URBS 230W: Community Leadership

Fall Semester 2013

This syllabus is subject to change. Students should check D2L for the most current changes.

Instructor: Mr. Mitchell R. BergPhone/Voice Mail:(W)507-389-5727

E-mail: lass room: MH112

Office: Morris Hall 106AOffice hours: M and W 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Class: M and W from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. (230W-2)

M and W from 11:00-12:15 p.m. (230W-3)

W from 6:00-8:45 p.m. (230W-4)

Required Text(s):

  • Strategies for Active Citizenship, Drexler and Garcelon, (2005) ISBN 0-13-117295-6
  • The Civically Engaged Reader, Davis & Lynn (eds), (2006) ISBN 0-9-45159-49-8
  • The Community Leadership Handbook, James F. Krile, (2009) ISBN 0-940069-54-7

Course Purpose:

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive overview of community leadership within the public and nonprofit sectors. Students will learn to use critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills to become a more actively engaged citizen.

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge of:

  1. Leadership (roles) within the public and nonprofit sectors and within the U.S. democratic system
  2. Greater understanding of what a community leader does and how to guide a community engagement process
  3. Learning what personal skills are required to become an effective leader

Values

  1. A commitment to the values, ethics, knowledge, importance of being engaged in your community
  2. A commitment to respect and collaboration

Skills

  1. Learn about and apply personal leadership talents and strengths
  2. Apply creative problem solving and critical thinking in work with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities
  3. Effective and professional communication, both oral and written
  4. Research and reflection through writing papers

Instructional Methodology and Teaching Strategies:

A variety of instructional methodologies and teaching strategies will be employed throughout this course. Above all, my teaching style in this course is based on an “adult-centered” model wherein students are active participants responsible for their own learning.

Assignments:

This course is a combination of reading, completing papers, group/class discussion, guest speakers, and research and student presentations. I will give partial credit for late assignments that come in after the class due date; assignments submitted to me after will not earn course credit unless there is a prior agreement.

  • Readings (5 readings)

From the book The Civically Engaged Reader you will be assigned to read five readings in each set during the assigned period in the course calendar and write a minimum of one paragraph per reading from each set of readings.

  • Current Event assignment (4 current events)

You will be responsible to find 1 current event during each assigned period in the course calendar, for which the topic of the article is described in the overview. You are to make a copy of the article and write a 2-3 page paper on the current event. Come prepared to discuss your article and relate it to our class.

  • Guest Speaker questions (5 guest speaker sessions)

Be sure to ask the instructor the week before their appearance for some background information on the speaker(s) as you will be required to develop two (2) intelligent and meaningful questions to pose to them. Your questions must be typed and have your name and date showing in the upper right hand corner. In addition, you must submit your written questions to me prior to the end of class to be eligible for credit.

  • Papers
  • Assignment 1 - See overview of writing assignment
  • Assignment 2 - See overview of writing assignment

City Council Meeting:

Each student must attend a school, city or county meeting during this course. If you cannot attend one of these meetings a different type of public meeting may be substituted, but with prior permission from the instructor. Be sure to collect a paper copy of the agenda – you will need to turn this in.

Midterm and Final:

The midterm may consist of multiple choices; fill in the blank; and several essay questions. The final will consist of a final project, which may be assigned as a group project. However, please note the instructor also reserves the right to have a comprehensive final exam if class attendance falls off or classroom participation is poor.

Guest Speakers:

Throughout the semester guest lecturers may speak to the class. These appearances will be listed on D2L or announced. Guest speakers may include community leaders, lobbyists, and appointed or elected officials. Be sure to ask the instructor the week before their appearance for some background information on the speaker(s) as you will be required to develop two (2) intelligent and meaningful questions to pose to them. Your questions must be typed and have your name and date showing in the upper right hand corner to earn credit. They are to be turned in at the end of class in order to receive credit. Note: Open laptops, text messaging, or cell phone use during these presentations are prohibited.

Student Code of Ethics:

Students should familiarize themselves with the University’s policy on plagiarism. Be sure to properly use APA/MLA standard formats. Plagiarized assignments will result in a failing grade.

Course Attendance:

You are expected to attend each and every class. Students coming in late or leaving early will not get full attendance points. Excused absences are only permitted for University sponsored events or activities. A total of 16 class points will be awarded for class participation. Please no text messaging or cell phones use during class.

Class Cancellations:

Due to inclement weather or events beyond the University’s or the professor’scontrol there may be a class session (or more) that will need to be cancelled. Every available attempt will be made to contact each student via D2L or by e-mail. Nevertheless, if a class is cancelled all assignments, readings and papers shall be due on the date listed in the course calendar.

