Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Issues and Ethics in Sports Communication (Face-to-Face)

COMM 3717-01

Course: COMM 3717-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Communication
CRN: 32512

Course Description

Issues and Ethics in Sports Communication is designed to explore the intricate ethical dilemmas and communication challenges faced by professionals in the sports industry. This course will provide students with a solid foundation in ethical theories and principles, as well as practical communication strategies, to effectively navigate the dynamic world of sports media and communication. Students will examine and discuss ethical, managerial, and moral issues related to individuals who work and participate in sports and physical activity. A primary focus of this course will be significant social issues involving interpersonal, small group, and mass communication as applied to youth, collegiate, and professional sports. Topics include sports fandom and fan identification, communication between athletes and parents, communication between coaches and athletes, fantasy sports and sports gaming, crisis communication in sports, and the role of social media in sports. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): COMM 1707 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C- Prerequisite Can Be Concurrent? Yes

Required Texts

  • APA 7th Manual Made Easy
  • Sports Ethics for Sports Management Professionals by Walter T. Champion Jr. (Author), Richard T. Karcher (Author), Lawrence S. Ruddell (Author)
    2nd Edition
    ISBN-13: 978-1284171303
    https://a.co/d/9PmNlZb

Learning Outcomes

Essential Learning Outcomes:
  • 1. Ethical Reasoning: Students describe and analyze positions on ethical issues, apply reasoning about right and wrong human conduct, demonstrate ethical decision- making skills, and demonstrate an evolving ethical self-identity.
  • 2. Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: Students demonstrate that they possess a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.
  • 3. Communication: Students develop and express ideas and will be able to do so in a variety of ways, namely in writing, by speaking, visually, and kinesthetically.
  • 4. Critical Thinking: Students demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
  • 5. Integrative Learning: Students make connections among ideas and experiences and can synthesize and transfer their learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus.
Course Objectives
  • 1. Analyze historical and contemporary ethical and multicultural/diversity issues in sport.
  • 2. Reflect on and apply ethical decision-making frameworks to personal and professional situations in sport.
  • 3. Distinguish the relationship between sport participation, sportsmanship, gamesmanship, and character development.
  • 4. Recognize and examine issues of gender, race/ethnicity, cultural identity, and equity in sport.
  • 5. Examine issues of sexual orientation within sport.
  • 6. Examine the relationship between violence and aggression in sport.
  • 7. Identify ethical and management issues related to performance-enhancing drugs.
  • 8. Differentiate ethical and management issues associated with the commercialization of sport across youth, scholastic, collegiate, and professional contexts.
  • 9. Evaluate ethical and management issues related to individuals with disabilities in sport.
  • 10. Identify ethical and management challenges in youth, scholastic, and training environments.

Course Requirements

  • Obtain and use required materials: APA 7th Manual Made Easy and Sports Ethics for Sports Management Professionals (2nd ed.)
  • Demonstrate attendance via participation and completion of course activities (online/asynchronous).
  • Submit all work on the scheduled due dates; late work is not accepted and will receive a zero.
  • Maintain access to a computer or web-capable device and consistent internet to view/download resources and complete assessments.
  • Independently complete all readings, learning assessments, videos, quizzes, and exams.
  • Write position papers every two weeks (2–4 pages) in APA 7 format, including title page, introduction, conclusion, and references (Must be submitted through google docs).
  • Complete weekly quizzes based on reading assignments (due by midnight on most Wednesdays, with some exceptions).
  • Take three exams.
  • Complete two major projects (midterm and final), prepared and submitted in APA 7 style.
  • Adhere to academic integrity standards: no cheating, plagiarism, or unauthorized use of AI tools unless explicitly allowed; all submissions are subject to detection (e.g., Copyleaks).
  • Follow grading/appeal procedures: wait 24 hours before initiating a grade appeal; appeals must be typed, submitted within 7 days, and delivered in person or by appointment (not via email or in class).
  • Engage respectfully and flexibly: practice patience and mutual respect with instructor and classmates. Use the preferred out-of-class contact methods (text is best; also available via call, email, or Zoom) and expect prompt responses.
Grading Scale
A 100–95% A- 94–90% Superior
B+ 89–88% B 87–85% B- 84–80% Very Good
C+ 79–78% C 77–75% C- 74–70% Average
D+ 69–68% D 67–65% Poor
F 64–0% Failure

Course Outline

Note: This is a tentative schedule. As the instructor, I reserve the right to make any changes I deem necessary without prior consent of the student.

