Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies Minor

Provides an overview of the theory related to, and skills necessary for, the practice of effective leadership in team and organizational settings. Leadership is explored as an integral component of a student's career and life plan, focusing on the theory of relational leadership along with the importance of interpersonal skills and group dynamics. At the conclusion of this course, students will demonstrate understanding of leadership theory and research, increased awareness of the personal qualities and skills they bring to leadership settings, and an increased confidence and skill in practicing leadership in the collegiate, workplace and/or community setting. This course allows students to develop a Personal Leadership Philosophy.

An introduction to the knowledge, skills and competencies for responsible service and leadership in diverse communities. This course prepares students for engaged, responsible and active community involvement and leadership. In addition to a weekly class meeting, students engage in a required, off-campus field experience for a minimum of two hours a week. Additionally, students will:

• gain an understanding of service and leadership;
• analyze the settings in which service takes place;
• gain hands on knowledge, skills, and experience about a specific community service organization; and
• develop their own leadership styles and skills in a community setting.

The purpose of this course is to prepare students for a lifetime of engaged, responsible and active community involvement and leadership.

Note: This course satisfies a General Education (GE) requirement in the Open Option category: Service Learning.

Studying leadership requires a parallel process of internal reflection and learning about others. This course outlines concepts and strategies necessary to be an effective leader. Through a variety of leadership assessments, students learn about their leadership styles and preferences. The course defines leadership and followership, while providing students the opportunity to learn about human motivation, communication and feedback. Students enhance their skills through reading, discussion, case analyses, in-class exercises, student presentations and an innovative consulting project.

Leadership for social change is the focus of this course. It is designed especially for cohorts of student leaders who are working together within the context of a student organization. Courses are specifically designed for the needs of particular student organizations around the social change model of leadership. Opportunities exist within the course for student organizations to set a vision, develop goals and create theory-based plan for developing future leaders. Student organizations that wish to offer courses to members can contact Dr. Amy Barnes to discuss the process of registering a section of the course.

This course is built on intellectual and experiential engagement with issues of difference, diversity, social justice and alliance building. In a multicultural society that is culturally diverse yet socially stratified, discussions about difference, community and conflict are important to facilitate understanding among different social and cultural groups. Acquiring knowledge and skills for cultural understanding is essential for today’s leaders. In this course, students learn the pluralistic nature of institutions, society and culture in the United States and across the world in order to become educated, productive and principled global leaders. Note: This course satisfies a General Education (GE) requirement for Social Diversity in the United States.

Co-taught between the College of Education and Human Ecology and the Fisher College of Business, this leadership class is designed to challenge you to think innovatively, creatively solve problems, and receive feedback on your leadership approaches. This is a great three-credit course for students interested in applying their talents in innovative ways.

ESHESA 4239 will help students consider leadership through a lens of equity and will frame ways to reconstruct our collective understanding of leadership and leadership practice to be more inclusive and justice-oriented. In this course, students will have the opportunity to reflect on contemporary social movements and to analyze power dynamics in various leadership contexts. This class will be of particular interest to individuals who are interested in deconstructing dominant ideologies around leadership and who view themselves as future leaders of social change. As an upper-level course, it is recommended that students take ESHESA 2571S, ESHESA 2577, or a related course discussing concepts of power, privilege, and oppression prior to enrolling in ESHESA 4239.