If, however, a class is cancelled the professor has the right to adjust the syllabus and course schedule as necessary. Any changes or adjustment to this syllabus or course schedule shall be posted on D2L.

Grading:Maximum points 100

Attendance:16

Paper #1 6

Current Events assignment12 (3 points per current event paper)

Guest Speaker Questions10 (1 point per question -max 2 points awarded per

speaker)

Readings 15(3 points each paper)

Paper #2 6

Midterm15 (Multiple Choice andEssay)

Final20 (6-12page paper and presentation)

ADA:

ADA requires that the University provide services for persons with disabilities. For more information regarding the services that are available to you, please contact the MSU Disability Services Office at 507-389-2825 or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY). If you are a person with a disability, please discuss any special needs with me within the first week of class. This will allow you and the instructor ample opportunities to make arrangement for taking notes, completion of assignment and examinations.

Other Policies: You should exchange information with at least two of your fellow students. These contacts should be used to learn about what you missed when absent. Assignments may be posted on D2L .

Overview of Writing Assignment

There are two writing assignments which are worth 6 points each, for a total maximum of 10 points. Please use APA/MLA standard style for your writing; please use Arial, font size 11 or 12, 1 inch margins (top/bottom/left/right), double spacing when writing your papers. Each paper requires 3-6 pages of writing.

Paper 1- What was my experience at a council meeting

  • Attend a city council, county,or school board meeting open to the public which has an agenda made available for the public. This paper must be 3-5 pages in length and you must submit a copy of the agenda with the paper. In your paper address:
  • Your overall impression of the meeting
  • Summarize what occurred during the meeting (identify key topics as well as address if there was any interaction with the public)
  • Your opinion of how the chair conducted the meeting and how the chair interacted with the rest of the members and public (if applicable)
  • Your opinion on how the rest of the elected-body and the appointed-body interacted with each other, to the chair, and to members in the audience.
  • Suggestions you would give to the chair to help them run the meeting more efficiently (if applicable)
  • Any other observations you would like to share about the meeting (as it relates with what you have learned in class)

Paper 2 – Choose a local organization that used a civic engagement process to engage the public and describe the process they used

  • What was the problem (or objective or goal) they wanted addressed?
  • How did they arrive at determining what the problem was?
  • Did the organization use an engagement process (i.e. surveys, focus groups, town hall meetings, and/or small group sessions) to help them arrive at and/or help to find a solution to the problem?
  • Who were the stakeholders that participated in the public engagement process?
  • What were the solution(s) of the engagement process?
  • Was the engagement process successful, if not, how so?
  • Could the engagement process been improved, if so how?

Overview of Current Event Assignments

Please write a summary of the article and your own thoughts and impressions, as it relates to class. Please attach a copy of the article or a copy of the web address with your summary. Each Current Event Assignment should be more than 2-3 pages in length.

  • Find an article (newspaper, magazine, or on the internet) of which an organization (not for profit) is discussing values, mission statements, and/or goals. Explain why the organization is undergoing this discussion and your thoughts and reflection on if the discussion will bring overall success to the organization.
  • Find an article (newspaper, magazine, or on the internet) in which the writer is using one or more of the identified false logics and biases (as mentioned during class.) Please write a summary of the article and specifically identify which false logic and biases the writer is using (if you feel there are more than one please note which ones in your summary.) Also, identify what you feel is the purpose or reasoning behind the writer wanting to use this (or these) particular false logic(s) and bias(es.)
  • Choose a newspaper, magazine, or professional journal article in which an organization is undergoing a civic engagement process to collect input. Explain what kind of engagement they are pursuing and what they are trying to achieve through the engagement process.
  • Find an article where an organization is changing leadership and describe what that will mean to the organization?

Overview of Readings

Readings from the Civically Engaged Reader

Read the following readings and write a minimum of a paragraph on each reading. Your paragraph should give your brief impression of the reading. Each paper should be no more than 2 – 3 pages in length.

Reading Set:

•Aristotle – Politics

•Cavafy – Waiting for the barbarians

•Turner – I shall not beg for my rights

•Kafka - Fellowship

Reading Set:

•DE TOCQUEVILLE – DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA

•W.E.B. DU BOIS – THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK

•HUGHES – THEME FOR ENGLISH B

•FROST – MENDING WALL

Reading Set:

  • The Moral Equivalent to War
  • Dry Dock
  • The Subjective Necessity of Social Settlement
  • The Lovers of the Poor

Reading Set:

•If All Who Have Begged Helped, Anna Akhmatova

•A Bed for the Night, Bertolt Brecht

•The Sweetness of Charity, Maya Angelou

•Where Were We, Dave Eggers

Reading Set:

•tHE LESSON

•SELECTION FROM THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

•THE HISTORY TEACHER

•SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Course Calendar

To be handled out at the beginning of class