NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Leah Jackson (jacksonl@nsula.edu)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
http://www.nsula.edu/news
7/3/2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES - Increasing enrollment, expanding undergraduate curriculums and increasing career opportunities for graduate students are the main goals for Dr. John Dollar, who has been named the head of the Department of Health and Human Performance at Northwestern State University.
Dollar joined the faculty at Northwestern in 2003 after serving at Texas A & M University, where he earned a Ph.D. in kinesiology and was teaching in the sports management program. Dollar earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary health and physical education at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark., in 1974 and a master’s degree in secondary physical education at NSU in 1981 and he has more than 30 years of secondary and higher physical education experience in Louisiana and Texas. For the last four years, Dollar has taught NSU graduate classes in sports administration and hopes to incorporate that expertise into enhancing both undergraduate and graduate coursework in the department.
Undergraduate degree programs offered by the Department of Health and Human Performance include teacher certification in health and physical education and health and exercise science. The department also offers a minor in athletic training and a concentration in physical therapy. At the graduate level, programs offered include health and physical education, health promotion and sports administration.
According to Dollar, refining the undergraduate and graduate programs to meet guidelines set forth by the North American Society for Sports Management and the National Association for Sports and Physical Education is an important networking tool for both recruiting students and placing students in internships.
“The NASSM and the NASPE combined and came up with common guidelines for undergraduate and graduate programs in sports management and sports administration,” Dollar said. “In meeting the guidelines, your program achieves national approval status and you are listed an their register of approved programs for recruiting purposes.”
Expanding the undergraduate curriculum could create a smooth transition for HHP undergraduates who plan to pursue the master’s degree. One benefit of NSU’s program is that students work closely with the athletic department for practical experience and many have pursued successful internships and careers with professional sports organizations and facilities. Dollar intends to nurture those contacts to establish rapport with sports organizations, conferences and related agencies.
“Drawing students to a Division I program is a big plus for us because the experience is good for them. Our masters program is as good as any master’s program in the south, including Texas and all the Florida schools,” said Dollar, whose former students are on staff with the Texas Rangers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the New Orleans Hornets. “The availability of internships is outstanding. ”
Students must meet rigorous academic standards to achieve the prized internships, which rely on organizational skills and experience in sales, marketing and promotions.
“I see career opportunities that are unimaginable in a field that is not gender specific,” Dollar said. “We are matching opportunities with education and providing a stepping stone to an exciting and lucrative career. When you educate students about their options, there is no reason to not have a successful program.”
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