South Dakota State University

College of Education and Human Sciences

LEAD 210 Foundations of Leadership

Spring 2012

Section 02

3 credit hours

Professor: Denise Peterson, Ed.D.

Office: Wagner Hall, Rm. 409

Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 9:00-11:00 a.m. or by appointment

E-mail:

Phone: 605-688-4684

Text: 605-695-1449

Course Description: Foundations of Leadership is designed to sharpen fundamental leadership skills, develop core competencies and advance the goals of the University. The goal for the Foundations of Leadership course is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to achieve their goals within the classroom and in relation to their own personal development and future careers (Undergraduate Bulletin).

This course serves as an introduction to leadership theory and practice. The course will examine various aspects of the literature on leadership; provide practice for developing leadership skills, and offer personal experiences for self-reflection. The sum of these activities will develop a foundation for students interested in leadership. The course features relevant readings, lectures, class discussions, and assignments.

Required Texts:

Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 2nd edition 2011 by Peter G. Northouse (Sage Publishing: Thousand Oaks, CA.).

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon the completion of this course, students will:

·  Develop a more comprehensive understanding of their personal leadership style through self-assessments;

·  Be able to define different leadership approaches by researching and presenting on theory that articulate the ways in which different people express an understanding of the human condition.

·  Begin to develop skills necessary to be effective in leadership contexts including: self-awareness, communication, visioning/goal setting, relationship building and ethics by working within a group environment;

·  Apply leadership theory to practice and enhance leaderships skills, experience and knowledge;

·  Communicate effectively through both written and oral modes.

IDEA Objectives (These are the objectives we will measure through student evaluations)

Student learning objectives for LEAD 210 are linked to the following objectives on the IDEA student evaluation of teaching:

IDEA Objective #2 Learning fundamental principles, generalizations and theories.

IDEA Objective #4 Learning to apply course material (to improve thinking, problem solving, and decisions)

Class Format:

This course meets Tuesday/Thursday, 1:00-2:15 p.m. beginning January 12 and ending April 30, 2012. The class format includes lectures, discussions, written assignments, and group and individual exercises.

Policies:

Participation Policy:

To be an effective leader, it is important that you attend class and be adequately prepared for the interactions. Students should confer with the instructor about extenuating circumstances. Attendance on group presentation day is critical. If one is absent on that day for any reason, his/her grade will be reduced by one full letter grade from that of the entire group. No late assignments will be accepted.

Academic Integrity:

Students are expected to maintain high standards of academic integrity in all work for this course. Students are expected to do their own assigned work.

The full policy is found in the Student Code (01:10:25) within the Student Policy Manual at http://studentaffairs.sdstate.edu/JudicialAffairs/StudentCode/Chapter10.pdf.

For LEAD 210, participating in an activity deemed as “academic dishonesty” under the SDSU Student Code will result in a minimum consequence of zero points on the assignment in question. A second offense will result in a minimum consequence of a zero in the course.

Policy on Incompletes:

The grade of “I” (incomplete) is given at the sole discretion of the instructor and in recognition of the fact that an exceptional circumstance had prevented a student, who has completed a major part of the work in the course, from completing all the work in that course. Exceptional circumstances do not include situations that can be considered a normal part of living such as adjusting to work schedules, compensating for transportation difficulties, etc.

Request for Accommodations: If you feel like you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, contact the Office of Disability Services in a timely manner to discuss your specific needs. You can reach Disability Services at 605-688-4504 or in the Wintrode Student Success Center, Room 125. Ms. Nancy Crooks will assist with coordinating reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Freedom in learning

Under Board of Regents and University policy student academic performance may be evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to academic standards. Students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled. Students who believe that an academic evaluation reflects prejudiced or capricious consideration of student opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards should first contact the instructor of the course to initiate a review of the evaluation. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may contact the department head and/ or dean of the college which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.

Student Conduct: Instructors are responsible for maintaining order and a positive learning environment in the classroom. Students whose behavior is disruptive either to the instructor or other students will be asked to leave. Cell phones are to be turned off during class session.

