Syllabus

Syllabus Ed P & L 271 Winter Quarter 2009 PAGE PAGE 1 Edu P&L 271?Gill Winter Quarter 2009 Educational Policy & Leadership 271: Leadership in Community Service Winter Quarter 2008 Fridays, 10:30 am ? 12:48 pm 336 Ramseyer Hall Instructor: Douglas Gill Mailbox: 301 Ramseyer Hall Office: 325 Ramseyer Hall Telephone: 292-4322 Office Hours: M, 2-4; T, 12-1; W, R, 2-3 E-mail: HYPERLINK "mailto:gill.21@osu.edu" gill.21@osu.edu Teaching Assistants/ Site Liaisons: Erin Thomas E-mail: HYPERLINK "mailto:thomas.1808@osu.edu" thomas.1808@osu.edu Required Text: Ed P&L 271 Leadership in Community Settings. Available from Uniprint, Tuttle Park Mall (near the Central Classroom Building and Tuttle Parking Garage). Course Description This course is an introduction to the knowledge, skills, and competencies for responsible service and leadership in diverse communities. This course prepares your for engaged, responsible, and active community involvement and leadership. In addition to a weekly lecture, you will engage in a required, off-campus field experience for a minimum of three hours a week. Additionally, you will (1) gain an understanding of service and leadership for ?the common good;? (2) analyze the settings in which service takes place; (3) gain hands on knowledge, skills, and experience about a specific community organization; and (4) develop your own leadership style and skills in a community setting. The purpose of this course is to prepare students for a lifetime of engaged, responsible and active community involvement and leadership. Course Format The format of this course includes in-class lectures, structured activities, discussion groups, reflection activities, and a required off-campus field experience at a local Columbus community service organization for a minimum of three hours per week. Course Requirements Community Service Site Placement. Each student is required to spend a minimum of three hours per week at a single designated community service site. Because there is no final exam for this class, you are expected to complete three hours of service during finals week. Scheduled hours are to be determined in conjunction with your site coordinator and instructor/group facilitator. Your commitment to your site is crucial to your own learning as well as to the community service site. I will subtract four points for each missed volunteer time not made up. Class Participation and Discussion. Class attendance and discussion is mandatory as is community service. You are expected to participate actively in class and Carmen discussions as well as other course-related activities. Four points will be subtracted for missed class times (2 points for lecture; two points for group discussions). If you are unable to attend class due to illness or emergency, contact Doug. If you are unable to go to your site due to illness or emergency, contact your site coordinator. Serving at your site is not a reason to miss or be late for class. (2 points per week) Carmen Discussion. Regarding Carmen discussions, each week, one of you will post a question under your group based on the readings. Explain why you have this question. Each member of the group will then respond. (2 points per week) Small Group Discussions. A portion of class will be dedicated to small group discussions. You and other students from your community service site will discuss what you did the previous week, positive experiences, challenges you encountered, what you learned, and so on. Consequently, attendance is mandatory as is your active involvement in the group discussions. Two points will be deducted from your class participation grade when you miss the discussion group. Discussions will be facilitated by your site liaison and/or Doug. (2 points per week) Community Involvement Activity Record (CIAR). The CIAR is found in your course packet available from UniPrint. Use this form to keep track of your service hours and related activities throughout the quarter. Make sure it is signed by your site supervisor! The CIAR is due on or before noon on March 18, 2009 for all students, including graduating seniors. You can put them in my mailbox in 301 Ramseyer Hall. Late CIARs will not be accepted without prior arrangement with me. Weekly Reflections. This weekly assignment is designed to help you reflect about and make meaning of your service experience and the readings. Please write approximately 500 words. Please use Standard English and APA style. Please turn in at the beginning of class. (10 points each) Quizzes. You may anticipate four spot quizzes throughout the quarter so that I know you?re reading the texts. Questions may be multiple-choice, true/false, and/or short answer. Quizzes will be worth 10 points each. Service Learning Agreement/Essays/Final Letter. There are four longer writing assignments in addition to reflections. These assignments are outlined below: 1. Service Learning Agreement (1-2 pages, due January 23, 2009). Please