SKI RESORT OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

selkirk.ca/ski

SROM 159 - BUSINESS COMMUNICATION I

Deals with written and oral communication skills.
Topics include writing memos, letters, emails, formal
reports and other business correspondence, making
effective presentations, résumé preparation and
research techniques. Understanding the theory

of business communication and being able to
employ this theory effectively in written and verbal
communication is critical for tourism, recreation,
and hospitality managers who wish to succeed. This
course places emphasis on the conceptual, practical,
and technical aspects of effective workplace
communication.

SROM 160 - SKI RESORT GUEST SERVICES
AND SNOW SCHOOL OPERATIONS

Guest Services personnel perform many functions at
ski resorts and ski areas. As front line employees,
they must be equipped with excellent customer
service skills. Quality service delivery, product sales
techniques and administrative skills are all employed
by staff members working in Guest Services
operations.

Snow School Operations is an integral part of a Ski
resort's services. With the proper management
techniques a snow school could be a major revenue
centre for the resort. The function, quality and
performance of front-line instructors as well as
supervisors and management of the snow school
can make or break a beginner's ski/snowboard
experience.

SROM 160 is presented to provide students with
some of the practical knowledge required to sell

ski resort products and deliver services to ski
resort guests. The size of the ski resort determines
the makeup of this operating department and the
complexity of systems used. The ability to adapt
and design delivery and product sales systems

for different size operations will be emphasized.
Interfacing management requirements for statistical
information and guest controls with the practical
design and application of systems and procedures
is a requirement for the efficient operation of this
operating department.

This course will also focus on Snow School
Operations from a management perspective. An
emphasis will be put on staffing, scheduling,
budgeting and programming.

SROM 166 - SKI RESORT
FACILITIES MAINTENANCE

Effective management of a ski resort requires
smooth functioning of all base area facilities. Base
area facilities include the parking lots, day lodges,
accommodation facilities, and resort service
buildings. Managers and supervisory personnel
need to have knowledge of both the function and

230 = Selkirk College Academic Calendar 2017-18

maintenance requirements of these key base

area facilities. Managers must also have intimate
knowledge of the functioning and preventative
maintenance of the building systems that provide for
the needs and comfort of guests and employees.

SROM 166 Ski Resort Facilities Maintenance

is presented to give students an insight into

the complexity of ski resort base area building
infrastructure. The necessity for effective
maintenance and preventative maintenance
programs is inherent in the quality management of
these important ski resort assets.

SROM 169 - FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

SROM 169 is an introductory course in accounting
from the basic accounting equation to the preparation
of the income statement and balance sheet. This
course covers merchandise operations, service
business accounting, depreciation, adjusting entries
as well as specialized journals.

SROM 171 - SKI AREA PLANNING

SROM 171 provides an introduction to a wide range
of ski resort planning and development topics. In
SROM 171 you will study the mountain environment,
ski resort environmental impact issues and mitigation
practices, ski area feasibility and physical site
evaluation, ski area planning parameters, and the BC
Commercial Alpine Ski Policy. You will learn about
the requirements for ski resort mapping and you will
practice several ski area planning skills, including
topographic map interpretation, slope and fall line
analysis, ski resort terrain capacity calculations,

and mountain design. Finally, you will study ski
resort base area design and ski resort real estate
development.

SROM 172 - SKI LIFT FUNCTIONS,
MAINTENANCE AND REGULATIONS

The development of uphill transportation systems

and passenger ropeways in particular, has enabled
recreational skiing to evolve into a thriving

industry. The continuing evolution of passenger
ropeway technology and passenger conveyer systems
continues to shape the character of ski resorts and
the quality of the ski and snowboarding experience.

SROM 172 examines passenger ropeway technology
as it is applied in today’s winter recreation areas
and resorts. In this course, you will examine the
mechanical functioning of passenger ropeway
components in the most commonly used passenger
ropeways in the ski industry today - fixed and
detachable grip chairlifts. You will also identify
passenger ropeway maintenance requirements and
preventative maintenance procedures. Finally you
will learn about passenger ropeway regulations in
Canada, including the CSA Z98 Standard.

SROM 173 - SKI RESORT SLOPE
GROOMING OPERATIONS

As with ski lift technology, the evolution of slope
grooming machinery and slope maintenance
practices has profoundly affected the ski industry.

As numerous ski industry customer service surveys
indicate, snow conditions are a primary determinant
of skier satisfaction. Thus, slope grooming technology
and operations play a major role in providing a high
quality skiing experience and creating high levels of
skier satisfaction.

In SROM 173 you will study the basic design

and functioning of slope grooming vehicles and
implements designed specifically for the ski industry,
particularly the slope grooming machines supplied by
the two major slope grooming vehicle manufacturers,
Kassboher and Prinoth. You will examine the main
components and general maintenance requirements
of a slope grooming vehicle, including the engine

and its various systems, the tracks and suspension
system, and the drive system. You will also study

the main slope grooming implements including the
blade system, snow tillers, and half pipe grinders.
You will review grooming operations, including snow
properties in relation to slope grooming, slope-
grooming objectives and functions, slope grooming
methods and techniques, slope grooming operating
plans, and slope grooming expenses and budgeting.
Slope grooming human resources management
topics include operator training, motivation, and
compensation.

Practical sessions will allow you to examine grooming
equipment in the field, and you will have the
opportunity to participate in on one or more “ride-
along” sessions at Whitewater ski area. By the end of
the course, you will have gained some understanding
of how slope grooming personnel can run efficient
and cost effective grooming operations.

The Park Building curriculum includes industry trends
as well as an on-snow portion participants build a
terrain park and cross track features from the ground
up. The intention is to allow participants to learn
through guided discovery while maintaining an aspect
of creativity in the design.

SROM 175 - SKI RESORT
SNOWMAKING SYSTEMS

Introduces you to the various components of ski
resort snowmaking systems and accepted concepts,
principles, and operational and management
practices for machine snowmaking for the snow
resort industry. You will learn about the physics and
mechanics of snowmaking and its uses within a snow
resort context, as well as its impacts on mountain
resort operations and resort costs of operation. You
will study snowmaking system components, including
snow guns, water pumps and air compressors,
system infrastructure, and system controls. You

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