities.

Outdoor Pursuits: Paddling. (1 cr)  A course on paddling skills for a variety of current paddlesports including flatwater and swiftwater canoeing and kayaking.  The course is taught in the context of  weekday and weekend events. 

Outdoor Pursuits: Climbing. (1 cr)  A course on rock climbing skills, techniques, safety and systems.  The course will be taught in process at local rock climbing gyms and outdoor crags.  The course is taught in the context of weekday and weekend events.  

Camp & Recreation

Foundations of Camping and Outdoor Education. (3 cr) This course is designed to familiarize the student with the history, philosophies, and current trends within the outdoor education and organized camping movement. The following major topics will be addressed: centralized vs. de-centralized programming; residential & wilderness environments; needs-based & age graded programming. Students will be introduced to the roles that many of the major professional organizations play such as the American Camping Association, Christian Camping International, Association for Experiential Education, and Association for Challenge Course Technology. The students will be helped to develop and clearly articulate a solid philosophic approach to developing a camping ministry. 

Introduction to Impact Ministry Leadership. (3 cr) This course has been developed to train individuals in the effective use of impact ministry environments and dynamics, as tools for introducing others to a growing, intimate relationship with their God.  While the focus is on the camping and wilderness laboratory, this is a leadership course.  The skills that are introduced are skills that are highly transferable into any environment.  Our goal is to help students to acquire tools that will help them increase their effectiveness in moving people toward God. 

Counseling in Active Learning Environments. (3 cr) This course is designed to help students understand principles and acquire competencies necessary to move participants towards growth in the context of short-term impact ministry environments such as retreats, resident camps, mission trips, and wilderness trips. Key subjects include group dynamics, relationship building, camper discipline, facilitation, framing, debriefing, processing, and Bible study. 

Foundations of Experience-Based Learning. (3 cr) This course is designed to introduce the student to current experience based learning theories, models, and tools. Students will interact with these theories, investigating, evaluating, and adapting them in order to develop skills for facilitating learning for a wide range of students in a variety of environments and experiences. 

Planning for Integrative Learning. (3 cr) This course is designed to empower the student to design effective methods of pursuing learning objectives through a wide variety of experiences, challenges, and assignments. An emphasis will be placed on integrative approaches, collaboration skills, tracking systems, and assessment as part of a comprehensive approach to developing and using effective learning environments.    

Recreational Programming: Vision, Assessment, Design. (2 cr) The student will be introduced to the initial stages of program development: formulating a vision for each participant’s potential development, assessing the individual’s needs, setting learning objectives, and setting a strategy for the pursuit of effective learning. Key topics will include personality styles, learning styles, and human development as they relate to individual possibilities. Assessment of human development, spiritual development, and group dynamics will be addressed along with basic principles of strategic program development. 

Recreational Programming: Implementation & Evaluation. (2 cr) Students will be introduced to the necessary skills, techniques and methods for effectively and safely implementing a learning strategy in the context of recreational programming.  Attention will also be given to proper evaluation methods and post event learning integration.  Key topics will include staffing, budgets, safety, contingency plans, food service, promotion, surveys, and evaluation. 

Mobilization of Staff and Volunteers. (2 cr) This course is designed to equip the student with the conceptual framework and the human relation skills necessary to the successful personnel management of a recreational service organization. 

Financial Management in the Non-Profit Organization. (2 cr) This course will introduce students to basic budgetary principles and procedures for not-for-profit agencies. Key topics will include budgeting, reporting, financing, cost analysis, fundraising, stewardship, and donor management. 

Risk Management in Recreation Organizations. (2 cr) This course will introduce students to situational analysis of the legal systems impacting the delivery of recreation and leisure services. Emphasis will be placed on applied legal understanding and loss control strategies. Key topics will include insurance, release forms, record keeping, risk transference, signage, and supervision. 

Government and Administration in Non-Profit Organizations. (2 cr)  This course will examine structural models for governance of non-profit organizations.  It will also introduce students to principles and practices employed by boards and administrations for the management of such agencies. Key topics will include board structure, finance, publicity, program planning, strategic planning, and consultants. 

