SCL 100-Spring 2021 Syllabus
SCL 100-Spring 2021 Syllabus
Course Instructor:
Danae Miesbauer, M.Ed.
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
Email: [email protected]
Cristian Baeza
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
E-mail: [email protected]
Course Description:
Introduction to the theoretical and philosophical foundations of social change leadership. Attention to ethical
decision-making, development of critical self-reflection, and the role of collaboration and social responsibility
in promoting social change.
Course Objectives:
COE Conceptual Framework Outcome(s) as indicated: Knowledge = K, Practice = P, and Reflection = R.
Important Notes
Fundamental to this course it the concept of co-constructed learning. With that, this syllabus is a working
document and is therefore subject to change as needed to meet the needs of students and the learning objectives.
Discussion with course participants will take place before any changes are made.
Required Texts
Note that [bracketed] text at end of the citations below is how the book is abbreviated in the course schedule
outlined later in the syllabus.
Komoves, S. R., & Wagner, W. (2017). Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change model
of leadership development (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, C. A.: Jossey-Bass. [LBW]
All other readings can be accessed on Blackboard [BB] and are listed below in “Class Schedule and
Assignments.”
Disruption Behavior:
Disruption or obstruction of a University activity including but not limited to teaching, research, administration,
disciplinary proceedings, athletic competitions, club sports, University public service functions, or other authorized non-
University activities when the conduct occurs on Northern Illinois University premises; conduct that is disorderly, lewd,
or indecent; or aiding or procuring another person to disrupt activities on University premises, functions, or events.
Causing a disturbance off campus when the situation or the parties involved are related to the educational mission of the
university. (NIU Student Code of Conduct)
Class Cancellations:
As a rule, I will adhere to the NIU class cancellation policies during inclement weather. That is, if NIU cancels class, I
will cancel class as well. Rarely, if ever, will I cancel class. If so, the class will be notified via Blackboard at least 3 hours
prior to a scheduled class meeting. If there is no posting from me about cancelling class on Blackboard, and NIU has not
cancelled classes, assume that we will have class that day.
Academic Misconduct: For a detailed description of the university’s definition of academic misconduct, and the process
by which it is adjudicated, please refer to the Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions (consequences) for committing
academic misconduct include but are not limited to, failure of the assignment, failure of the course, and suspension or
expulsion from Northern Illinois University. Cheating and plagiarism of one’s own or another’s work will not be
tolerated. Academic integrity and civility in the classroom are expected of every member of the NIU community. Please
review the Undergraduate Catalog for more information on this topic. The APA Publication Manual also contains useful
information. More information is available at http://www.ai.niu.edu/ai/.
Syllabus Clause and Contract: This syllabus may be revised and adapted throughout the semester to better serve the
needs of the class. The educator may assign additional reading and/or assignments as needed. Additionally, the decision to
remain in this class upon receipt of the syllabus serves as students’ acceptance of the syllabus as a binding contract,
meaning they agree with the terms set forth and the expectations of them as members of the class.
Religious Observances: Northern Illinois University, as a public institution of higher education in the State of Illinois,
does not observe religious holidays. It is the university’s policy, however, to reasonably accommodate the religious
observances of individual students in regards to class attendance, scheduling examinations, and work requirements. Such
policies shall be made known to faculty and students. Religious observance includes all aspects of religious observance
and practice as well as belief. Absence from classes or examinations for religious observance does not relieve students
from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence. To request accommodation,
students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance
shall provide educators with reasonable notice of the date or dates they will be absent.
Course Format:
Students are expected to show up to class on BlackBoard Collaborate prepared, be attentive, and engage in classroom
discussion and activities. This means coming to class having read the assigned material in advance in a thoughtful,
critical, reflective manner. Students are expected to engage in respectful conversations and use non-discriminatory
language. This class will be facilitated using a variety of teaching methods from lecture to PowerPoint to classroom
activities. The instructor will also utilize Blackboard to share information with students and facilitate discussion about
class topics. Students can gain access to computers, the Internet, and assistance with Blackboard through the library and
trainings presented for students on campus. If students are interested in utilizing any of these resources, please speak with
the instructor after class or during office hours for more information.
Class Attendance:
It is expected that students attend classes virtually, however, there are times that student might be sick, have family
emergencies, religious holidays, conferences or have other personal matters to attend to. Students are allowed TWO
absences. Each absence after the 2nd absence will result in a reduction of 3 points from the total points student has
earned in class. For example, if you have a 93 in the course, and you miss 3 classes your grade will go from 93(A) to
90(A-). If extenuating circumstances arise, contact the instructor. Per Protect The Pack guidelines, students, faculty and
staff who test positive for COVID-19 or are exposed to or experience symptoms of COVID-19 must complete the
checklist at go.niu.edu/covid-checklist. If you contract covid and provide documentation we will work with you and be
flexible during this challenging time. The key is to communicate with the instructor and teaching assistant so we can
support you.