write a formal agreement between you and your site coordinator. Include in this letter: Your definition of community service (4 points) What you will be doing at the site in the context of your definition. (4 point) What you hope to learn more about as a volunteer at this site. (2 point) What times and days you will work at your site. (Be specific.) (2 point) How you will make up hours in case of an absence due to illness or an emergency. (2 point) What skills you will use and/or develop over the course of the quarter. (2 point) How you will be a leader while serving at this site. (2 point) Include the following: ?I have read and endorse this Service Learning Agreement for (your name). Signed (your site supervisor)? (2 points) 2. Essay One: Who am I? (5 pages, due February 13, 2009). All of us are members of various social groups. Some of the social groups we belong to are dominant social groups, others are subordinate. In this essay, please discuss yourself in terms of your social group memberships. Here are some points to address: Which social groups do you identify with? For the purposes of this paper, social groups involve gender, race, ethnicity, class, ability/disability, religious background, sexual orientation, and/or national origin. How do you identify with the group(s) and why? What values, beliefs, and assumptions do members of your social group(s) have? How did you learn these? Parents? Teachers? The media? Other? Discuss three to five things that make you feel proud as a member of this/these groups. Discuss three to five things that make you do not want to hear members of other social groups say about your group(s). (Think in terms of stereotypes.) In what ways do you perceive yourself as enjoying some kind of social privilege? In what ways, might members of your social group(s) be oppressed by more dominant social groups? How might you and members of your social group(s) be similar to and different from members of other social groups. Discuss the last time you interacted with people from a different social group or community. What stands out for you today? Thoughts? Feelings? Observations? How has your service site helped you to understand identity and diversity? 3. Essay Two: I serve; therefore, I am. (5 pages, due March 6, 2009). Please write an essay in which you discuss the new understandings you have regarding leadership in community service. Please you APA style. Describe: What did you gain from your experience at your service site? What have you learned about yourself and your own identity? How have the concepts in this class (poverty, racism, privilege, homophobia, leadership) influenced your participation at your service site? What beliefs were challenged during the quarter? What, if any, of your beliefs or views have changed? Why? Some of your relationships that you have formed at the service site and some of the experiences you have had there. What stands out for you? How has your understanding of leadership and service evolved? What will you do with the new perspectives you have encountered this quarter? 4. Service Letter (one page, due March 13, 2008). Write a formal, business letter (single-spaced) to your community service site supervisor and give a copy to Doug or your site liaison. Describe what you have learned as a result of your involvement there. Identify ways in which you have benefited from your participation, and describe how you think the service site benefits the community. In closing, thank your supervisor for the opportunity to volunteer with her/his agency. Group Presentations (15 minutes; March 13, 2009). This group project addresses the particular issue about which your site is focused (i.e., literacy, youth development, poverty, hunger, and so on). What is the issue? Investigate why the agency and you are working with exists. What is the need for this organization? Why does this need exist? Consider these questions from multiple perspectives: your own, an agency staff member?s, a person who uses the agency?s services, a tax payer, a class member not involved at your site, and others. What would need to happen for this organization to no longer be needed by the community? Be sure to differentiate between needs-based/deficiencies and assets-based/capacities orientations. Evaluation Class Attendance and Participation 60 points Service Attendance and Participation 40 points Formal Group Presentation 20 points Reflections 60 points Quizzes 40 points Service Agreement 10 points Essays 60 points (30 points each) Final Letter 10 points Site liaisons will evaluate participation, journal entries, and group presentations. Doug will evaluate all other materials. Late work will not be accepted without prior arrangements with your facilitator or Doug and documentation is provided. We will subtract two points per day for each late assignment. After five days, a late assignment becomes an automatic ?0? unless there is a valid and documented reason for