Management of Support Services. (2 cr) This course will introduce people to competencies necessary for effectively managing the support services that surround organizations including, food service, facilities services, housekeeping, and site maintenance. Key topics will include record keeping, planning, equipment procurement, outsourcing, budgeting, evaluation, standards, and inspections. 

Learning Activities, Games, and Events. (3 cr) Students will be introduced to skills and competencies necessary for planning and leading learning activities that have a purpose. Students will learn how to “Introduce Truth, Illustrate Truth, or Illuminate a Lack of Truth” through the use of and modification of known activities or by introducing new activities, games, and initiatives. 

Ropes Course Skills and Certification. (3 cr) This course explores, in both theory and practice, the proper use of ropes course elements. Emphasis is placed on technical and facilitation skill development. Students experience these activities as both participant and the leader/facilitator. Projects develop students’ abilities to understand and assess small group process, as well as appropriate intervention strategies. Successful completion leads to ropes course instructor certification in compliance with the guidelines established by AEE or ACCT. 

Graduate Courses

Wilderness Institute for Leadership Development

Leading in Active Learning Environments. (3 cr) This course is a study of organizational leadership theory and practice as it relates to the development and facilitation of active learning environments. Emphasis will be placed on identifying and evaluating students’ personalities and leadership styles, adapting and using leadership approaches, and exploring principles for moving individuals and organizations toward growth and development. The course content is designed to serve as a catalyst for applying leadership principles to the student’s organizational environment and provides a foundational conceptual framework for all other courses offered within the organizational leadership program.  

Organizational Leadership

Organizations as Learning Communities. (3 cr) The rapidly changing environment has produced significant shift in organizational theory and practice.  In times of rapid change, the ability of an organization to learn emerges as a primary competency.  Students will interact with organizational theory to help them identify and understand the unique organizational culture within which they function and to formulate interventions to enhance learning and innovation.  Students will also interact with learning theory to help them develop effective approaches to encouraging and facilitating learning in all levels of the organization. 

Strategic Thinking. (3 cr) In a fast paced environment, educational organizations must be able to respond quickly to emerging challenges.  Planning processes must keep pace with the changing realities.  The ability to think with strategic flexibility in producing effective approaches to fleeting opportunities and imminent crises places a leader in a position to be of great service.  This course engages students in the application of strategic theory, change theory, and implementation disciplines applied to real challenges within their organizations. 

Developing Dynamic Teams. (3 cr) Educational organizations are increasingly realizing the need for a team orientation in both the delivery and the content of its educational offerings; yet, despite the rhetoric, there remain significant cultural impediments to team development and maintenance.  This course leads students in an application of group and team theory for recruiting, developing, mobilizing, and mending teams for maximum effectiveness. 

Governance and Administration of Non-Profit Organizations. (3 cr) Leadership of a non-profit educational organization presents unique challenges, limitation, and advantages.  This course exposes students to theories of governance and administration with a view to helping them interact effectively with all levels of an organization from any position within that organization. 

Financial Management of Non-Profit Organizations. (3 cr) Prudent planning and management of organizational finances is essential to continued success.  Financial management challenges in the non-profit organization include planning, fundraising, marketing, oversight, and accountability.  Students interact with all aspects of their organization’s finances to gain proficiency in the rudiments of financial oversight. 

Principles of Risk Management for Non-Profit Organizations. (3 cr) This course is designed to familiarize students with current law and industry standards over against which liability is determined.  Students also interact with accreditation agencies and processes and the development of sound risk management policy. 

Post-Graduate Courses

Wilderness Institute for Leadership Development

Developing Leadership Within the Organization. (3 cr) This course is a study of the process for identifying, developing, and mobilizing leaders in the context of an organizational environment.  Emphasis will be placed on identifying and evaluating a wide range of personalities and styles, adapting and using various leadership development models, and principles for creating environments within which informal and formal leadership thrives and reproduces itself.  The course content is designed to serve as a catalyst for applying leadership development principles in the student’s organizational environment. In the context of this course the student will create a leadership development plan or program to be implemented in that setting.