SYLLABUS: HRNS 399A: CAPSTONE COURSE

SYLLABUS: HRNS 399a: CAPSTONE COURSE

Spring 2016 (2 Credits)

Lown 202

Seven (7) Wednesdays, 9:00-11:50

February 24; March 16; March 23; March 30;

April 6; April 13; April 20

CONTACT INFORMATION

Professor Ellen Smith, Lown 204

;

x6-2998 (781-736-2998)

Office hours: Tuesdays 3-4:30, and happily by appointment

CLASS MEETINGS & COURSE GOALS

Dear soon-to-be-graduates: Welcome to the ending of one journey, and the beginning of another in your lives and careers.

This Hornstein Capstone course aims to mark this transition--and to summarize, cohere, and reorient the learning and experiences of your time at Hornstein and Brandeis. The goal is--through faculty and student presentations, readings, written reflections and analyses, and class discussions--to integrate your Brandeis education with your coming professional entry back into the Jewish community. Our time together will enable your cohort to be together one last time, and will give Hornstein faculty and you, our graduating students, one last classroom opportunity to learn and to vision together.

Specifically, the Capstone course will:

• help summarize your Hornsteinlearning;

• focus on your transition from Hornstein/Brandeis to the professional workplace in the Jewish community;

• enable Hornstein faculty with whom you have worked for nearly two years to give a “last lecture”--often on material quite different from that in your required courses; and

• provide you with the opportunity to facilitate, as a professional leader, a “last lecture/first professional consultation” with your cohort.

We are so grateful for your undertaking all these journeys with us, for the Jewish people and for a better world for all. Thank you!

COURSE CONTENT

The Hornstein Capstone class is a 2-credit course taught in seven 3-hour sessions.

Each session normally features:

• a Hornstein professor making a presentation on a topic of her or his choosing, related to the transition from the Hornstein Program/Brandeis University back to professional work in the Jewish community. Class materials are provide by each professor and available on Latte or via email one week in advance of the session.

• a follow-up discussion of the presentation and materials.

• a 45-minute student presentation, providing you with the opportunity to facilitate, as a professional leader, a “last lecture/first professional consultation” with your cohort. Students may present individually or in teams of two. Presenters provide

materials at least one week in advance. Peer (and professor) feedback will be provided in writing as a follow-up.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

(a) Class Participation: (10% of grade)

Students are expected to come prepared for each class; to participate actively; and submit all written requirements on time.

(b) & (c): Written responses to professors’ and students’ presentations:

GENERAL GUIDELINES for both type of responses:

• All responses should be submitted to me by 4:00 on the Sunday afternoon following the presentation.Please submit your documents vial email as Word document, not a PDF--and no headers or footers, please.

• Your critical/analytical appreciation should focus on:
• The style/method of presentation;
• Areas of strength; and areas for improvement, alternate approaches, etc.;
• the content of the presentation;
• what was new/interesting to you;
• and the possible relevance of the material and/or pedagogy to your coming professional practice.

• The responses are intended reinforce your skills in giving thoughtful, appreciative, productive, positive, critical/analytical and useful feedback to others.

• Please do more than just write a descriptive response off the top of your heads. Please apply and cite Heller, NEJS, and Hornstein learning that informs your responses, and write a considered, thoughtful critical-analytical piece. We are looking for growth and sophistication in your abilities to give productive/critical written and oral feedback, and growth and sophistication in your writing and your responses since you entered Hornstein.

• Your responses will be shared with the faculty and students you review (without your name, my comments, or the grade.) We want you to have real-world practice preparing and distributing critical/appreciative/supportive feedback.

(b) Written responses to professors’ presentations--2 required: (20% of grade)

Students are responsible for submitting two written responses to the faculty presentations. These critical/analytical appreciations should be 2-3 pages each. Students may choose among any two of the eight or nine planned presentations.

(c)Written responses to students’ presentations:--3 required:(30% of grade)

Students are responsible for submitting three written responses to the student presentations. Once we know who will be presenting and when, we will divide the sessions fairly evenly so every student is assured of a basically equal number of responses.

(d) Leadership presentations(40% of grade)

Students will design and present one 45-minute presentationthat will provide content fresh to the class’s learning; demonstrate your best presentation/facilitation approaches and skills; and focus on material that in some way ties your Hornstein , NEJS, and Heller learning to the coming transition to your roles in the Jewish community.

Presentations may be done individually, or in pairs.

For the student leadership presentations, students will:

Discuss (and have approved) the topic, plan, and materials for the session in advance with Ellen;

Provide Ellen with materials for students to read/prepare for that session at least one week in advance of the class--including introductory paragraph/framing questions and readings/materials you want students to prepare ahead of your presentation. Questions and materials will be posted to Latte.

Make a presentation and lead a discussion in the time allotted; and

Provide a written (5-7 page) description of your presentation, the goals and rationale for it, and a self-evaluation of your presentation to Ellen no later than one week after the presentation.

If you are doing a partnered presentation, you may submit a joint section of the goals and rationale for your presentation, but each of you individually must prepare and submit the self-evaluation.

Please submit your documents vial email as Word document, not a PDF--and no headers or footers, please.

Course Schedule and Topics (2016): [Len still to be scheduled as/if possible]

[Twelve students to schedule: Joel, Alyssa, Zach, Rachel, Erica, Alena, Ari, David, Eric, Teri, Sara, Naomi]

Session 1: February 24: Introduction to Course

Faculty Presentations:

David Mersky: “Planning to Succeed”

Joe Reimer: “Leadership in the Book of Esther”

Session 2: March 16:

Faculty Presentation:

Matt Boxer: “Lessons from Small Towns”

Student Presentations:

Session 3: March 23:

Faculty Presentations:

Amy Sales: “Synagogues”

Session 4: March 30:

Faculty Presentation:

Mark Rosen: “Sneak Preview of Chabad Findings: Implications for Young Adult Engagaement”

Student Presentations:

Session 5: April 6:

Faculty Presentation:

Rachel Fish: “Israel and the Academy”

Student Presentations:

Session 6: April 13:

Faculty Presentation:

Jonathan Sarna

Student Presentations:

Session 7: April 20:

Faculty Presentation:

Ellen Smith: “From Strength to Strength: Lessons for the Road”

Student Presentations:

Course Materials:

There are no required textbooks for this course. We hope the compilation of materials provided over the course of the semester by faculty and students will create a new pool of relevant resources for you as transition from Brandeis to your new professional and personal lives.

▪ If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me during the first week of the semester.

▪ You are expected to be familiar with and to follow the University’s policies on academic integrity. Please see http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/sdc/ai for the full policies.

▪ Work Expectations for this Two-Credit Course (with three hours of class time per week)

Success in this 2 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 5 hours of study time per week in preparation for class, including--but not limited to preparing: readings;critical/analytical written responses; presentations; meeting with the professor, etc.).

HRNS 399, Capstone

Spring 2016

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