Class will start promptly at 11:00am. You are expected to be logged in the Zoom platform and ready to begin class at this
time. Arriving late to class is disruptive and disrespectful of your classmates and instructors. If a prior commitment will
affect your ability to arrive on time, please notify me PRIOR TO CLASS. If you show up 15 minutes late to class
without prior notification it will be counted as an absence.
To create an engaging learning environment the expectation is that students will try their best to have cameras on during
the majority of the class time. We will also spend time utilizing breakout rooms where we expect you to participate.
Methods of Instruction:
Students will be exposed to learning through lecture, oral presentation, written papers and projects, in-class discussion,
and experiential practice situations. NOTE: Scheduling and activities are tentative and may be changed based upon the
pace and interests of the class.
Incompletes: No incompletes will be offered in this course except for medical causes or personal emergency. The
university now requires us to have a written contract for any incomplete. As such, we cannot turn in an incomplete grade
without a written contract for completion that specifies for you and for us what must be done.
Deadlines:
Assignments are due on the scheduled due date and at the beginning of the class period (11:00am) Assignments not
submitted at the beginning of the class period on the due date, will be considered late. Late assignments will be accepted
at the discretion of the educator, based upon his/her judgment of the legitimacy of the reason. Assignments that are
accepted late will lose two points for each day late, including Saturday and Sunday. All assignments will be accepted via
Blackboard, unless otherwise stated in class.
Grading
No grades at NIU are automatic—you’ll have to work for them. Grading is an important tool in accountability and
feedback. Grades will be earned on a point by point basis as described below. A letter grade will be assigned based on
the number of points earned.
Weighted Percentage Points Definition
Scale
A = 4.00 93-100% 93-100 Attends class regularly, participates positively and takes an
A - = 3.67 90-92% 90-92 active interest in the course, completes all assignments,
consistently submits work of high quality, high level of
communication with educators and classmates.
B+ = 3.33 87-89% 87-89 Attends class regularly, participates actively in many course
B = 3.00 83-86% 83-86 activities, completes assignments, consistently submits work
B- = 2.67 80-82% 80-82 of good quality, above average level of communication with
educators and classmates.
Class Policies
All assignments should be submitted PRIOR TO class on the day they are due as noted in the syllabus. Your
written assignments will be submitted on the modules within Blackboard. My feedback and grade will be added
to your document using the “track changes” function in Word, so your document should be uploaded in either
“.doc” or “.docx” format and saved with your last name as part of the file name. (for example:
Miesbauer_Paper1). Please do not save in a PDF format.
If you need assistance conceptualizing assignments or reviewing projects, please contact me at least one week
prior to the assignment due date. I will not assist with editing or rewrites but may be able to indicate to you that
editing or rewriting is needed to correct grammar, punctuation, APA format, etc. Students are strongly
encouraged to use each other as editors. Students should also consider visiting the University Writing Center on
campus for additional support: http://www.niu.edu/uwc/
All written assignments are expected to conform to the guidelines and reference formats specified in the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) or the style guide you are most
familiar with. All work must be typed, double-spaced, using 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman,
although it is important to note that Arial is the most “readable” font for individuals with any type of visual or
learning impairment).
Because leadership requires good writing skills, written assignments will be graded on their technical quality as
well as content. All written assignments should be carefully proofread for spelling, grammar, and syntax. If
your writing skills are not strong, I urge you to seek outside help to improve them.
Given the nature of this course, there is a considerable amount of assigned reading each week. Readings were
chosen that illustrate and discuss a variety of topics and theories related to social change leadership. With that,
some material may only be touched on in class or may not be covered at all. At times, readings may seem
repetitious. However, they each present the material from a different perspective and therefore help to clarify
the main concepts and provide different ways of approaching the material or using it in practice. Students may
choose to form reading groups to review and discuss the readings outside of class.
