Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
for Courses Numbered 6000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
Submission guidelines are posted to the GCC Web site: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gcc/index.cfm
1. Course prefix and number:
SUTO 6610
2. Date:
2-13-2012
3. Requested action:
X New Course
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
Required
X
#
Elective
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
On-campus (face to face)
X
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
X
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
5. Justification (must cite accreditation and/or assessment by the graduate faculty) for new course
or course revision or course renumbering:
This course is needed to offer a domestic study experience of sustainable tourism and its management in
Eastern NC, across the state, or the country (gap in program). This course supports ECU’s mission to
create “a strong, sustainable future for eastern North Carolina through education, innovation, investment,
and outreach” as well as other university strategic directions. This course is also important as a servicelearning opportunity and such designation will be sought through the Volunteer and Service-Learning
Center. No such course was needed when the curriculum was originally approved but now the members of
the Master of Science in Sustainable Tourism Graduate Program Committee have designed and approved
this course. Currently, there are neither accreditation standards nor an accreditation body for sustainable
tourism thus we are building upon best practice and successful sustainable actions in tourism.
How this course fills gap
 Provides the academic structure for an important learning experience for the MS-ST students.
 Allows the degree program to offer a comprehensive overview of sustainable tourism research to
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students through a domestic experience.
Keeps ECU’s MS-ST degree program competitive with programs of other universities.
6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
SUTO 6610. Sustainable Tourism Field Studies in Regional and National Settings (1, 2, 3) P: Consent of
instructor. May be repeated for a maximum of 3 s.h. Sustainable tourism principles and practices in
regional and national settings.
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
NA
8. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
0
0
0
0
0
Lab
Studio
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Weekly
OR
Weekly
OR
Weekly
OR
0
0
0
0
0
Per Term
Credit Hours
Per Term
Credit Hours
Per Term
Credit Hours
Per Term
Credit Hours
Internship
Weekly OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain. Field studies course with variable
credits which will be aligned with the depth and intensity of the time spent on location,
and the number of destinations covered and studied within the course.
Total Credit Hours
0
0
0
0
0
1-3
s.h.
1-3
s.h.
s.h.
s.h.
s.h.
s.h.
s.h.
15
9. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
10. Changes in degree hours of your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
NA
NA
11. Affected degrees or academic programs, other than your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
RCLS, GEOG
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
Not applicable
Documentation of notification to the affected academic degree programs is
X attached. (RCLS, GEOG)
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
X Not applicable
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Revised 04-06-11 and posted fall of 2011. Further revised based upon GCC input received 9/5/2012.
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
14. University Service-Learning Committee (USLC) approval:
X Not applicable
Applicable and USLC has given their approval.
15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
Current staff is adequate
X
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
X Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
X
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
d. Unit computer resources
X
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
X
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country. Include ISBN (when applicable).
A course packet of articles to include a mix of popular and academic publications relevant to the selected
destination or region will be used. Below is an example of the types of readings that would be offered
and the topics they would address.
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General Information about the specific region or destination.
 General US and individual state data and facts about tourism would be accessed from the US
Travel Association at http://www.ustravel.org/.
 The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development data is accessed at
http://www.nccommerce.com/tourism/about-us.
 Local destination marketing organizations (e.g. http://www.visitnceast.org/).
General Sustainable Tourism/ Ecotourism Articles
 Butler, R. (1980). The concept of a tourist area life cycle of evolution: implications for
management of resources. Canadian Geographer 24(1): 5-12.
 Peake, S., Innes, P., & Dyer, P. (2009). Ecotourism and conservation: factors influencing
effective conservation strategies. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 17(1), pp. 107-127.
 Wilson, S., D. Fesenmaier, J. Fesenmaier, & J. C. van Es (2001). Factors for Success in Rural
Tourism Development. Journal of Travel Research 40: 132-8.
