Independent Study in Physical Education Activity

PEAC 199

What is Independent Study in Physical Education Activity?

Independent Study in Physical Education Activity (PEAC 199) is a way for UVM students to earn UVM Physical Education credit through participation in a self-designed and supervised curriculum of interest to the student outside the traditional Physical Education activity courses held on-campus during the school year.

Who Is Eligible to enroll in PEAC 199, Independent Study?

Enrollment in PEAC 199, Independent Study is limited to only senior undergraduate student at UVM, or other undergraduate UVM students who have extraordinary life situations that make it impossible for them to enroll in regular Physical Education classes. There will be no exceptions to this policy. If interpretation of this policy is necessary, Patsy McLaughlin will make the decision. If the circumstances of the case require further evaluation, a meeting to discuss the circumstances with with the Assistant Athletic Director for Physical Education could take place. The decision reached at this meetiing will be final.

The Approval Process for PEAC 199, Independent Study

All Independent Studies must be approved by Patsy McLaughlin BEFORE they are started. In order to be approved, the student must be prepared to discuss the plans for their Independent Study, which will include: (1) an acceptable topic of study, (2) a plan on how the student will participate in their Independent Study, and (3) an appropriate person to act as a "teacher" for their Independent Study. In order to be approved, every Independent Study must involve three people:

The Student

This is the student who participating in the Independent Study. At the approval meeting, the student should have an idea of: (a) what they want to study, (b) what they want to learn, and (c) a plan of how they will implement their Independent Study.

The "Teacher"

This is the person or persons the student will be learning from during their Independent Study. The person (s) in the role of "teacher" for the student's Independent Study must have expertise in the area (s) the student wishes to study, and have agreed to help the student. Students are not allowed to participate in an Independent Study on their own with no other person to teach or guide them.

Patsy McLaughlin

Patsy McLaughlin will serve as an administrative liaison between the student and the UVM Registrar's Office to handle all administrative details involved with the Independent Study. Patsy McLaughlin has an office in Patrick Gymnasium and can be contacted at 802-656-3020 or by using email at: Patricia.McLaughlin@uvm.edu

The Responsibilities of the Three People involved in every Independent Study

In order to make an Independent Study in Physical Education successful, these are the responsibilities that the student, the teacher, and Patsy McLaughlin are expected to follow:

The Student's Responsibilities

  1. The student is participating in this Independent Study because they are interested in their topic, and they want to learn more about it.
  2. The student wants to have an excellent experience with their Independent Study.
  3. Before the student begins their Independent Study, they will meet with their teaher, and cover all aspects of their Independent Study with their teacher. Their teacher must agree to help the student BEFORE they enroll and begin their Independent Study. It is very important that the student's teacher knows what is expected of them.
  4. The student is enthusiastic about participating in their Independent Study, and will work diligently throughout the semester to complete it. Students will not wait until the end of the semester (the last minute) to complete it.
  5. To notify Patsy McLaughlin, 656-3020 if the student is encountering any problems with their Independent Study.
  6. To finish and formally conclude their Independent Study by the deadline date, which is the last day of classes of the semester they do their Independent Study in. All required course documentation and other course materials must be submitted to Patsy McLaughlin by 4:30 pm on Friday of the week of the last day of classes.

The Teacher's Responsiblities

  1. To help the student learn and benefit from their expertise in the area the student is studying.
  2. To provide the Patsy McLaughlin with a short and informal document verifying that the student worked with them on the Independent Study, and successfully completed the Independent Study.
  3. The short and informal document can be a short statement and signature at the bottom of the student's log, an email message, or a short typed or handwritten letter, whatever is most convenient.
  4. As part of the verification of the Independent Study, providing a final grade for the student is optional.

Patsy McLaughlin's Responsiblities

  1. To make sure the student understands everything possible about the Independent Study process before the student begins their Independent Study.
  2. To submit all UVM paperwork to the Registrar's Office in a timely manner.
  3. In any communication with the Registrar's Office to represent the student's interests in all matters concerning their Independent Study.
  4. To be responsible for assigning the final grade for the student's Independent Study, and making sure the final grade is submitted to the Registrar's Office on time.

