Santa Barbara City College
Communication Department
|
Communication 142:
Leadership Studies
Course Description
Designed to prepare and train students for leadership roles. Students explore leadership theories, principles and skills. Practical application of concepts and skills emphasized.
Purpose and Objectives:
The overall purpose of this course is to encourage you to carefully analyze your responsibilities and commitments in the context of leadership for the common good and for purposeful change. The course is more than the study of leadership; it is designed to help you develop your own leadership potential.
This course will encourage a high level of class discussion and active participation. You will have a chance to work through case studies, participate in simulations, interact with experienced leaders, and discuss the impact of current events and the realities of leadership. Grades will be based on class participation, term papers, and presentations.
You will be encouraged to think critically about leadership issues facing our communities and society, to understand the importance of self-knowledge, to explore how values influence the leadership process, and to understand gender and cultural influences on leadership. From this course, you will realize that leadership issues permeate every aspect of daily living, from events that make the local news to world crises. In this course, you will embrace the belief that you have the potential to transform your world.
You will discover the complexities of leadership and the multidisciplinary nature of leadership studies. Questions such as: What is leadership? Are leaders made or born?, Do gender and culture influence leadership?, and How do power and authority relate to leadership are central to the investigation of leadership. At the conclusion of this course, you should have a firm understanding of the nature of leadership.
Class Participation (100 pts.)
A quality learning experience in this leadership course rests heavily on a high degree of interaction and exchange of ideas among students and instructors. Your ability to contribute to class discussions thoughtfully and to integrate course readings will be heavily weighed in determining final grades.
In class, you will work in small teams to discuss readings, engage in simulations, prepare for guest scholar and leader visits, and use theory to enhance practice through carefully designed group activities. The teams will be laboratories in which you can apply leadership theory and concepts. Class attendance is essential and expected. Unexcused absences will be factored into final grades. All students are required to attend class periods of presentations by student groups in order to receive a grade on the group presentation.
You are allowed one absence during the semester. After that, I will deduct 10 points per absence. You are absent if you are not in class, period; this is true except for an extreme and/or unforeseeable excuse.
Journals (100 pts.)
You will turn in a journal entry to your instructor each week. In the journal, you may reflect on a thought-provoking question that the instructor has posed. Journals provide a regular way to communicate directly with the instructor about issues related to the course.
Group Facilitation Exercise (50 pts)
During the course of the semester you and a partner will be responsible for leading and facilitating a class discussion. You will be responsible for providing information to the class about leadership taken from the book. You will also facilitate and manage the class discussion and provide the journal entry assignment for that week.
Leadership Book Review (100 pts.)
Select a book published on leadership or a topic related to leadership, and write a brief summary of the book. You may wish to pick a book that addresses leadership in your major or intended career field. Critique the book using the five elements of the Relational Leadership Model. In addition, analyze the book for its contribution to your understanding of leadership. How has the book contributed to your understanding of leadership? What did you agree and disagree with? Why? Would you recommend this book to another student of leadership? Why or why not? If you had to write a book on the same title as the one you reviewed, what would you write about that is different from the author's presentation? The paper should be typed, double-spaced, and four to five pages in length.
Group Transformational Leadership Project (100 pts.)
The emphasis of the transforming leadership project is both on process and desired outcomes.
You will have a chance to work in a small group, as a team, to identify a program, project, service, or initiative on campus or in your local area that could have a broad impact on the community. The emphasis of the transforming leadership project is both on process and desired outcomes. Teams will be strongly encouraged to invite outside faculty, administrators, or student leaders who might have a stake in the proposed initiative. Group presentations will be evaluated on structure of program or initiative, content, creativity, or teamwork, and how groups incorporated elements of the Relational Leadership Model. Each team will turn in a typed journal on the date of the group presentation that will chronicle the team's work (meetings, attendance, task assignments, and so forth). Only one journal will be submitted per team.
Leadership Action Plan (100 pts.)
Reflect on what you learned during the semester about leadership, with a focus on using theory to enhance practice. Write your leadership action plan and include four sections: (1) how you plan to apply certain leadership theories and concepts to make your practice better; (2) your observations of various leadership and participant roles that you and your classmates played in your team and committee (styles, differences, team and group effectiveness, what worked, what didn't, and why); (3) your plans to use the Relational Leadership Model; and (4) your leadership development action plan for the next one to two years. The paper should be typed, double spaced, and five to six pages in length.
Final (100 pts.)
You will complete a take-home written final. You will analyze leadership principles and practices based on an article which will be given to you one week before the final exam day. You will also be asked to summarize and analyze the article using leadership ideas and principles learned in this course.
Grading:
Grading will be based on a 90-80-70% scale. Assignments and point values are as follows:
Assignments
Attendance & Participation |
100 points |
Journals |
100 points |
Group Facilitation Exercise |
50 points |
| Leadership Book Review |
100 points |
| Group Transformational Leadership Project |
100 points |
| Leadership Action Plan |
100 points |
| Final Exam |
100 points |
| |
|
| Total |
650 points |
Here are the points that you will earn for the grade of your choice.
A |
650-585 |
B |
585-520 |
C |
520-455 |
| D |
455-390 |
| F |
390 and below |
Supplemental Readings
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
Covey, S. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Heider, J. (1985). The Tao of leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching adapted for a new age. New York: Bantam.
Heifetz, R. A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.
Kelley, R. E. (1991). The power of followership. New York: Doubleday/Currency.
Morrison, A. M. (1996). The new leaders: Leadership diversity in America. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wren, J. T (1995). The leader's companion: Insights on leadership through the ages. New York: Free Press.
Other suggested readings include The Washington Post, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, and other national newspapers.
Back to Communication Department Home Page
Back to SBCC Home Page
Last update 03/2004
|