Tourism Development and Planning
 Choi, A. S., Ritchie, B. W., Papandrea, F., & Bennett, J. (2010). Economic valuation of cultural
heritage sites: A choice modeling approach, Tourism Management, 31(2), 213-220.
 Eagles, P. F. J. & McCool, S. F. (2002). Management of tourists in national parks and protected
areas. In P. F. J. Eagles & S. F. McCool (Eds.) Tourism in national parks & protected areas:
planning and management (pp. 187-209). Wallingford: CABI.
Resident Attitudes/ Community Participation in Tourism
 Andereck, K. & Vogt, C. (2000). The relationship between residents’ attitudes toward tourism
and tourism development options. Journal of Travel Research, 39: 27-36.
 Tosun, C. (2002). Host perceptions of impacts, a comparative tourism study. Annals of Tourism
Research 29 (1): 231-253.
Readings Specific to a Destination
 Long, et al. (2009). Tourism Impacts and Second Home Development in Coastal Counties:
A Sustainable Approach. North Carolina Sea Grant Report.
 Riggs, S. R., (2012). North Carolina’s Coasts in Crisis: A Vision for the Future.
 Kline, Brown-Bochicchio, and Beedle (2012). A Report on the Impacts of the Bakersville
Improvement Group and HandMade in America. Recreation and Leisure Studies/Center for
Sustainable Tourism East Carolina University.
b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
 Incorporate tourism industry and sustainable tourism terminology in discussions about the
industry.
 Recall the regulatory, advocacy, educational, planning, research, management and/or other
functions of regional and state organizations which support tourism and/or “triple-bottom-line”
sustainability in North Carolina.
 Elaborate on the responsibilities of NGO’s, government and private sector organizations and the
role they each play in tourism development and management.
 Construct a model of the various components of the tourism product mix as applied to specific
destinations or regions.
 Explain the overt and subtle difficulties of sustainable tourism development, management and
marketing, and conclude why they might exist.
 Argue the essentials of a tourism development plan or marketing plan as relevant to the
destination studied.
 Provide examples of positioning as it applies to the specific region or destination; differentiate
and explain marketing messages for various travel audiences.
 Explain the importance and provide examples of the application of marketing research to the
particular destinations visited in the course.
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Identify various economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts associated with tourism
within the regions studied. Suggest appropriate and feasible strategies that could be employed
to mitigate negative impacts and maximize positive impacts.
Illustrate the World Tourism Organization’s criteria for sustainability as it might apply to the
destination or region visited.
Critique management objectives, issues and operations of visitor attractions and businesses
encountered.
Contrast sustainability issues across the region, destination or community.
c. Course topic outline
Course topics will include:
1. General Sustainable Tourism Principles and Destination Specific Application
2. Tourism Sectors and Their Intersection with Public, Non-profit and Private Organizations
3. Tourism niches
4. Regional-Thinking and Partnerships within Tourism Development
5. Social, Cultural and Political Aspects of Tourism
6. Tourism Development and Planning
7. Small Business and Entrepreneurs
8. Community Participation
9. Environmental Issues in Tourism
10. Tourism Research and Indicators
11. Tourism Markets & Marketing Strategies
12. Tourism Policy
13. Sustainability: Evidence of Practice
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
Students taking this course for the full three credits would participate in three field trips and ALL
ACTIVITIES LISTED BELOW.
Students taking the course for two credits would be required to participate in both field trips, and in the
journaling, readings and discussion, destination assessments, and group assignments.
Students taking the course for one credit would participate in one field trip and in the journaling,
readings and discussion, destination assessments, and group assignments.
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Field trips and journal detailing the academic experience- 200 points
Discussion/ Debriefing Participation – 100
Regional or Destination Assessments – 100
Group Assignment – 200
Individual Assignment – 200
Exhibit/ Show – 200
Total of 1000 points
-
A = 900-1000 points
B = 800-899 points
C = 700-799 points
F = less than 700 points
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Revised 04-06-11 and posted fall of 2011. Further revised based upon GCC input received 9/5/2012.