As the general manager of the Buffalo Run Casino & Resort in Miami, Oklahoma, Stephen Bashore is very busy: He manages a staff of more than 300 people and frequently works nights, weekends, and holidays. There are nine other casinos within a 26-mile radius, which means he operates in a highly competitive market.
As an undergraduate at Oklahoma State, he was keenly aware of the University of Miami—he played baseball and grew up a Hurricane fan and he also visited early in his career as a boxing commissioner. "I always wanted to be part of the University of Miami. When the opportunity to attend online came, I jumped on it immediately."
Bashore enrolled in the master’s in Sport Administration and is about half-way through the program. His primary reason for enrolling? “My goal is to get into collegiate athletic administration." Applying what he learns right away in the interim, Bashore is applying everything he’s learning in each course to his work at Buffalo Run.
A marketing course required him to attend a collegiate game to analyze the marketing presence. “The professor gave us a checklist of things to look for and list/reflect. What do the billboards say? Do you see more of one message? Now, I better understand our marketing team’s creative ideas,” he explains, “and the reasons why they share certain messages more frequently.”
Another course has deepened his focus on management. “Getting our team to develop and support the same message is crucial,” he shares. “One course explained the importance of getting a team to buy into a vision statement. It creates a better atmosphere and increases camaraderie. There is a vast choice of casinos in our area, but we now have the best team.”
What’s more, he feels extremely supported by his professors and the staff at UOnline. "The way the communication is written and disseminated, I feel like I’m on campus. Instructors will call or email you. You always receive a response. I’m looking forward to graduating, but then again - I’m not."