My expectations for you are:

1.  Come to class prepared and ready to contribute with readings and assignments completed.

2.  Submit assignments on due date as indicated. No late assignments will be accepted or graded.

3.  Be willing to ask and answer questions, and contribute to the overall learning of the entire class.

4.  Quality of work:

Quality of work:

When you are assigned to write papers, I expect that your paper include an introduction which provides a thesis statement, attention getter, and orientation of main points of your paper. I also expect that you have distinct main points with adequate supports (examples, statistics, etc.). Your paper also needs to have a conclusion which provides a summary of what was covered, along with a closing thought which ties to the introduction. Unless directed, you are to take the prompts provided in the assignments and integrate them into the paper – not to just answer the question as stated.

When you are asked to work within your teams, I expect that you work with respect and trust. You are expected to contribute to the projects/processes and the group may ask for you to be removed if you do not contribute – this includes behavior such as not showing up for group meetings, not being prepared for group meetings or not pulling your weight in the process. On the other hand, it is not acceptable for one member to do all of the work – this will show up in the results and cause frustration. One of the skills a leader needs to learn is delegation.

When you are asked to present, I expect that you will dress appropriately (caps, ripped jeans, sweatshirts are not appropriate presentation attire). I expect that presentations will have an organized structure (introduction, main points, conclusion) and will not be read from a powerpoint or from notecards.

All work is to be professional in nature and on time.

Grading:

The final course grade is comprised of the following elements:

Assignment / Due Date / Points
Leadership Minute Papers / Various in class dates / 10 X 20 points = 200
Best Leadership Essay / February 7, 2012 / 100 points
Project Leadership
·  Plan
·  Leadership evaluation
·  Self reflection
·  Team member evaluation / Various Dates based on project leadership / 50 points
50 points
100 points
50 points
250 points
Projects
·  Name that Team
·  Leadership Definition Video
·  Theory Presentation
·  Leader of our Generation Poster Session / February 2, 2012
February 28, 2012
Various Dates
April 24, 2012 / 50 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
350 points
Midterm
Final / March 1, 2012
April 30, 2012 / 100 points
100 points
200 points
Total Points / 1000 points

Assignments and Assessment:

Minute Papers

There will be a number of in-class minute papers that you will complete. These are based on the self-assessments and class discussion that we engage in during that class period.

Personal Best Leadership Essay

Reflect and write about a personal best leadership incident in which you believe you exercised effective leadership and perhaps made a different in an organization, project or community. Additionally write about a personal leadership incident in which you believe you were not effective or did not reach your goals. In your paper, analyze those two experiences from the perspective of the Kouzes & Posner model and explore the lessons you learned. Your paper should be five to six pages long, typed, and double spaced.

Leadership Project

Each student will be asked to lead one of four tasks: Name that Team, Leadership definition video, Leader of our generation poster session or leadership theory presentation. You will plan for the project and lead class mates to accomplish your goal of completing the task. The four tasks are listed below:

Task 1: Name that team: The group must come up with a name, logo and motto to represent them. The group must also develop a statement of the group’s goals and objectives that they want to achieve. The group’s goals should be based on what individuals within the group wish to accomplish in class.

Task 2: Create a Viral Video that defines leadership - A viral video is any video passed electronically from person to person regardless of content (Wikipedia, accessed 12/22/10). Most of these videos have some form of humor. Many of these are taped using phones with cameras. Examples: Evolution of Dance, Kittens inspired by Kittens, Where’s the Chapstick?. You will post your video to youtube for evaluation.

Task 3: Leader of our generation Poster Session – Your team will create a poster session that provides key information on a leader that you believe embodies your definition of leadership for your generation . The ad must include a brief bio of the leader, key characteristics of leadership and an example of this leader in action.

Task 4: Leadership Theory & Concept Presentation you will investigate an assigned theory of leadership. This inquiry should find answers to the following:

·  Theory/Concept Overview – Explain the basic ideas, components, or beliefs.

·  Leadership Definition – How is leadership defined under this theory?

·  Operational Context – Where does leadership “reside” in this theory? What are the roles of the leader, follower, organization or context?

·  Leadership Influence – By what means does one influence others?

·  Strengths/Weaknesses – What are the strengths and weaknesses of this theory?