Nonetheless, you are responsible for completing readings in advance of the designated class session. Class
discussion and activities will focus on discussion, critique, and application of the assigned material, not review
of material covered in the reading. Individuals should be prepared to offer the main points, potential
applications, and/or critique of each article and can expect to be called upon to do so. Lack of preparation for
class discussion of the readings will detract from your final grade.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Description of Assignments
1. Class Participation & Engagement (20 points)
You will be expected to contribute actively and positively to the class discussion. Actively engaging in
discussion about ideas and concepts is one means of learning new material and considering your position with
regard to those ideas and concepts. Participation in the class is designed to help you develop your verbal and
listening skills by encouraging active involvement in the learning process. Participation does not necessarily
equal talking a lot (in fact, talking for the sake of talking often detracts from one's participation). The following
are examples of factors considered when evaluating participation:
Two Flipgrid Videos on Discussion Questions Throughout the Term (10 points-5 per flipgrid video)-
Throughout the semester, we will require students to respond to a discussion question for the week. Students
will need to respond to at least two of the discussion questions by creating a flipgrid video. The discussion
questions will be posted on Tuesday for that week and must be answered with the Flipgrid video post by Friday
at 11:59pm of that week, please find these on https://flipgrid.com/scl100spring2021
Inequity, Discrimination, Social Justice-Deadline Friday, 2/5 at 11:59pm
7C’s-Individual Values(Consciousness of Self,Congruence and Commitment)-Deadline Friday,2/26 at 11:59pm
7C’s-Group Values (Collaboration, Common Purpose and Controversy W/ Civility)-Deadline 3/5 at 11:59pm
Leadership and Gender-Deadline Friday, 3/26 at 11:59pm
Art and Social Change & Leadership and Media-Deadline Friday, 4/15 at 11:59pm
The other 5 points will be determined by how well you have met the class participation criteria explained
above.
2. Analytical Film Review (20 points)—Students will write a 4–5-page (this does not include cover page or
Work Cited page) film review on a movie of their choosing and to which I agree that centers on social
change leadership. Students will need to select a film by 2/1 and submit an e-mail to instructor
([email protected]) with a 1-2 sentence justification about why they want to review the film they have
chosen. The film can be a documentary or a work of fiction but must connect to the course topics:
Leadership Models, Inequity, Discrimination, and Social Justice, Social Change Model. The film review is
more than a summary of the film but rather a critical analysis of the film using the framework of the social
change model of leadership. Students should only spend a paragraph describing the film. The remainder of
the paper is analysis of key themes that connect to course readings and theoretical concepts discussed. A
rubric will be provided on BB. DUE DATE: Monday, February 15th.
3. “This I Believe” Digital Presentations (15 points) – Students will develop a “This I Believe” digital
presentation to be presented in class. The digital presentation needs to be about 2-3 minutes long which
translates into 500-600 words. Videos cannot be longer that 3 minutes. For your digital presentation, you
can use whatever digital platform is best for you (e.g., iMovie, Prezi, Powtoon). You should make sure to
create an engaging presentation, which may include adding music, doing voiceover, and/or adding visual
images/pictures along with course content/sources to bolster your presentation. Again, these statements
need to connect to your values regarding leaderships.
Tell a story about you: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events that have
shaped your core values. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your
own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need
not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story
ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.
Be brief: Your statement should be between 500 and 600 words. That’s about three minutes when read
aloud at your natural pace.
Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also,
rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief.
Be positive: Write about what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid statements of religious
dogma, preaching, or editorializing.
Be personal: Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.”
Tell a story from your own life; this is not an opinion piece about social ideals. Write in words and phrases
that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times,
and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and
the way you speak.
Students will be able to rank their preference for the social change movement for the assignment and
groups will be assigned early in the semester so groups can begin to work together. Students will also be
required to complete a Group Presentation Worksheet (5 pts) due on 3/15. The teaching assistant,
Cristian Baeza will provide feedback to the groups and review the outline of the presentation by 3/22 via
e-mail to the group members.
The group will do a self and peer evaluation where you will assess your participation, contributions to
the presentation evaluating both your input and your peers input into the assignment. Overall assessing
your group dynamics throughout the semester.
DUE DATE: Group Presentation Worksheet due on 3/15. Group Presentations in-class on 4/5. Social
Change Movement Self & Peer Evaluation due on 4/12.
5. Leadership Philosophy Reflection Paper (15 points) – For this assignment, you will create a 3–4-page
paper exploring your leadership values. As you engage in social change leadership, it is imperative that you
reflect on your values as a leader, especially how your values converge with the espoused values of the
social change model of leadership. In addition, you should also be giving thought to how you would enact
those values in your various roles. For the reflection paper, you should make sure to address the following:
• What do you see as the purpose and values of leadership?
• What are your core values as a leader?
• What does it mean for you to be a successful leader? How will you know when you have been
successful?
• How do you plan to and/or already enact your espoused values in your leadership positions and
roles?
• What examples can you draw upon from your own practice to suggest you are infusing your values
into your leadership roles and positions?
Your overall grade for this assignment will be based on your: ability to clearly convey your philosophical
perspective; understanding and application of the social change model of leadership; use of evidence to support
your philosophy; organization and flow of your philosophy statement; and the delivery of your content (i.e., few
to no errors made). DUE DATE: Wednesday, April 21st
COURSE ASSIGNMNENTS
Points Assignment Due Date
5 SCL100 Introduction Post on Flipgrid Monday, Jan. 25th
Two Flipgrid Videos responding to Discussion
Questions throughout the semester Various Due Dates
10
Date Topic & Readings (Readings must be done prior to Assignments Due
class time)
1/11 (Pre-Module) Introduction and Overview of SCL100