Preferred method of communication: email or Teams. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours of your message.
Course Description
Examines organizational theory, models, governance, and management processes in higher education, leadership perspectives and leadership theory. Explores leadership as a discipline that transcends functional area, serving as a framework to lead and guide within higher education. Investigates leadership theories and formulates personal approach as an educational leader.
This is a core course for the Master of Higher Education Leadership Program. This course supports students' leadership growth through analysis of a variety of leadership approaches, and provides opportunity for application through the final project in an area and approach of the students choice.
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Synthesize fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories of leadership
Evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view surrounding leadership theories
Evaluate personal leadership identity development, style, tendencies, and skill development needs
Investigate ways in which diverse higher educational settings create unique challenges to leadership
Apply personal leadership philosophy in addressing current higher education issues
Apply links between the theory and practice of higher educational leadership
Prerequisites and Needed Skills
Course Prerequisites: Admission to the Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership program, or permission of the graduate program director.
Technology Expectations: students will need regular access to Canvas, the capacity to play audio and video files, and a consistent internet connection. Students will also need the capacity to record audio and video any times the synchronous course is being accessed remotely and depending on the choice of their final project.
Materials, Fees and Technology Tools
There is no required textbook for this course. We will use articles and websites instead.
How This Course Works
Course Mode: Hybrid
Description of how course works:
Everything you need for this course will be accessible via Canvas. Each week is a new module, and each module has an overview page explaining the goals and outlining the content and activities for the module. Some articles will be linked directly via a website or a pdf file, others will send you through the UVU library to access. For those articles, you will need to be logged in to the UVU Library with your UVUID.
We will also have a Teams page available for communication between students and the instructor. There may be synchronous meetings we hold on Teams instead of in the classroom, and you may have the option to log in remotely due to illness or work travel (on a pre-approved basis).
This course is designed to expand your capacity as a higher education leader. It will require you to identify and attend three meetings of relevance for higher education leadership and identify a current higher education leader to interview. Students will write in their learning journals almost every week. The final project is a culmination of the whole semester (and program) and should be uniquely based on your interests and goals. Our synchronous meetings will be dynamic and interactive. Plan on being ready to talk and engage with your peers the whole time.
This class will not be recorded unless requested by a pre-approved absence.
For this three (3) credit-hour course students should expect to spend up to 9+ hours a week completing course activities.
Atypical elements of the course: A cafeteria style final project where students choose both their topic and approach.
Attendance and Participation:
This course is preparing you to grow as a higher education leader. You should plan to attend every class, and communicate in advance of any absences.
Student Responsibilities:
Start class the first week of the term.
Be accountable by setting aside regular time each week to complete course activities and assignments on time as noted per the due dates.
Learn how to use Canvas including communication tools (e.g. discussion, Canvas inbox, etc.). Learn how to use Microsoft Teams to hold video/voice meetings, post chats, and retrieve files. If you have technology-related problems contact the Service DeskLinks to an external site..
Abide by ethical standards. Your work must be your own.
Contact your instructor as early as possible if an emergency arises. Do NOT wait until the last minute to ask for an extension.
Instructor Responsibilities:
Respond to messages within ONE business day. If multiple messages are received regarding the same question or concern, they may be responded to with an announcement to the entire class.
Provide timely, meaningful and constructive feedback on assignments.
Facilitate an effective learning experience.
Refer students to appropriate services for issues that are non-course content specific. For instance, technical issue, writing labs, accessibility services, etc.
Mentor students through the course.
Inclusion Statement
Your experience in this class is important to me and I want you to feel included, respected and that your voice is heard. As your instructor, it is my intent to create an inclusive and equitable learning atmosphere that is representative of a diversity of perspectives, and where all students are encouraged to share, express, and contribute in a safe environment. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to talk about any suggestions and/or concerns. If that feels uncomfortable to you, you can also contact the Inclusion and Diversity Committee to ask for help and support.
Grading and Late Work Statement
Ungrading
This course uses a model called ungrading, which is an “umbrella term for any assessment that decenters the action of an instructor assigning a summary grade to student workLinks to an external site.”. The specifics of this will vary across assignments and will emphasize feedback over scoring. My goal in implementing ungrading is for you to focus on developing reflexive leadership praxis and metacognitive practices that will support your academic and professional goals. All assignments will be given feedback based on rubrics and all assignments are eligible to be resubmitted based on feedback.
Assignments will be described using the following template:
What I’m asking you to do
Why I want you to do it
My expectations for success
Feedback will be based on individual assignment rubrics
The final grade of the course will be determined through a self-report and individual ‘grade conference’ with the professor.