·  Lessons for Leadership – According to this theory, what are the three most important points one needs to know to be an effective leader?

Each team will prepare a 20-25 minute presentation explaining their assigned theory/concept in a creative engaging manner – you should include:

An opening that gets our attention and helps us connect to the topic.

An overview of your objectives – what is your point and where are you going

The content presented in an interesting and interactive manner.

Practice examples that illustrate major facets of the theory.

A conclusion that sums your content and reemphasizes the important points.

Leadership Plan: Within your assigned project group, you will sign up to lead one of these projects. The leader will put together a vision and mission for the team to accomplish, establish skills needed, and provide structure for the team. The leaders will meet with Dr. Peterson prior to their task to have their plan reviewed.

Leadership Evaluation and Self-reflection: Students will receive feedback from the instructor and team mates as to their performance and will complete a self-reflective paper on their experience.

Team member participation: Each team member will be expected to contribute to the project to the best of their ability. This means they must attend team meetings, actively be involved in the planning and implementation of the project. The team leader is not responsible for completing the project on their own!

Midterm/Final Exam

A midterm and final exam will be scheduled for this course.

Grading Scale

900-1000 A

800-899 B

700-799 C

600-699 D

0-599 F

Tentative course schedule

Date / Topic / Read Before Class / Assignments
Thursday, Jan. 12 / Introduction to Class
Defining Leadership
Tuesday, Jan. 17 / What is Leadership? / Text, Chapter 1 / Complete the assessment posted on D2L under Jan. 17th
Thursday, Jan. 19 / Trait Theory / Text Chapter 2
Tuesday, Jan. 24 / Personality Dimensions
Thursday, Jan. 26 / Leadership Challenge Model / Task 1 Leaders’ meeting – plan due
Tuesday, Jan. 31 / Trust & Credibility
Thursday, Feb. 2 / Values / Name that team assignment due
Tuesday, Feb. 7 / Team Development / Text, Chapter 7 / Complete the assessment posted on D2L under Feb 7th.
Leadership Best Essay Due
Thursday, Feb. 9 / Vision / Text, Chapter 6 / Task 2 Leaders’ meeting – plan due
Self-reflection for Task 1 leaders due
Tuesday, Feb. 14 / Task/Relationship Orientation / Text, Chapter 4 / Complete the assessment posted on D2L under Feb. 14
Thursday, Feb. 16 / Leadership Styles / Text, Chapter 3 / Complete the assessment posted on D2L under Feb. 16
Tuesday, Feb. 21 / Power & influence
Thursday, Feb. 23 / Leadership Skills Approach / Text, Chapter 5 / Task 3 Leaders’ meeting – plan due
Complete the assessment posted on D2L under Feb. 23
Tuesday, Feb. 28 / Decision making and problem solving / Leadership Definition Video Due
Thursday, Mar. 1 / Midterm Exam
Tuesday, Mar. 6 / Springbreak
Thursday, Mar. 8 / Springbreak
Tuesday, Mar. 13 / Cultural Leadership / Self-reflection for Task 2 leaders due
Thursday, Mar. 15 / Team Development / Text, Chapter 8
Tuesday, Mar. 20 / Contingency Theory / Team Presentation
Thursday, Mar. 22 / Situational Leadership Theory / Team presentation
Tuesday, Mar. 27 / Path-Goal Theory / Text, Chapter 10 / Team Presentation
Thursday, Mar. 29 / Coaching
Tuesday, Apr. 3 / Transformational Leadership / Team Presentation
Thursday, Apr. 5 / Authentic Leadership / Team Presentation
Tuesday, Apr. 10 / Ethical Leadership / Text, Chapter 11 / Task 4 Leaders’ meeting – plan due
Team Presentation
Thursday, Apr. 12 / Servant Leadership / Team Presentation
Tuesday, Apr. 17 / Understanding Change
Thursday, Apr 19 / Social Change Model / Team Presentation
Tuesday, Apr. 24 / Leader of Our Generation Poster Session
Thursday, Apr. 26 / Conflict / Text, Chapter 9 / Self-reflection for Task 3 and 4 leaders due
Monday, April 30 12:00 p.m.-1:40 p.m. / Final Exam

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