Syllabus
This course is intended for students who will be leaders in their personal or professional lives. The course reflects our belief that effective leadership requires the successful integraion of the individual's personality and the characteristics of the situation within an historical and cultural context.
This course provides exposure to the critical contributions that the study of the Humanities and Social Sciences makes to developing leadership for the long term. In this course we will examine the social-biological, psychological, political, organizational and personal dimensions of leadership. In addition to the knowledge base provided by these various disciplines we will analyze the biographies of real life leaders and apply our insights to a specific problem/project that you and your team mates will identify and develop. The course should help students identify their own leadership style and provide a practial and conceptual base for developing principled and ethical leadership in our diverse and rapidly evolving global community. Students will lead, follow, and reflect critically on the leadership of others. Communication skills will be emphasized and developed throughout the course.
- Requirements
Attendance is absolutely essetial. Much of our work will be done in small groups and a portion of class time will be set aside for group work. More than 2 unexcused absences will result in the loss of one half grade per absence. Extra credit projects may be submitted to offset this reduction if the projext is deemed valuable by the instructor.
- Assignments
There will be four assignments, as noted in the syllabus. Assignment #1 is worth 10%, assignment #2 is worth 20%, assignment #3 is worth 30%, and the final group project is worth 40%.
- Gender-Fair Language
Because the way we write and speak affects the way we think, students in this course are expected to use gender-fair language in their writing and speaking. To assist you in writing a gender accurate fashion we ask you to obtain a copy of "Writing with Gender-Fair Language: The Generic He/Man Problem" by Jenny R. Redfern (free of charge) at the Writing Center.
- The Writing Center
The tutorial services of the Writing Center provide one-to-one instruction with faculty or trained graduate assistants. Students may receive help with reports, papers, projects, and all writing tasks. We recommend that you visit this center. The Center is located in Sage Lab, Room 4508.
- Academic Honesty
Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made responsible decisions about the structure and contents of the courses they teach. Teachers must trust that the assignments which students turn in are in fact their own. Acts which violate trust contradict our very reason for being here at RPI. The Rensslaer Handbook defines various forms of Academic Dishonesty and the procedures for responding to them. All forms are violation of the trust between students and teachers. Students should familiarize themselves with this portion of the Rensselaer Handbook and should note that the penalties for plagiarism and other forms of cheating can be quite harsh.
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