Fisher’s Sport Management Program Earns Reaccreditation

The sport management program at St. John Fisher University has received reaccreditation from the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).

This is the second time the program has been affirmed by COSMA; it was the first New York State accredited sport management program in 2016. 

COSMA is a specialized accrediting body whose purpose is to promote and recognize excellence in sport management education worldwide in colleges and universities at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels through specialized accreditation. Programs, students, employers, and the general public all benefit from the external verification of quality provided through COSMA’s accreditation process. They also benefit from the process of continuous quality improvement that is encouraged by COSMA’s developmental approach to promoting excellence in sport management education. 

Faculty in the department began the self-study process in spring 2023 with a focus on demonstrating compliance with seven different principles including outcomes assessment, strategic planning, curriculum, faculty, scholarly and professional activities, resources, and internal and external relationships. That fall, the department hosted a site team that was joined by two individuals from the COSMA Board of Commissioners virtually. The site visit included a campus tour, meetings with sport management students and faculty, and meetings with members of administration. 

“The site visit process is integral to quality programmatic assessment. Without the ability to engage, describe, and explore specific elements of the self-study and to see key components of the study, site reviewers are left with what can be represented on paper. The insights gained from their multiple meetings with various constituents present a more accurate picture of the success of our program,” said Dr. Emily Dane-Staples, professor in the sport management department.

Fisher’s sport management program launched in 1999 and prepares graduates for careers in the business and management of professional and intercollegiate athletics, recreational facilities, and non-profit organizations, among other industries. Alumni are employed by local, regional, and national sports organizations including the Indiana Fever, the Buffalo Bills, and the PGA Tour, as well as municipalities, agencies and management firms, and colleges and universities.

A highlight of the program is its focus on experiential learning. Students receive specialized guidance in obtaining internships and field placements in a variety of sport and entertainment organizations. These opportunities provide students with an intimate understanding of the operational side of sport enterprises and help them develop the skills they need for successful careers in the industry.

COSMA also held its most recent Board of Commissioners meeting on the Fisher campus in September. Dane-Staples has been a member of the Board of Commissioners since 2021. She is in her second term as a member and has served as both a site visit chair and site reviewer in the past. She said those experiences, in addition to being the primary author of Fisher’s accreditation materials in 2016 and 2023, give her a very holistic view of sport management accreditation.

Dane-Staples suggested Fisher as the site of the Board meeting, thanks to the highly anticipated opening of the renovated and modernized Lavery Library.

“I thought it would be a great way to showcase our campus, and a September visit to Rochester is much more enjoyable than one in February,” she said. “We started with a campus tour that included many of our newly renovated active learning spaces, sport management office space, athletic facilities, and highlighted the Lavery Library renovation. Members were very impressed with all of our facilities and what we were able to provide to our students. The terms ‘beautiful’ and ‘jealous’ were used often,” she said. 

She described the board composition as “very intentional” to gain as many diverse perspectives as possible. Members come from a variety of industry backgrounds including an industry professional, current sport management faculty, retired faculty, and one non-sport management educator. During their fall meeting, the Board discussed and made accreditation decisions for six institutions that had completed their site visit since their last meeting in February. 

Learn more about Fisher’s sport management program.