Week 1: Course Introduction & APA 7

• Topic/Resources: Syllabus review, APA 7, SUU Writing Center, SUSMS

• Activities:

  • Introduction discussion (5 pts)
  • Intro & APA Quiz (5 pts)
Week 2: Ethical Concepts in Sports

• Topic/Resources: Ethical Concepts in Sports slides and readings (including Markkula Center piece)

• Activities:

  • Ethical Dilemmas discussion (10 pts)
  • Position Paper: Ch. 1 (20 pts)
  • Ch. 1 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 3: Sportsmanship, Gamesmanship, and Cheating

• Topic/Resources: Sportsmanship/Gamesmanship slides and related articles

• Activities:

  • Gamesmanship vs. Cheating discussion (10 pts)
  • Ch. 2 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 4: Gambling in Sports and Society / Exam #1

• Topic/Resources: Gambling in Sports slides and legal/behavioral readings

• Activities:

  • Position Paper: Ch. 2–3 (20 pts)
  • Exam #1 (50 pts)
Week 5: Ethical Issues Involving Coaches

• Topic/Resources: Coaching ethics slides and mentorship readings

• Activities:

  • Ethical Duties of Coaches discussion (10 pts)
  • Ch. 4 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 6: Ethical Considerations Involving Parents and Fans

• Topic/Resources: Parental involvement and fan behavior readings

• Activities:

  • Heckling discussion (10 pts)
  • Position Paper: Ch. 4–5 (20 pts)
  • Ch. 5 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 7: Gender Discrimination & Title IX

• Topic/Resources: Title IX and gender equity readings

• Activities:

  • Abuse Against Women in Sports discussion (10 pts)
  • Ch. 10 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 8: Title IX and Intercollegiate Athletics / Midterm Exam

• Topic/Resources: Institutional compliance and equity guides

• Activities:

  • Title IX Audit (50 pts)
  • Midterm Exam (50 pts)
Week 9: Violence in Sports

• Topic/Resources: Violence in sports slides and contextual readings

• Activities:

  • Off-the-Field Violence discussion (10 pts)
  • Ch. 6 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 10: The Ethics of Drug Use and Testing

• Topic/Resources: Performance-enhancing drugs, doping, and testing readings

• Activities:

  • Drug Use in Sports discussion (10 pts)
  • Position Paper: Ch. 6–7 (20 pts)
  • Ch. 7 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 11: Ethical Considerations of Race in Sports

• Topic/Resources: Race and systemic racism in sports readings

• Activities:

  • John Rocker discussion (10 pts)
  • Ch. 8 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 12: Ethical Duties of Sports Agents / Exam #3

• Topic/Resources: Agent representation ethics readings

• Activities:

  • Position Paper: Ch. 8–9 (20 pts)
  • Ch. 9 Quiz (5 pts)
  • Exam #3 (50 pts)
Week 13: Ethical Considerations in Sports Media

• Topic/Resources: Media ethics in sports

• Activities:

  • Fair Reporting discussion (10 pts),
  • Ch. 11 Quiz (5 pts)
Thanksgiving Break
  • No scheduled deliverables
Week 15: Commercialization of College Sports

• Topic/Resources: Commercialization readings and fan impact literature

• Activities:

  • NIL discussion (10 pts)
  • Ch. 12 Quiz (5 pts)
Week 16: Final Project

• Activity:

  • Final Project: Case Study (100 pts)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

  • Submit all work on the scheduled due dates; late work is not accepted and will receive a zero.
Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work is never accepted unless previously discussed with instructor PRIOR to the assignment being submitted.

Attendance Policy

  • Taken daily
  • Up to 3 unexcused absences allowed
  • Each additional unexcused absence reduces final grade by 3%
  • Arriving after roll call = absent
  • University-sanctioned absences and sick days may be excused with proper documentation

Disclaimer Statement

Academic Dishonesty
  • Cheating or plagiarism may result in failure of the assignment or the course
  • Any use of artificial intelligence software (A.I.), including visual (e.g., Midjourney), textual (e.g., chatGPT), or audio (e.g., voice.ai) to aid on assignments will be considered an infringement of academic integrity. Unless explicitly designated and outlined in assignment instructions, students should avoid using these aids, entirely. You are responsible for the accuracy, fairness, originality, and quality of every word you submit. All faculty have access to Copyleaks which detects plagiarism, including the use of AI software (I will be using that tool this semester for assignment submissions). Consequences for violating this policy are consistent with SUU Policy 6.33 regarding academic integrity, and may include a failing grade in the course, and expulsion from the program.

Department AI Policy:

AI cannot substitute for foundational learning. Students must acquire disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking skills in order to evaluate AI outputs appropriately. Thus, the Communication Department will maintain a 25% tolerance threshold for AI use in completing assignments. That means, unless explicitly stated by your instructor for a specific assignment, any work that is submitted as AI generated at a rate of 26% or higher will receive a zero on their grade and require a conversation with the instructor. In those cases where assignment instructions allow for AI use, students must certify that they have reviewed, verified and edited all AI outputs, which may include AI prompts used. Students should treat AI as a partner in thought and creation, not as a shortcut or a substitute for human expertise, ethics, and judgment. Students should not input sensitive, personal, confidential, copyrighted or proprietary information into public AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) as it is illegal and violates expectations of privacy and academic/creative work.   
 
AI is allowed for certain assignments (see individual assignment instructions for details). However, presenting AI-generated work as entirely one’s own in a course that does not permit such use, or using AI in ways explicitly prohibited in assignment instructions, constitutes a violation of SUU Policy 6.33: Academic Misconduct and opens the violator up to a series of potential sanctions.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.