Esports in Higher Education

Fostering Successful Student-Athletes and Successful Programs

George S. McClellan, Ryan S. Arnett, Charles M. Hueber

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• ISBN:
  9781000979886
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Administration

This comprehensive resource examines the rapidly-growing esports phenomenon in higher education, bringing the perspectives of players, administrators, and scholars together in one volume to discuss the basics of esports, how to start and maintain successful esports programs, and issues and trends in the field.Esports are a global phenomenon with an estimated audience of 400 million people in 2018. Given their already strong base and rising popularity on college campuses, esports have been referred to as the new college football. This book offers practical insights into how to develop and maintain an esports program that is consistent with institutional purposes and values. The book is helpful to all types of institutions (small to large, public and private, 2-year or 4-year). It draws on current scholarship and the professional experience of the authors, focused heavily on practical advice for higher education professionals.Among the challenges of esports in higher education the book addresses are competition structure, competition climate, child protection, cheating, gambling, lack of reliable relevant data to inform decisions, and the advent of an esports arms race. Some of the opportunities described in the book include student recruitment and success networks with high schools, and partnerships with the esports industry. Done correctly, esports can provide a structured way for all students (on campus, off campus, and online) to engage in both curricular and cocurricular programming that can provide measurable learning outcomes and have a positive impact on retention rates.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• PREFACE
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• 1 AN OVERVIEW OF ESPORTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
• 2 CREATING A SUCCESSFUL ESPORTS PROGRAM ON CAMPUS
• 3 RUNNING A COCURRICULAR ESPORTS PROGRAM
• APPENDIX 3A: Schreiner University Gamer’s Guild Creed
• 4 EXPERIENCES OF AN ESPORTS STUDENT-ATHLETE
• 5 ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONS FOR ESPORTS PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS
• 6 SUMMING UP AND LOOKING FORWARD
• GLOSSARY
• ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• REFERENCES
• ABOUT THE AUTHORS
• INDEX