University Skydiving Classes

[clintster 0]

Just a quick question for all of you that know of or are associated with a university skydiving class. I am interested to know if anyone has knowledge of an approved skydiving class at a university that the students receive credits for. The reason for my asking is the Ohio State University has an approved skydiving class that the students receive GEC credits for. This class is in the process of receiving some good press and we were asked how many other universities have classes like this. I know that many universities have clubs, very successful clubs, but I don't know how many have approved for credit classes. I am just trying to give the reporter accurate information. Thank You.

[karenmeal 0]

That is the only University that I have ever heard of having skydiving classes for credit. That is craziness. I suppose there could be more, but I would be pretty surprised.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[psipike02 0]

That's very cool. But yeah I've never heard of anything like that. Just clubs like at Michigan.

They would laugh in our face if we told them we wanted to form a skydiving class and get credit for it. We don't even have "gym" classes like other schools, like golf, and tennis, and skiing and stuff like that.

Must be nice...that'd def. be a class I take

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[db08 0]

Air Force Academy

[NickDG 23]

Have you never heard of the Collegians? They used to have a meet every year that wasn't quite the Nationals, but it wasn't a dinky little meet either . . .

NickD BASE 194

[psipike02 0]

Quote

Air Force Academy

Ok well yes, thats a given. I've jumped w/ some of the Air Force guys and know guys who work there, so yeah thats a given that they'd have a class....


Nick: No I've never heard of that, does it still go on and where and you said its like nationals? but just smaller and shit?

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[mr2mk1g 10]

As far as I'm aware there are at least 2 DZ's in New Zealand offering full skydiving degrees which are fully recognised by the state and even open to state funding for students.

...not that that probably helps you.

[crotalus01 0]

why shouldnt Universities offer skydiving for credits? University of Memphis offers classes in Hiking, Bowling, Scuba Diving, Weight Training, Golf, Tennis and Hoseback Riding in their PE curriculum. 3 hours credit per class, all electives. So why not skydiving?

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[eUrNiCc 0]

I just graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this past May. We have a Skydiving Club recognized through the school as a "Student Organization." Basically that means that we can use the school's facilities for meetings and whatnot, but we can recieve no funding. In order to be registered as a sports club (that recieves funding) the school would have to have a "catastrophic accident insurance policy" which would be next to impossible to find.

Is your skydiving class a theory course, or does it involve actual training? Does the school own an airplane or just send you to the nearest DZ? What is the cost to students?

BTW Nick, the Collegiate National Championships are still held every year between Christmas and New Years. This coming year they will be held at Lake Wales.

Egad, A BASE life defiles a bad age.

[tombuch 0]

Way back in the beginning of time (the early 1980’s) I was teaching skydiving at Central Square, New York. We had a deal with one of the major regional colleges (perhaps Colgate or Cornell?) that offered a single physical education credit for completing a full day static line class.

I hated the program. Every spring we would get folks taking the class who needed one credit, or one phys-ed credit to graduate, and the only way to get that credit so late in the semester was to jump out of an airplane. Many of those students had no interest in skydiving and did not want to be there, but a college degree is a major motivator.

The school policy said you had to take and pass the entire course, including a written exam and the actual skydive. I made a deal with a few frightened students that I would sign their certificates if they went through the entire course, passed the written test, geared-up, rode the airplane, and then never jumped. I simply asked that they tell me that was their intention before we boarded so they could be placed in the back and not disrupt the jump-flow for the two other students in the Cessna. I was just very uncomfortable dealing with students who felt pressured to skydive so they could graduate on time.

Be careful about offering college credit for what appears to be a ‘gut’ course. The students need to have some mechanism of opt-out that allows them to avoid the significant risk of the actual skydive. Perhaps build the course as an overview that includes more material on the piloting, regulation, and equipment aspects, and that leaves an actual jump as optional.
.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[kallend 1,623]

Quote

Just a quick question for all of you that know of or are associated with a university skydiving class. I am interested to know if anyone has knowledge of an approved skydiving class at a university that the students receive credits for. The reason for my asking is the Ohio State University has an approved skydiving class that the students receive GEC credits for. This class is in the process of receiving some good press and we were asked how many other universities have classes like this. I know that many universities have clubs, very successful clubs, but I don't know how many have approved for credit classes. I am just trying to give the reporter accurate information. Thank You.

Our school no longer gives academic credit for PE classes of any kind.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Foggy 0]

Quote

Is your skydiving class a theory course, or does it involve actual training? Does the school own an airplane or just send you to the nearest DZ? What is the cost to students?

Clint prob has more details but the course is a short series of lectures covering elements of skydiving history, theory, USPA and FAA and competition. The students then make a "field trip" to a local dz where they have the option of doing either a tandem or AFF skydive. They do not have to jump to pass the course.
A few of the course graduates have continued to jump and at least one I know of now has a coach rating and is actively involved in the course prep
Foggy
D21109

[clintster 0]

In the skydiving class we do talk about the history of skydiving, but the majority of the class time is spent preparing the students for their skydive. The first and second classes are basically an AFF class taught to everyone. Then the class is split up and the AFF students go over the dive flow with the instructors and the tandems do their thing. The AFF students get a refresher when they get to the DZ. They work in the mockup, go over emergency procedures, learn to plf, and they are good to go.
If I remember correctly, out of the 200 students we had for the spring class, 60 were AFF students. Possibly more. They don't have to jump to pass the class. They have to show up and participate in the three classroom sessions, make the field trip to the DZ, and write a 500 word essay on their experience. So far this year, I think we had only one person not jump and that was because he was over the weight limit for tandem.

The final class the students are introduced to all of the diffifrent flavors of skydiving and competitive skydiving. We also watch some of the student videos.

This class was initially started by Dr. Brian Smith and when he left OSU, it was turned over to Jennifer Olson, the instructor of record for the class. A lot of people have unselfishly contributed to the success of the class over many years.

[Remster 24]

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This class was initially started by Dr. Brian Smith and when he left OSU,

If anyone in the academic world has questions about startinga program, you can post them here, and I'll pass them along to Brian. Or, alternatively, you can show up at Eloy and ask them in person!

Remster