URBS 230 —Community
Leadership and Service Learning
Term: Fall, 2008
Instructor: Tony Filipovitch, 106 Morris Hall, 507-389-5035, 507-388-2264 (home)
Office Hours: My office hours are posted here. I am available in my office at those times (or other times by appointment). I also check my e-mail daily (usually several times during the day), and have an answering machine on both my home and office phone.
There is no reason to flounder around, unsure of what “he wants” or confused about what you are doing; and even if everything is going fine with the coursework, there is more to learning than completing the assignments. I encourage you to visit me, in person or at a distance by phone or e-mail, many times during the course.
Text:
Krile, James F. 2006. The Community Leadership Handbook. St Paul, MN: Fieldstone Alliance.
Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to provide you with a comprehensive overview of community leadership in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, both through classroom work and through service learning. You will look at the principles and practices for managing community groups, and at the ethical and civic responsibilities of a democratic society. What makes this course unique is the students’ involvement with the community and its leaders. This course requires a high level of student involvement—volunteering, attending meetings, interviewing, working with both student and community teams, etc.
By the end of the term you will be able to:
1. Define and recognize leadership within the voluntary sector and compare/contrast this sector with the public and private sectors;
2. Understand and describe the significance/development of mission, leadership, resources, marketing, decision-making, and people development in institutional (public, private, nonprofit) settings;
3. Apply the criteria of civic and ethical values to behavior in public settings;
4. Demonstrate skill in fostering citizenship, representative government, collaboration, citizen participation, and citizen self-government;
5. Apply your knowledge and skills directly in community leadership.
In addition to the specific course outcomes, there are three additional outcomes that are common to most, if not all, courses at MSU:
1. Develop your creative and critical thinking powers in addressing problems and opportunities;
2. Develop personal communication skills, both oral and (especially in this course) written;
3. Improve your ability to work and interact with others in a team approach.
Assignments:
This is a “service learning” course which
requires approximately 30 hours of volunteer activity in
the community. It is also a
“writing intensive” course, which means that you will be expected
to do a fair bit of writing and to edit and rewrite what you have
written.
1. Class
Discussion:
Since we do not meet as a class, the closest thing we have to this is the discussion lists on D2L. I will pose questions to start the discussion, and I will monitor (but may or may not respond) the discussion. Each student must post at least one detailed reflection for each of the 4 topics for the course, and at least one response to another student’s posting. It is important that you post your responses with enough time for your classmates to reply within the time allotted for each unit; do not get behind in your discussion work. For full credit, you must use examples, details, and credible support for your position, and refer to relevant readings (your text, at a minimum) using standard citation format (you cannot provide credible support without citing what others have written!). You will receive partial credit if you do not provide support for your responses. While I will not track whether or not you read all of the postings, I strongly encourage it. You have as much to learn from each other as from me.
There is an etiquette to online discussion. I want you to engage in open, frank dialogue; but I also expect you to be respectful of each other. Comments that are harmful, abusive, offensive, or vulgar will not be tolerated. If I sense any problems, I will intervene. Should you feel intimidated or not respected, please contact me so we can consider how to proceed. A few hints:
· Re-read your messages before you send them—once it is sent, you are committed.
· Never assume that an e-mail is confidential; they are easily copied and forwarded to others.
· Also, be careful with humor; absent body language and other contextual clues, it can easily be misinterpreted.
2. Service
Learning:
This course is structured so that you have the opportunity to learn about community leadership (as a concept, as a skill, and as a value) both in the classroom and “on the ground.” You are required to spend a significant amount of time (minimum 30 hours) as a volunteer for a community-serving organization (in return, the amount of “classtime” is reduced compared to other courses). While there, you will have the opportunity to be of service, and to observe how those around you serve and lead.
3. Writing
Assignments:
This is a writing intensive class.
Writing affords you the opportunity to practice and convey what you have
learned including higher-order
thinking (analysis, synthesis and evaluation). There are six different writing projects,
which will give you the opportunity to practice writing for different audiences
and different purposes. All writing
assignments must be submitted electronically, using Microsoft Word. You will be assigned to a “writing group,”
and you are expected to respond to each others’ writing. The author will then revise the text and
submit it to me. In writing your
projects, I expect you to refer to other people’s ideas and to footnote
your sources. You may use any standard
style manual (Harbrace,
Each of the six assignments is discussed in greater depth at their associated links. In brief, the assignments are:
1.
Free
Write: Write a personal response
reflecting on the tasks ahead.
2.
Values of
Democracy: Write an editorial
suitable for a local newspaper (this is a useful skill for a community leader
to have)
3.
Community
Context for Democratic Action: Write
an analytical essay, reflecting on the organization in which you are doing your
service learning.
4.
Building a
Healthy Community: Write a discursive essay—narrative, personal, or
persuasive (your choice)
5.