Late Work Statement:
Work should be submitted at the assigned time. Any extensions should be requested ahead of the due date.
Assignment and Assessment Descriptions
Assignments
Learning Journals: You will create a shared document that serves as your learning journal for the entire semester. Each journal entry has a different set of prompts and instructions.
Meeting Observations (3): Meeting observations are an opportunity to expand your understanding of decision-making processes that affect higher education. You will have your choice of many meetings (and are welcome to propose your own, as long as it is outside your current scope of work). You will write a brief reflection analyzing the topic and dynamics of each meeting.
Leadership Interview: Select a current leader in higher education (Director, Department Chair, Dean, AVP, VP, etc.) and conduct a formal interview with them. Ask them about their leadership philosophy, how they approach leadership, how this philosophy was developed, what they have learned throughout their career and what would they do differently. Gain a good understand of their approach and style.
Discussions:
We will have two online discussions. One will be discussing the ungrading model used in class, and one will be discussing social justice leadership.
Discussions will be opportunities to explore topics together. Posts to the discussion should add significantly to the conversation and support your point of view. It is okay to disagree in a discussion. In fact much learning happens when we disagree. However we need to be respectful and keep our online classroom a safe place to learn.
Due dates for discussions correspond with the initial post date which is usually a Wednesday. Follow up comments are due by Sunday. Follow up posts are expected to be after the due date and are not marked late. Discussions conclude by the Sunday following the due date. After this, posts will be marked late.
Final Project:
You may work on a final project of your choosing throughout the semester. See the "Choices for Final Project" in this module for more details.
After the drop/add period, a student may withdraw from a course during the specified withdrawal period. The withdrawal period normally extends until the end of the fifth week of the traditional fall and spring semesters or the fourth week of a summer or accelerated term. Students should consult the academic calendar for exact dates. Withdrawal requests from a course or courses normally will not be considered if received after the last day to withdraw. Exceptions will be granted only upon approval by the appropriate college dean subject to a student appeal based upon an unforeseen and unavoidable emergency that precludes completion of the course or courses. Withdrawal requests received subsequent to the dates established in the academic calendar as the “Last day to change schedules,” and prior to the “Last day to withdraw” will receive grades of “W.” Grades of “W” will be reflected on the student’s transcript, but are not computed into the student’s GPA. Students who fail to attend a course or courses without filing a withdrawal request will receive a grade of “F” in each course. To withdraw from a course or courses, a student must complete the Registration/Schedule Change form and submit it to the Registrar's Office or go to Web Advisor and withdraw from the class on-line.
In the case of course withdrawal, the student must ensure that his or her eligibility for financial aid, scholarships, or other student activities, work, or any other condition that requires full-time student status at UVU is maintained.
Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, prohibit Utah Valley University from engaging in discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity. Discrimination is also prohibited in all aspects of employment against persons with disabilities who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of a job.
Students who believe they have been denied program access or otherwise discriminated against because of a disability are encouraged to initiate a grievance by contacting the Accessibility Services Director, Sherry Page at 801-863-8747. Employees can contact the ADA Coordinator, Irene Whittier at 801-863-8389.
Upon request, this information is available in alternative formats, such as mp3, Braille, or large print. To request this format, emailasd@uvu.edu.
Accessibility Services Statement
Students needing accommodations due to a disability, including temporary and pregnancy accommodations, should contact Accessibility Services at accessibilityservices@uvu.edu or 801-863-8747 located in LC 312. To request ASL interpreters, please contact Katie Palmer at katiep@uvu.edu
At Utah Valley University, faculty and students operate in an atmosphere of mutual trust. Maintaining an atmosphere of academic integrity allows for free exchange of ideas and enables all members of the community to achieve their highest potential. Our goal is to foster an intellectual atmosphere that produces scholars of integrity and imaginative thought. In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and UVU students are expected to produce their own original academic work.
Faculty and students share the responsibility of ensuring the honesty and fairness of the intellectual environment at UVU. Students have a responsibility to promote academic integrity at the university by not participating in or facilitating others' participation in any act of academic dishonesty. As members of the academic community, students must become familiar with their rights and responsibilitiesLinks to an external site.. In each course, they are responsible for knowing the requirements and restrictions regarding research and writing, assessments, collaborative work, the use of study aids, the appropriateness of assistance, and other issues. Likewise, instructors are responsible to clearly state expectations and model best practices.
