Student News

A virtual, collaborative learning experience for College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences students with students from Halmstad University in Halmstad, Sweden, has thrived during the pandemic.

Eight sport management students and three faculty members attended the Pittsburgh Pirates Third annual Curt Roberts Step Up to the Plate recruitment event at PNC Park on Oct. 13.

As we move through the fall 2021 semester, our Office of Student Success continues to work diligently to create a transformational advising system that shepherds students in their educational journey and empowers them to learn, grow and develop as individuals and future professionals. Our team frequently connects with students to help them engage with the support systems that are designed to maximize the student experience. The team also partners with instructors to encourage reporting student challenges, prompting effective outcomes and enhancing academic success rates.

A vision of boundless opportunities within the sports industry has inspired a sport management master’s program student at the College to create an organization to support student networking and career objectives.

The College welcomed May, August and December 2020 graduates to participate with May 2021 graduates after more than a year of pandemic restrictions. CPASS celebrated this milestone and the return to the in-person commencement tradition. The ceremonies took place Saturday morning on May 15 and included Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and Reed College of Media students.

An online master’s student is building her business knowledge through networking and faculty expertise, all while developing her career as an assistant women’s soccer coach.

WVU recently welcomed 29 new Fellows to the graduate student community. These first-year Fellows will begin building groundbreaking research projects once they arrive on campus this fall semester. Three CPASS graduate students also received Fellow awards.

A group of sport management master’s students shifted their end-of-semester research presentations into a lesson in virtual partnerships — and it’s paying off.

Although many West Virginia University students are in a virtual learning environment this semester, CPASS Sport Management Club members continue to participate in especially engaging virtual sessions with industry professionals to develop connections in the field they love.

CPASS graduating students celebrated 2020 Mountaineer Graduation Day on May 16, 2020, with all the same excitement and future expectations of previous graduates, with one notable difference. Their experience was entirely virtual. Everyone was invited — graduates, families, current and future students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University. And all came to honor our outstanding seniors.

This year, the Office of Student Success (OSS) has welcomed Elizabeth “Betsy” Robbins to their staff. Robbins is joining OSS as a program assistant, a role in which she is providing integral support to recruitment and retention initiatives for both undergraduate and graduate programs.

Prior to the spring 2019 commencement, several CPASS seniors reflected on their undergraduate years at WVU and CPASS and offered advice to their freshman selves.

A hallmark of CPASS education is learning outside the classroom. Here are just a few of the things our students immerse themselves in at home and abroad:

An on-line master of science program blends industry best practices and practical skills. A new major offers internships for real hands-on experience in the field, preparing graduates to lead physical activity programs in community, campus, commercial and resort settings. An innovative collaboration provides an opportunity to use applied sport science within a combination of service and research to help coaches and athletes better understand the training process.

After a six-hour road trip, and four states later, 61 CPASS students and faculty converged on Indianapolis, Ind., for the Sport Management Worldwide Football Career Conference and NFL Scouting Combine in early March.

A study abroad journey designed to give students the opportunity to work with local underserved youth combined sport performance, safety and sport psychology in Costa Rica, Central America.

In February, nine CPASS students and sport management faculty attended the Curt Roberts Step Up to the Plate event commemorating the late Curt Roberts, the first African-American drafted by the Pirates.

The CPASS Office of Student Success (OSS) provides students professional advising and academic support services. And in collaboration with the WVU Career Services Center, the OSS will expand its programming during the upcoming academic year to incorporate an increased focus on career readiness to prepare students for a diverse job market. 

Athletic Training students and faculty visited Ireland during spring break to discover the countryside and experience academic studies and clinical settings. The 11 students, led by Allison Hetrick, Athletic Training clinical coordinator and Dana Voelker, Sport and Exercise Psychology assistant professor, enjoyed breath-taking views at the Cliffs of Moher, traveled to Northern Ireland, explored the Giant’s Causeway and enjoyed local cuisine.

WVU Sport and Exercise Psychology students embarked on an international adventure during their spring break. The bi-annual spring break study abroad trip to Halmstad and Halmstad University in Sweden, March 2-12, offered 11 students the opportunity to attend academic sessions and interact with Swedish students studying the same subject.