Leadership
in a Community Context: Tell an
interesting story about how someone or some organization did something that
made a difference to a community in
6.
Service
Learning Report: Write a reflective
essay addressing the question, “What did your service learning experience
teach you about community leadership?”
For a full description of each of these assignments, see the corresponding links on the Course Calendar.
Course Calendar
|
Week of |
Topic |
|
Notes |
Assignment |
|
8/25 |
|
|
||
|
9/1 |
Civic & Ethical Values |
Three Core Competencies (1-20) |
Democracy & Disagreement; Getting Past No; “Why I Am No Longer a Brain-Dead Liberal,” Arthur C. Clarke, “Death and the Senator” |
First discussion posting due by 9/4 |
|
9/8 |
Writing Project 1--Editorial |
|
|
Draft due by 9/8; Response to Group Members due by 9/12 |
|
9/15 |
|
|
|
Redraft of editorial posted to Discussion Board by 9/17 |
|
9/22 |
Institutional Setting |
Tools for Framing Ideas (21-78) |
Community Institutions; ”Bowling Alone”; de Tocqueville, “Associations in Civil Life” |
Second discussion posting due by 9/25 |
|
9/29 |
Writing Project 2--Institutional Analysis |
|
|
Draft due by 9/29; Response to Group Members by 10/3 |
|
10/6 |
|
|
|
Redraft analytical essay, post to Discussion Board by 10/8 |
|
10/13 |
Civic Engagement |
Tools for Social Capital (79-130) |
Solutions for America; “Together We Ride”; Henri Barbusse, “The Eleventh” |
Third discussion posting due by 10/16 |
|
10/20 |
Writing Project 3--Essay |
|
|
Draft due by 10/20; Response to Group Members by 10/24 |
|
10/27 |
|
|
|
Redraft discursive essay, post to Discussion Board by 10/29 |
|
11/3 |
Leadership |
Tools for Mobilizing (131-184) & Facilitating Groups (185-192) |
Authentic Leadership; “Learning to Lead” & Notes; William Shakespeare, Henry V |
Fourth discussion posting due by 11/6 |
|
11/10 |
Writing Project 4--Leadership Story |
|
|
Draft due by 11/10; Response to Group Members by 11/14 |
|
11/17 |
|
|
|
Redraft story, post to Discussion Board by 11/19 |
|
12/1 |
Writing Project 5--Service Learning Report |
|
|
Draft to Writing Group by 12/1; Response to Group Members by 12/5 |
|
12/8 |
Redraft of Service Learning Report & course evaluation
(behind the “Surveys” tab on D2L) due by 12/9 |
|||
Course Expectations:
Are You Ready for an Online Course?
Online learning is different from face-to-face. The mix of skills is different, and sometimes students who do well in face-to-face classes do not do well online. Click here for more information.
Attendance & Class Participation:
It is your responsibility to post your responses in a timely fashion, interact with your mentors, and engage in online class activities. I expect all the work for each week to be posted by 6PM on date listed in the Course Calendar. If there is an emergency which requires you to be away from your computer, please contact me immediately. I will give partial credit for assignments that come in during the next time period; assignments posted after that will not earn course credit unless there is a prior agreement. You are paying for this class—make sure to get your “money’s worth.” Most importantly, this is an excellent foundation of knowledge for future activities, and it is a chance for you to learn, teach, and grow with others.
Loss of computer connection or network services are not an excuse for not getting work submitted on time (if you lose your connection, go to another location to do your work—a public library, the computer center on campus, a friend’s computer, etc.) You can get help with technical problems from the MSUM computer help desk at help@mnsu.edu or go the 3rd floor of the Library.
Grading:
4 discussions @ 6 pts. 24
“Free Write” project 4
5 writing projects @ 12 pts. 60
Writing Group coaching (4@3) 12
The final grade may be based on a curve, but students can
expect at least an A if they achieve 90, a B with 80, etc.
Other Matters:
All assignments are due on the assigned date. Partial credit may be given for assignments
that are less than one week late, unless other arrangements have been made in advance.
Written reports are expected to be free of grammatical, spelling, and content
errors. They should be submitted in typewritten, standard formats (APA,
MLA, URSI Style Sheets). You must
familiarize yourself with the University’s Academic
Honesty Policy. I encourage you to
draw on the ideas of others—but you must also identify when you do so
(you gain “brownie
points” for citing the work of others!).
Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic behavior and will result in
an F for the course.
I will help you in whatever manner humanly possible. However, once the semester is over, there is not a great deal I can do. If there is something that you don’t understand, are having problems with, or need help on, please get in touch with me as early as possible.
Every attempt will be made to accommodate students with disabilities. If you area student with a documented disability, please contact me as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at 507-389-2825 (V) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
Bibliography
1. Civic & Ethical Values
BELLAH, R.N. et alii. 1985. Habits of the Heart.