Definition: Academic integrity is a basic principle which requires that students take credit only for ideas and efforts that are their own. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and other forms of academic dishonesty are often defined as the submission of materials in assignments, exams, or other academic work that is based on sources that are prohibited by the faculty member or in ways that do not properly cite the source of a student's ideas and content. Further information on what constitutes academic dishonesty is detailed in UVU Policy 541: Student Code of ConductLinks to an external site..
Definition: the act of using or attempting to use or providing others with unauthorized information, materials or study aids in academic work. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, passing examination answers to or taking examinations for someone else, or preparing or copying others’ academic work.
Examples include but are not limited to:
Submission of work that is not the student's own for papers, assignments or exams.
Submission or use of falsified data.
Theft of or unauthorized access to an exam.
Use of an alternate, stand-in or proxy during an examination.
Use of unauthorized material including textbooks, notes or computer programs in the preparation of an assignment or during an examination.
Supplying or communicating in any way unauthorized information to a “homework help site” such as CourseHero or to another student in the preparation of an assignment or during an examination.
Collaboration in the preparation of an assignment. Unless specifically permitted or required by the instructor, collaboration will usually be viewed by the university as cheating. Each student, therefore, is responsible for understanding the policies of the department offering any course as they refer to the amount of help and collaboration permitted in preparation of assignments.
Submission of the same work for credit in two courses without obtaining the permission of the instructors beforehand.
Definition: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writing as your own.
Examples include but are not limited to:
Using another person’s exact language without the use of quotation marks and proper citation.
Rearranging another’s ideas or material and presenting them as original work without providing proper citation.
Submitting another’s work as one’s own; this includes purchasing work from sources such as the internet.
Submitting a translation of someone else’s words claiming them as one’s own
Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
Duplicating or submitting work that was originally prepared for another class without the explicit permission of the instructor; or knowingly aiding another student who is engaged in plagiarism.
Definition: the use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings.
Examples include but are not limited to:
Citation of information not taken from the source indicated. This may include the incorrect documentation of secondary source materials.
Listing sources in a bibliography not used in the academic exercise.
Submission in a paper, thesis, lab report or other academic exercise of falsified, invented, or fictitious data or evidence, or deliberate and knowing concealment or distortion of the true nature, origin, or function of such data or evidence.
Submitting as your own any academic exercise, (e.g., written work, printing, sculpture, etc.) prepared totally or in part by another.
We would like to acknowledge the following institutions: Northeastern University, University of Jamestown, Washington University in St. Louis, and UVU's Woodbury School of Business. This statement uses or adapts parts of their academic integrity statements or used them for inspiration.
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information. If you or someone you know has experienced or experiences harassment or sexual assault including, dating and domestic violence, stalking or sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, BA-203, (801) 863-7999. Please be aware that all faculty members and university employees are considered “Responsible Employees” and are required to report incidents of sexual misconduct and relationship violence and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality. Please know that you can seek confidential resources at UVU Student Health Services, SC-221, (801) 863-8876.
UVU values and acknowledges a wide range of faiths and religions as part of our student body, and as such provides accommodations for students. Religious belief includes the student's faith or conscience as well as the student's participation in an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student's religious tradition or religious organization. The accommodations include reasonable student absences from scheduled examinations or academic requirements if they create an undue hardship for sincerely held religious beliefs. For this to occur, the student must provide a written notice to the instructor of the course for which the student seeks said accommodation prior to the event.
Utah Valley University students are expected to adhere to the highest standard of academic honesty. Academic misconduct is defined as follows:
Any form of cheating, including concealed notes during exams, copying or allowing others to copy from an exam, students substituting for one another in exams, submission of another person’s work for evaluation, preparing work for another person’s submission, unauthorized collaboration on an assignment, submission of the same or substantially similar work for two courses without the permission of the professors. Plagiarism is a form of Academic Misconduct that involves taking either direct quotes or slightly altered, paraphrased material from a source without proper citations and thereby failing to credit the original author. Cutting and pasting from any source including the Internet, as well as purchasing papers, are forms of plagiarism. (Warshauer, M., 2002.) *
Matthew Warshauer, History Department, Central Connecticut State University, Academic Misconduct/Plagiarism; Questionnaire; http://www.history.ccsu.edu/
The faculty regards all incidents of academic misconduct as major offenses, which merit disciplinary action; faculty members will handle each case of academic misconduct in accordance with their own course policy. Following action, it is recommended that faculty members report all incidents of academic misconduct to the Provost, via department chair and college dean, in order to identify multiple incidents.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Fair Use Definition
Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship. It provides for the legal, non-licensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author’s work under a four-factor balancing test.
Considerations for creative grading Final Module: Self Grade (EDUC 6440 Sean Crossland) | Linda Sellers