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The Outdoor Adventure Leadership Immersion Semester Program is a semester long experience that takes place during a majors or minors spring semester junior year.
Students register for 15 - 18 credits in the following courses:
RLS 21800 Wilderness First Responder - Improvised resources, varying environmental conditions and extended-care used as the framework for learning to respond to medical emergencies in remote wilderness settings. Examines necessary tools to make critical medical and evacuation decisions.
RLS 22000 The Wilderness Experience - Exploration of the complexity of a wilderness experience. Focus on wilderness values and the relationship humanity has with shaping the natural environment as well as the effects wilderness has on human relationships.
RLS 22300 Wilderness Literacy - Survey of works in a variety of mediums that focuses on the theme of wilderness as a metaphor. Examination of the important ideas, people, cultures, and deep intellectual history of the wilderness movement.
RLS 35400 Organization and Supervision of Outdoor Pursuits - Application of principles and practices in planning, implementing, leading, supervising, and evaluating outdoor trips and programs. Study of outdoor program supervision using a variety of organizational models. Students design field-based experiences.
RLS 37000 Recreational Land Use Ethics - Examination of the people and social forces that have influenced land-use related to designated wilderness. Focus on philosophical and historical basis for wilderness management. Emphasizes development and promotion of a personal recreational land use ethic.
RLS 42100 Wilderness Expedition Leadership - Integrates human understanding, outdoor techniques, and teaching ability in expedition leadership. Emphasis on sound judgment and decision making with groups in wilderness settings.
The immersion semester starts in the San Juan Islands where students will travel via kayak exploring the Puget Sound. While in the San Juan's students will begin to explore the very nature of wilderness experiences. Students will explore this region for three weeks living in backcountry environments for the duration. Upon completion of this portion of the semester students will live and study at the North Cascades Institute, located in North Cascades National Park, where the focus will move to the logistics of expedition planning and risk management. Students will spend five weeks living at the institute participating in a traditional classroom setting. The next stage takes place rafting on the Lower Salmon River in Idaho where students will be introduced to environmental ethics and land management issues. We will live and travel in the remote river canyon for a week. We then return to the Institute to explore the complexities of wilderness. The final stage of the immersion semester will take place backpacking and traveling in the alpine zone of the north cascades for three weeks studying leadership, judgment, and decision makings abilities.
Certification: Successful graduates are eligible for outdoor leader certification, which is recognized by employers across the country for enhancing the safety standards of adventure travel and increasing the quality of educational experiences. Our certification program is accredited by the Wilderness Education Association. Students will also become certified in wilderness medicine at the wilderness first responder level and will attain master educator status with Leave No Trace: Center for Outdoor Ethics.
The cost of participating in the OAL ISP is equal to the cost of room and board for one semester at Ithaca College. This fee is attached as a course fee to RLS 22000 The Wilderness Experience.
The OAL ISP is only open to majors and minors. Spots for minors are limited. Priority is given to majors as it is a requirement for graduation. Both Majors and minors need to complete the OAL ISP application and forms.
OAL ISP Application