BELLAH, R.N. et alii. 1991. The Good Society.
BIERMAN, A.K.
1973. The Philosophy of Urban Existence.
BOYTE, H.C.
DEWEY, J. 1927. The
Public and Its Problems.
FRIEDMANN, J.
1979. The Good Society.
GUTMANN, A. and D. THOMPSON.
1996. Democracy and Disagreement.
KEMMIS, D. 1990. Community
and the Politics of Place.
KEMMIS, D.1995. The
KOTLER, M. 1969. Neighborhood
Government: The Local Foundations of
Political Life.
LIPPMANN, W.
1947. An Inquiry into the Principles of the Good Society.
MATHEWS, D.
1994. Politics for People: Finding a
Responsible Public Voice.
TUAN, Y-F. 1986. The
Good Life.
VILLA, D. 2001. Socratic
Citizenship.
2. Institutional Structure
BENDER, T. 1978. Community
and Social Change in
GREEN, G.P. and A.HAINES.
2002.
HENDERSON, P. and D.N. THOMAS. 1980. Skills in Neighbourhood
Work.
ILLICH, I. 1973. Tools
for Conviviality.
KRETZMANN, J.P. and J.L. MCKNIGHT. 1993. Building Communities from the Inside
Out.
LAKEY, G. 1968. Strategy
for a Living Revolution.
LIPPITT, R., J. WATSON, and B. WESTLEY. 1958. The Dynamics of Pl
MORRIS, D. and K. HESS.
1975. Neighborhood Power: The New
Localism.
NISBET, R.A.
1953. The Quest for Community.
POPLIN, D.E.
1972. Communities: A Survey of
Theories and Methods of Research.
RUBIN, H.J. and
URY, W. 1993. Getting
Past No: Negotiating Your Way from
Confrontation to Cooperation, Rev. ed.
ZANDER, A. 1990. Effective
Social Action by Community Groups.
3. Fostering Civic Engagement
CHISHOLM, D.
1989. Coordination Without Hierarchy.
CHRISLIP, D.D. and C.E. LARSON. 1994. Collaborative Leadership: How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a
Difference.
DAVIS, P. ed.
1986. Public-Private Partnerships:
Improving Urban Life.
GRAY, B. 1989. Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems.
HARWOOD GROUP.
1993. Meaningful Chaos: How People
Form Relationships with Public Concerns.
WINER, M. and K. RAY.
1994. Collaboration Handbook:
Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the Journey.
4. Leadership
AUTRY, J.A. and S. MITCHELL.
1988. Real Power: Business Lessons
from the Tao Te Ching.
BOLMAN, L.G. and T.E. DEAL.
1997. Reframing Organizations:
Artistry, Choice, and Leadership.
BOYTE, H.C.
2004. Everyday Politics: Reconnecting
Citizens and Public Life.
BURNS, J.M.
1978. Leadership.
CLEMENS, J.K. and D.F. MAYER. 1987. The Classic Touch: Lessons in Leadership from Homer to Hemingway.
DEPREE, M. 1989. Leadership
Is an Art.
GALBRAITH, J.K.
1983. The Anatomy of Power.
GARDNER, H. 1995. Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership.
GREENLEAF, R.K. Servant Leadership.
HESSELBEIN, F., M. GOLDSMITH, and
JACKSON, P.
1995. Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons
of a Hardwood Warrior.
NANUS, B. and S. M. DOBBS.
1999. Leaders Who Make a Difference.
TERRY, RW. 1993. Authentic
Leadership.
WHEATLEY, M.J.
1999, Leadership and the New Science 2nd Ed.
WREN, J.T., ed.
1995. The Leader’s Companion:
Insights on Leadership Through the Ages.
5. Leadership in the Community
ADDAMS, J. 1990. Twenty
Years at Hull-House, with Autobiographical Notes.
COLBY, A. and W. DAMON.
1992. Some Do Care: Contemporary Lives
of Moral Commitment.
COY, P.G., ed.
1988. A Revolution of the Heart:
Essays on the Catholic Worker.
FREEDMAN, M.
1993. The Kindness of Strangers.
HAWKINS, J.D., R.F. CATALANO, Jr. 1992. Communities That Care: Action for Drug Abuse Prevention.
KOZOL, J. 1988. Rachel
and Her Children: Homeless Families in
LOEB, P.R. 1999, Soul of
a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a
Cynical Time.
MCLAUGHLIN, M.W., M.A. IRBY, and J.LANGMAN. 1994. Urban Sanctuaries: Neighborhood Organizations in the Lives and
Futures of Inner-City Youth.
RIIS, J.A. 1971. How the
Other Half Lives.
ST. ANTHONY, N.
1987. Until All Are Housed in Dignity.
© 2002 A.J.Filipovitch
Revised 26 April 2008