The faculty who teach the University of Miami’s online course come from different backgrounds and are experts in vastly different fields. However, they all have one key character trait in common: they share a deep sense of responsibility for equipping students with the tools needed to be successful. In a new series of blog posts, we will be putting a spotlight on faculty members from different UOnline graduate programs. Meet UOnline’s newest Professor Erin McNary, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor Erin McNary is one of the newest members of the University of Miami faculty. Prior to joining the Master of Education - Sport Administration faculty in August 2017, Prof. McNary was at Indiana University-Bloomington (IUB), where she received her doctorate degree and taught in the Sport Marketing and Management program.
Prof. McNary’s background also includes working with numerous sports organizations at two different universities in St. Louis, MO, as well as holding campus recreation positions at universities in Arizona and Texas. Additionally, she spent several years working for a national physical activity and fitness awards program.
Before coming to the U, Prof. McNary had already met several members of The U faculty over the years through networking. “The Sport Administration faculty is dedicated to developing relationships with sport practitioners not only locally but across the nation and around the globe,” adds Prof. McNary, who teaches Globalization in Sport.
In the course, students develop a critical understanding of the necessary relationships between the global sport process and the local experience. Students are introduced to how decisions are made in various sporting organizations and mega-events such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup. “We also look at how the cultural, political, and economic aspects work together to influence globalization. Relevant issues such as sport migration, taking local teams and sport organizations to a global playing field, and global media coverage of sports are examined.”
Joining the esteemed U Sport Administration faculty was an exciting opportunity “because our faculty are so dedicated to developing the skillset students need as well as helping them find a job,” she says. “One of the things that are essential to my position is facilitating networking and helping students with their careers.” We host an annual conference where students have the opportunity to listen to sport industry experts and are able to speak and network with these panelists. This year, the conference occurs on three different dates, February 16th, April 5th & 6th. Check out the current list of speakers and events here.
Small class sizes allow Prof. McNary to develop strong relationships with her students—whether online or on campus. “We try to give our online students as much attention and opportunity as our on-campus students. One thing I have helped facilitate is bringing the on-campus events to online students.”
She makes sure she is pro-actively communicating with students and responds to students’ queries as quickly as she can. “I think this is critical in an online setting.” Prof. McNary also makes a concerted effort to foster discussion and collaboration among her students. “I have them work together on a case study within the class. I find that by having students work in partners, they gain new perspectives from learning from one another.”
“I think this program is unique,” says Prof. McNary, noting that the on-campus faculty are all industry experts and are the same professors who teach the online classes. “We all care about our students and ensure we match the efforts that they put into the courses.”
