ORGL - Organizational Leadership

This course examines the history of Social Sciences, their evolution and the forces acting upon the social world to cause change. Primary theorists and how their work has influenced modern practice will be explored. Case studies will be utilized to focus on the application of Social Science to Leadership Theory.

This course engages students in the exploration of their self-perception and the ways in which they are perceived by others, especially in the workplace. Building on this foundation, the course continues to consider both the development of personal goals and objectives, as well as the concept of working with others to establish professional direction and offering consistent feedback for positive change. Students will develop the themes that are Leadership and Management

This course develops students' understanding of the role of the Applied Social Sciences. Considering the wide phenomenon of transition beyond classical social systems, this course proceeds to focus on the development of participative systems. Students will read essential primary authors in this course, and engage the perspective of many of the national and global movements for human rights and democratization. Throughout the course, implications for the workplace will be considered.

Workshops are offered that will develop both theoretical concepts and skill-oriented practices of current interest in Organizational Leadership. It is the goal of these one-hour workshops to offer students opportunities to address timely topics.

Students will consider the notion of leader as a "change agent" and how this notion is applied to transition from a focus on progress to one of "sustainability" in organizational life. Reviewing the emergence of this movement, its concerns and directions, this course will also offer students the opportunity to consider their abilities and challenges as leaders for sustainable change.

This course aims to provide an introduction to the core ideas of positive psychology and their implications for leadership. After considering the principles of positive psychology students will examine how to create, foster and manage positive organizations where people can thrive. The focus of this course will be how positive leadership applies to the self, at work and with relationships.

This course focuses on organizational epistemology. After considering the movement from manufacturing goods and services to management of knowledge, this course will present to students key ideas in organizational learning and help them develop concrete skills to facilitate the process of learning in the workplace.

Building upon a foundation in applied ethics, Lasallian values, and the notion of "servant leadership," this course seeks to situate leadership in the context of service. This course uses study dynamics such as case study methodology, biography, and observation to develop skills for enhancing organizational ethics and orientation to service.

This course explores the connection between leadership and language. Students will focus on developing skills in reading, writing, and speaking at work, particularly in the language of their organization. Students will also develop their skills in leading group discussions. At the end of this course, students will create a written development plan to enhance their skills in managing organizational communication.

This course will develop students' ability to understand the role of research in organizational alignment. Students will demonstrate the ability to read and interpret the data resulting from research, discern the general quality of such research, assist organizations in making a good-fit in research tools, and shape organizational behaviors which respond to data.

The internship course is designed to give students an opportunity to gain experiential learning as a leader through professional undertakings. Activities include practical experience in an organization that will allow a student to exercise and be mentored in leadership behavior. As reflective practitioners, students will be challenged to grow personally and professionally which will ultimately enhance the marketability of the student as he/she graduates form the program.

This advanced course emphasizes student participation, initiative, and integration of knowledge and skills gained throughout the Contemporary Leadership minor. The focus will be on service-learning and leading. Service-learning is a way of learning through experience in which the student applies leadership skills to address leadership needs in their communities and contribute in a meaningful way. Students can leverage current co-curricular activities and/or volunteer work as the 'laboratory' to gain a deeper understanding of leadership in practice. Students may also have an opportunity to serve as a leader for department offerings such as Arts and Ideas programming or the Learning to Lead Summer Program. In addition to their co-curricular experiences, students will attend class to discuss and evaluate their experiences, to foster an appreciation for lifelong learning. A written analysis of the student's practicum experience will be required to fulfill the requirements of this course.

In the Capstone course for the Organizational Leadership minor, students will reflect upon their own leadership journey and experiences by completing two assignments: 1) students will create a portfolio of their learning from classes/co-curricular activities including self-assessment results, personal leadership experiences and outlining leadership goals for the future and 2) students will write a Capstone Paper applying leadership concepts and principles covered in their academic coursework to their leadership experiences.