Central Division Library
Course Description for SES – Snow Sport Enhancement Seminar
- Program objective – To provide the NSP membership with instruction and guided practice designed to improve their skiing/riding skills
- Program structure – Current PSIA L3/AASI L2 instructors or higher status conduct this course. The class can be held at any ski area. The class typically takes six to eight hours and covers the essential fundamentals of skiing: balance, rotary, edging, and pressure, as well as how to improve the participant’s capacity to more effectively apply/blend these skills in his or her own skiing. The class can be configured to include all members or can be specifically designed to target a particular group. Examples could be but are not limited to patroller registration classification, specific gender, and specific equipment type.
- Venue – This course may initially start inside but the majority of time will be spent outside on the area’s ski slopes.
- Class size – The class size is dependent on the lead instructor’s guidance. If there are several participants, the number of instructors may be increased
- instructor. The local area management may have specific limitations on how many participants are permitted to be in a class. The local patrol representative must be included in the planning stages of the course to keep the communication channels open.
- Instructor/student ratio – The SES class size typically does not exceed a 1:10 ratio of instructor to students.
- Audit frequency – PSIA/AASI monitors their instructor cadre and provides updated certification cards to currently certified instructors. An OET IT or TE may monitor as QA.
- Course content – The course content is dependent on the group that is participating. The lead instructor will define the participants’ wants and needs and construct a course that will address these needs. The course will incorporate fundamental ski/ride skills and elaborate on elements that will address the needs of the group.
- Resources required – This program requires permission from the local area management regarding what is acceptable. Obviously, the local area patrol representative must be supportive and staffed that day to permit other on-the-hill patrollers to participate without compromising proper area coverage.
- Instructors – The number of instructors is defined by the number of interested participants. Typically the course will not exceed 10 participants per instructor.
- Helpers – Typically, it is best to have two to three patrollers at the registration to make sure all have completely filled out registration information, signed liability waivers, and, if appropriate, paid participation fees. At the end of the course, at least one of these helpers needs to distribute and collect course evaluation forms. This form and the course registration need to be copied and kept for at least two to seven years, according to division protocol.
- Equipment – No equipment is required for the standard SES. However, if the course includes video analysis of the participants skiing/riding, a video recording device and playback screen for review is needed.
- Educational materials – None required
- Instructor credentials – The lead instructor should be at least a PSIA L3/AASI L2. There may be several assistants that are very experienced PSIA Level II instructors.
- Course prerequisites – Participants need to be currently registered NSP members in good standing. They need to sign liability waivers and pay participation fees if appropriate. Non-hill qualified NSP patrollers may participate, subject to event structure and host patrols policies.
- Evaluation format –: This is not a pass/fail evaluation format. The only evaluation that takes place is the instructor evaluates the participant’s skill level and designs drills and practice sessions to help the patroller improve.
- Grade scale/structure – Not applicable
- Reporting requirements –
- Class registration – Typically, this course is registered by the Division/Region OET supervisor or Division/Region ski school supervisor, and the IOR registers the course online on the NSP website.
- Course completion report – The IOR will send the course completion report to the national office within two weeks of the completion of the course. Copies of the registration and participant waivers should be retained for two to seven years, depending on specific division policy.
- Course feedback form – The IOR will distribute and then collect the instructor evaluation forms that each participant is requested to complete. The IOR should share the results with the instructor and the PSIA source that provided the instruction.
- Risk management considerations – Participants need to sign the division course participation waivers. The waivers need to be kept with the course completion records. All instructors should provide an environment that will permit anyone who is not comfortable attempting any portion of the course to elect to not participate in any activity.
- Conflict resolution – The IOR is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations for any conflict. If a participant has an unresolved issue or complaint, it should be taken to the next line administrator.