the delay. Contact Doug ASAP to discuss this. Grading A 94-100% (280.5 to 300 points) C+ 77-79% (229.5-238.4 points) A- 90-93% (268.5-280.4 points) C 74-76% (229.5-238.4 points) B+ 87-89% (259.5-268.4 points) C- 70-73% (208.5-220.4 points) B 84-86% (250.5-259.4 points) D 64-69% (190.5-208.4 points) B- 80-83% (238.5-250.4 points) E 63% or less (190.4 points or fewer) Learning Accommodations If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact your instructor to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment, we can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs and explore potential accommodations. We rely on the Office for Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. If you have not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services, we encourage you to do so. Writing Center 475 Mendenhall Lab 125 South Oval Mall 688-4291 Given the amount of writing you will do during this course, I urge all of you to contact the Writing Center for guidance, if necessary. The Writing Center offers free help with writing at any stage of the writing process for any member of the university community. Tutors can work with you on anything from research papers to lab reports, from dissertations to resumes, from proposals to application materials. Just call and make an appointment! For more information, go to http://cstw.osu.edu/writingCenter/default.cfm. Academic Misconduct Students enrolled in courses at OSU are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic conduct. The instructor will be alert to any kind of inappropriate conduct in the course. Suspicion of misconduct will be addressed according to official rules and policies of OSU. Penalties for cheating or plagiarism may result in a failing grade in the course or expulsion from the university. The Department will abide by the decisions and authorizations of the Committee on Academic Misconduct. Class Outline and Schedule WEEK 1: January 9, 2009 Introduction to Course: Overview & Expectations. Community service site coordinators, site selection. This week, visit sites for orientations. Do the readings. Work on first reflection topic: ?Leadership is?? WEEK 2: January16, 2009 Service Learning & Leadership: Covering the Basics. Have the following articles read for today: Article #1 The Two Sides of Leadership; Article #2 Appreciating a Kaleidoscope of Views; Article #3 The Complexity of Identity: Who Am I?; Article #4 Why ?Servanthood? is Bad. Your 1st reflection is due. Begin working on your Service-Learning Agreement. Write second reflection. Topic: ?The neighbors I serve?? WEEK 3: January 23, 2009 Assets & Deficiencies: Poverty in American Society. Have the following articles read for today: Article #5 Being Poor Article #6 What is Poverty? Article # 7 Poverty Endures Article #8 The Missing Class Article #9 Piling On Your 2nd reflection is due. Your Service-Learning Agreement is due. Write your 3rd reflection: ?I stereotype...? WEEK 4: January 30, 2009 Privilege in American Society: Identity and Diversity. Have the following articles read for today: Article #10 The Working Poor Article #11 The Truth About Stereotypes Article #12 Can We Talk? Your 3rd reflection is due. Begin working on your Identity Essay. Write your 4th reflection: ?Heterosexual privilege on Campus? WEEK 5: February 6, 2009 Identity and Diversity (continued): The Laramie Project. Have the following articles read for today: Article #13 A Disorder Without a Name Article #14 Memoirs of a Gay Fraternity Brother No small group meetings today. Your 4th reflection is due. Work on Essay 1. WEEK 6: February 13, 2009 Being Global Citizens. Have the following articles read for today: Article #15 American Dreamers Article #16 Small and Smaller Article #17 Another Way of Being Human Essay 1 is due. Begin work on Formal Presentations. Write 5th reflection: ?Letter from a Big Ten University? WEEK 7: February 20, 2009 Legacy in Service: Making a Difference. Have the following articles read for today: Article #18 Jeffrey Adler?s Commencement Address. Article #19 MLK?s Letter from a Birmingham Jail Article #20: Leadership for Social Change Your 5th journal entry is due. Start working on your Going Forward Essay. Write 6th reflection paper: Ten Things I can do to be an Ally of (social group of your choice)? WEEK 8: February 27, 2009 Becoming Allies. Have the following articles read for today: Article #21, Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression. Article #22 Working Assumptions and Guidelines for Alliance Building. Your 6th reflection is due. Work on formal presentations. WEEK 9: March 6, 2009 Your Going Forward Essay is due. Reading assignment to be announced and handed out in class. Work on formal presentations Week 10: March 13, 2009 Formal Presentations. Your final reflection is due. Your service letter is due. Course evaluation. Wrap-Up. Remember: During finals week, you are expected to complete three hours of service at your site.