LDRS 1015 Exploring Citizen Leadership: Fall 2012

Teaching Team Faculty Jake Grohs Community Advisors Liz Machesney Tess Miller Brett Montague Mazie Stine Kieley Sutton Office 113E Burruss Hall E-mail Phone Number 231-9186 E-mail [email protected]

Class Schedule and Office Hours: This course meets on M/W from 230-345 PM in 313 Seitz Hall. Faculty office hours will be held from 46 PM on M and by appointment. Community Advisors will hold office hours by appointment. Course Requisites: This special section of LDRS 1015 is open to first-year students registered for the Students Engaging and Responding through Volunteer Experiences (SERVE) theme housing program only. All participants in SERVE must successfully complete the course for continuation in the living-learning community. Course Purpose: Through direct service, students are engaged with the local community and witness first-hand the relevant barriers and issues that are faced. Theory is used to supplement the individual experience as both a tool for providing educational/social/local context as well as a catalyst for deepened learning. In particular, concepts of community, service, leadership, and social change will be unpacked and examined. To intentionally integrate theory and experience, both group process and individual reflection are used consistently throughout the course. Rich community interaction, relevant and challenging readings, and an open forum for assembling the experience, will drive SERVE students to develop and act on personal action plans for community engagement. Course Expectations: Honor Code: Please familiarize yourself with and follow the Virginia Tech Honor Code, http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu. The Honor Code addresses cheating, plagiarism and falsification. All writings for class must be original and/or quoted with sources cited. Virginia Tech Principles of Community: Please familiarize yourself with the Virginia Tech Principles of Community: --- We affirm the inherent dignity and value of every person and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual respect and understanding. --- We affirm the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely. We encourage open expression within a climate of civility, sensitivity, and mutual respect. --- We affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the University. We acknowledge and respect our differences while affirming our common humanity. --- We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age,

color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. We take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing our own understanding of these issues through education, training and interaction with others. --- We pledge our collective commitment to these principles in the spirit of the Virginia Tech motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). The full document is available at: http://www.vt.edu/principles.php. It is the expectation that we follow these principles throughout the course. Accommodations: If you need accommodations due to a disability (learning disability, psychological, physical, etc.), have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. Additional information can be requested from the Services for Students with Disabilities Office, Kent Square building, 250 S. Main Street, Suite 300, downtown, (540) 231-0858 Voice, (540) 231-0853 TTY, (540) 231-0848 FAX, E-mail: [email protected] , www.ssd.vt.edu. Out in the Community: Volunteering time with our community partners is a key component to this class. As you consider this commitment, please remember that you are representing yourself, this program, VT Engage and Virginia Tech. We consider your involvement an asset to our mission and that of the community partner. And: Meet with us if you have questions! Course Objectives: By the end of this course, the student should be able to: Articulate different concepts and definitions of community and be able to provide local and global examples of each; Demonstrate knowledge and application of basic community/relationship building skills (listening, the art of questioning, mediating, etc.); Identify personal and community assets as it pertains to both personal and community leadership development; Be able to compare, contrast and discuss different concepts of service as viewed from local/national as well as historical/modern lenses; Demonstrate understanding of servant and civic leadership and how it pertains to community development; Demonstrate understanding of how cultural/generational/other community specific situations influence leadership styles and functionalities; Assess personal leadership styles, values, and competencies; Effectively and coherently assemble a personal action plan for community engagement that demonstrates critical reflection on course activities (readings, discussions, and service) as well as other life experiences. Textbooks and Supplemental Readings:

At this point, excerpts from the following books will be used in this course. Because I know that the financial constraints of being a college student can be quite challenging, I will provide pdf copies of any required reading this semester.
Community Building/Service Perspectives Block, Peter. (2009). Community: The Structure of Belonging Berret-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Allison, Jay and Gediman, Dan. (2008) This I believe II: the personal philosophies of remarkable men and women. Holt.

Leadership
Greenleaf, R.K. (2003). The servant-leader within: a transformative path New York: Paulist Press.