Requirements to Complete an Independent Study

To complete an Independent Study, students must complete the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete a training log documenting each session of activity they participated in for their Independent Study. Accompanying each individual activity session should be the nature of the activity they participated in during that activity session, and the length of time (in hours) each session lasted. A good idea would be to include a running total of hours associated with each activity session. Remember, to earn 1.0 credit, the student must engage in a minimum total of 28 actual hours of physical activity.
  2. The student must obtain a statement from their "teacher" verifying that they not only participated in the Independent Study as described in the application process when the student had their approval meeting, but also that they successfully completed the number of hours required for their Independent Study.
  3. The student must complete a statement of learning. This statement should document how the student successfully completed the goals of their Independent Study. In addition, this statement should describe specific skills or other areas the student learned as a result of their Independent Study. To successfully describe what the student learned, it is expected the statement of learning should be approximately 1/2 page typed.
  4. All Independent Studies must be complete by the last day of classes of the semester.
  • All materials related to the above three requirements to complete the Independent Study must be completed and submitted to Patsy McLaughlin by 4:30 pm on Friday of the week of the last day of classes.
  • If students complete their Independent Study before the end of the semester, they are urged to submit their material to complete their Independent Study at that time, and NOT wait until the end of the semester.
  • Students must also submit hard copies of any of the above three requirements to complete an Independent Study in person.

Policies pertaining to PEAC 199 Independent Study

It is very important that students understand the following policies about PEAC 199, Independent Study in Physical Education Activity.

  1. All PEAC 199, Independent Studies must be handled administratively through the Physical Education Basic Instruction Office, and must be approved by Patsy McLaughlin.
  2. The decision to approve or not to approve an Independent Study in Physical Education Activity is made unilaterally by Patsy McLaughlin, and is final.
  3. PEAC 199, Independent Study is a UVM course that has a "permission only" restricton. This means that the signature of Patricia McLaughlin required in order to register for this course.
  4. PEAC 199, Independent Study may be taken for variable credit. This means the student has the choice of making their Independent Study either 0.5 or 1.0 credits.
  5. Students will be charged tuition for the amount of credit they enroll in for PEAC 199, Independent Study. It is a UVM course, and is NOT credit by exam.
  6. If enrollment in PEAC 199, Independent Study causes a student to exceed 18 credits for a semester, that student will be charged the appropriate penalty for exceeding 18 credits.
  7. PEAC 199, Independent Study will not be approved for any activity the student has already received UVM credit for through their College or Transfer Affairs.
  8. It takes a minimum of 14 actual hours of physical activity to earn 0.5 credits, and 28 actual hours of physical activity to earn 1.0 credit.
  9. PEAC 199, Independent Study in Physical Education Activity is a course concerning itself entirely with physical activity. The basic concept behind this course of study is that the student will learn as a result of and through physical activity. Therefore, in the context of this course, time spent in other avenues of learning such as: (a) reading books, (b) writing term papers, (c) attending lectures, (d) writing in journals, (e) maintaining training logs, (f) traveling to and from the actual Independent Study participation site etc. can NOT be counted toward the hours of time required for credit.
  10. In order for UVM students to complete the 28 actual hours of physical activity, they must participate in at least 3 different sessions of activity to accumulate the required hours of physical activity. Participating in an activity for an entire weekend counts for 1 session, even though it lasts for over 24 hours.
  11. Students may work on their Independent Study at their own pace, and may complete their Independent Study whenever they wish during the semester. The deadline to finish all Independent Studies, and submit all related materials, is the last day of classes of the semester they are enrolled in for the Independent Study.
  12. By enrolling in the Independent Study, it is assumed the student is serious about not only regularly participating in their activity of interest, but also finishing their Independent Study. Therefore, students are required to finish the appropriate amount of work to complete their Independent Study in the semester they enroll in. Incompletes related to the student not completing the work for their Independent Study will NOT be possible. Incompletes as a result of a medical problem are possible.
  13. Students will not be allowed to register for PEAC 199, Independent Study in any activity they are or have been professionally involved in. This refers to anytime in the past the student earned money or received any other type of "perk" as a result of their involvement in the activity. Professional activity implies expertise, and the concept of Independent Study is to learn.
  14. The student assumes responsibility for all financial obligations regarding their teacher. This means that the student must pay for any membership fees or teaching fees or wages in order to hire someone to act as their "teacher".
  15. Independent Studies may not exceed 1.0 credit.
  16. It is possible to take more than one Independent Study. If the second Independent Study is in the same activity as the first Independent Study, evidence must be provided by the student that the skills and knowledge displayed in the second Independent Study are at a higher level. It is essential that progression is seen.
  17. It is possible to take more than one Independent Study in a semester, however, it is discouraged. In order to have a second Independent Study approved, the first Independent Study must have been fully completed. At no time will a student be allowed to participate in two Independent Studies simultaneously.

 

 

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