Social Change
Kahane, Adam (2010). Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change BerretKoehler Publishers, Inc. Rogat, Paul. (2004). The Impossible Will Take a Little While. Basic Books

Core Assignments: Assignment

Community Engagement/ServiceLearning Experiences and Reflections Essays Varies see individual assignment handouts for details, point values, and due dates Change Lab Project Blogging Preparation & Participation Final Paper/Portfolio/Letter to Self See handout See handout 7.5 points per week Integrated and comprehensive of the experience - ties in readings, discussions, and service 125 100 100 175 200

Description
See handout

Points
300

Grading Scale: A+ 100 A 94-99 A- 90-93

B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82

C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72

D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62

F 59-0

Course Outline: Subjected to change if necessary or due to school closing or alterations

Day WEEK 1 Monday August 27 Wednesday August 29 WEEK 2 Monday September 3 Wednesday September 5 WEEK 3 Monday September 10 Wednesday September 12 WEEK 4 Monday September 17 Wednesday September 19 WEEK 5 Monday September 24 Wednesday September 26 WEEK 6 Topic Introductions, Syllabus, What is community? Setting Group Expectations, What? So What? Now What? Insights into Community Practical skill building listening, storytelling, art of questioning What is belonging and how/why does it matter? Personal Assets Strengths/Weaknesses Local Assets Cultures, locations, history The Call to Service Historical/Generational Perspectives The Call to Service Local context and interview sharing Criticisms of volunteerism Criticisms of volunteerism Coles (pdf) Prep Work Assignments Due

Read Syllabus and What? So What? Now What handout? Block selection from Ch 1 Baldwin, Preface and Ch 1

Blog and eP sites created Where Im from poem due

Interview of family/friend volunteers due What I bring to the table essay due

Interviews of family/friends/local volunteers due Illich Good Intentions (pdf on Scholar) Adam Davis What we

Monday October 1 Wednesday October 3 WEEK 7 Monday October 8

dont talk about The Call to Service Personal definitions (sharing) Peer Review Criticisms of Volunteerism Personal Call to Service My Why? Essay Due First draft reflection on Criticisms of Volunteerism due Northouse excerpt

Wednesday October 10 WEEK 8 Monday October 15 Wednesday October 17 WEEK 9 Monday October 22

What is leadership? Citizen Leadership What does it mean to be a citizen? Servant Leadership Institutions as servants/citizens Deliberative Democracy Part 1 of 2

Thoroughly read Case Stories Guest Larkin Dudley Review Case Stories

Final draft reflection on Criticisms of Volunteerism due

Wednesday October 24 WEEK 10 Monday October 29 Wednesday October 31 WEEK 11 Monday November 5 Wednesday November 7 WEEK 12 Monday November 12 Wednesday November 14

Deliberative Democracy Part 2 of 2 ePortfolio Workshop + Pulse Check Day ePortfolio Workshop + Pulse Check Day (continued) Peer Review Citizenship Reflection Intro to Kahane Change Lab Assignment Adam Davis Special Guest! Change Lab Complexities

Organization Profile Report due

First draft reflection on Citizenship due Kahane, Introduction

Final draft reflection on Citizenship due

WEEK 13 Monday November 26 Wednesday November 28 WEEK 14 Monday December 3 Wednesday December 5 WEEK 15 Monday December 10 Wednesday December 12 Monday December 17

Thanksgiving Break Nov. 19- 23 Change Lab Mini-Presentations

Change Lab MiniPresentation Due

Change Lab Stakeholders and Resources Change Lab PSA Day

Change Lab PSA Due for class Bring StrengthsFinder online assessment results Personal Reflection on Change Lab Due on 12/7 by 5 PM Times I Have Felt Alive reflection due

Understanding Self as Leader Self as Leader Times I have Felt Alive? (sharing) review of the experience, Q&A for the final assignment Celebration and Evaluation! EXAM DAY (no in-person component)

Final ePortfolio due on 12/13 @ 1159 PM Comprehensive Reflection/Letter to Self due!