ORG300: Applying Leadership Principles Credit Hours: | 3 | Contact Hours: | This is a 3-credit course, offered in accelerated format. This means that 16 weeks of material is covered in 8 weeks. The exact number of hours per week that you can expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the weekly coursework, as well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to spend 10-25 hours per week in each course reading material, interacting on the discussion boards, writing papers, completing projects, and doing research. |
Faculty Information

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Course Description and Outcomes

This required first course for all majors provides an overview of leadership basics. In the context of studying at CSU-Global Campus, students will develop strategies for success in the online learning environment. The course engages students in discussion, exploration and application of leadership skills, principles and practices. Students will learn about the relationships and connections among leaders, individuals, and organizations.
Topics include strategy, communication, motivation, power, organizational change, and workplace conflict. Additionally this course relates leadership skill to those skills needed to be a successful lifelong and online learner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Describe social problems, the various perspectives on problems, and possible solutions. 2. Apply knowledge of a particular major or discipline to pressing contemporary problems. 3. Create empowering environments by inspiring others, building coalitions, and developing a shared vision. 4. Integrate leadership and critical thinking skills through completion of a final project. 5. Analyze and solve problems using strategic thinking, planning, communication, and writing skills in a practical, applied setting. 6. Problem-solution techniques will be enhanced as students find, select, and implement answers to issues or problems in the community. 7. Students will develop critical thinking, research and presentation skills as they work to effectively communicate to a critical audience. 8. Students will demonstrate the ability to follow-through on commitments to issues that are important to them. 9. Students will learn to accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions for others and society.

Participation & Attendance

Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success at CSU-Global Campus. Failure to verify your attendance within the first 7 days of this course may result in your withdrawal. If for some reason you would like to drop a course, please contact your advisor.

Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your instructor know as soon as possible.
Course Materials

Required:
No textbook purchase required; all readings accessible from within the course.
Course Schedule

Due Dates
The Academic Week at CSU-Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday. Discussion Boards: The original post must be completed by Thursday at 12 midnight MT and Peer Responses posted by Sunday 12 midnight MT. Late posts may not be awarded points. Mastery Exercises: Students may access and retake mastery exercises through the last day of class until they achieve the scores they desire. Critical Thinking Activities: Assignments are due Sunday at 12 midnight MT.

Week # | Readings | Assignments | 1 | * Concepts of Leadership * Are You Ready to be an Online Learner? * Ten Tips and Tricks for the Online Student * CSU Global Campus Student Handbook sections: * Mission * Values * Getting Set Up to Learn Online * Online Course Environment * Being a Successful Online Learner | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (10) | 2 | * Leadership and Human Behavior * First Impressions * CSU Global Campus Student Handbook section: "Understanding the Basics of Communicating on a Discussion Board" | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (10) * Critical Thinking (70) | 3 | * Owl Purdue Online Writing Lab: Using Research and Evidence * The following CSU-CG Virtual Library Tutorials * Evaluating Web Sources * Is Wikipedia Safe to Use? * Tour of the Virtual Library * Basic Searching for Journal Articles | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (10) * Critical Thinking (70) | 4 | * Leading and Leadership * CSU-Global Campus Course Catalog: Student Code of Conduct * CSU-Global Campus Student Handbook sections: * CSU-Global APA Style Student Requirements * Understanding Plagiarism * Student Rights and Responsibilities * Grievance Procedure for Disability Services * Providing Feedback * Frequently Asked Questions and Answers * Plagiarism Tutorial from the CSU-Global Virtual Library * What Is Plagiarism? * Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing at Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (20) * Critical Thinking (70) | 5 | * Leading and Direction | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (10) * Critical Thinking (70) | 6 | * Communication and Leadership * CSU Global Campus Student Handbook sections: * Brush up on your Writing Skills * Understanding the Basics of Communicating on a Discussion Board | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (10) * Critical Thinking (70) | 7 | * Motivation and Leadership (http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadmot.html) * CSU-Global Virtual Library: Under the Citing in APA link, download the following PDF documents: * UNDERGRADUATE APA Style Requirements * Undergraduate - Basics of Citing in APA Tutorial/Handout | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (10) | 8 | * Character and Traits in Leadership * CSU Global Campus Student Handbook section: "Student Services and Support" | * Discussion Board (25) * Mastery Exercises (20) * Portfolio Assignment (350) |

Assignment Details

This course includes the following assignments/projects:

Week 1

Portfolio Milestone:

This course includes a final Portfolio Project, which is due at the end of the last week of the course. During this first week of the course, be sure to review the Portfolio Project description on the Module 8 page of the Assignment section along with the Portfolio Project grading rubric, which can be accessed from the Course Information page.

Week 2

Critical Thinking: First Impressions (70 points)

After reading the article entitled “Leadership and Human Behavior,” it should be clear to you that first impressions affect our behavior. Read the two brief stories found on First Impressions. Based on the information presented in this module, write a 3-4 page essay in CSU-Global APA format that addresses the following questions: 1. How do first impressions strike us? 2. How did you picture John after reading the first scenario, and then the second? 3. Can you visualize him differently by rereading the scenario in reverse order?

Week 3

Critical Thinking: Using the Virtual Library to Research Diversity in Leadership (70 points)

Now it is time to put your new-found library skills into practice. Using the CSU-Global Virtual Library, locate one full text journal article using either the EBSCO Host or ProQuest databases. The topic of the article must be on issues of diversity and their impact on leadership effectiveness. Read the article in its entirety and then write a paper that contains the following components: * A one-paragraph (4 to 6 sentences) summary of the article. Do not copy or simply paraphrase the Abstract of the article. * One to two paragraphs that state your experience regarding the content of the article and the statements made by the author. Detail your experience with at least two examples that support or refute points made in the article. * A summary of the process you used to find this article in the library. What were your search techniques? How did you narrow down your choices to the article that you ultimately selected for this assignment? Was the experience easy? Difficult? Explain why.
Cite your references using the CSU-Global APA guidelines, also found in the Library resources.

Week 4

Critical Thinking: Leading with Vision (70 points)

Let's put what we have been learning into practice. Read the web site article, Leading and Leadership. Setting and achieving goals is a critical part of leadership. As a leader, it will be your team/employees that will help you to get to that goal. It's important that you motivate and support them in this process.

Write a 2-3 page double-spaced essay, following CSU-Global APA guidelines on the importance of vision and goal setting as a leader. You should either paraphrase or summarize sections of the article. One or two direct quotes should also be used to support your thinking. Utilize outside references from at least one other source.

Week 5

Critical Thinking: Questioning (70 points)

Based on the lecture and the web site article, “Leadership and Direction,” respond to the following questions and support your positions: 1. How do questions help to ensure that a project is successful? 2. What type of questions must be asked and answered to ensure the project is appropriate for the organization (or the team for that matter)? 3. How does a leader know if all the right questions have been asked?
Your response should be written as a 2-3 double-spaced page essay following CSU-Global APA guidelines.

Week 6

Critical Thinking: Writing in Action (70 points)

This assignment consists of two parts:
Part 1: The finished response to the prompt below on the topic of leadership and communication.

Utilizing the knowledge acquired during this module, and the steps in the writing process, respond to the following in 2-3 double-spaced pages:

Some people are of the belief that the way a leader communicates is dependent upon his or her age/generation. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Describe the characteristics of your generation in regards to leadership and communication. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer. Do technology and the Information Age play a role in how leaders today communicate? Or are there basic communication skills that are needed and used in all generations of leadership?

Part 2: A reflection on how you utilized each of the specific steps in the writing process.

As you complete this critical thinking writing assignment, reflect and make note of what specific steps you followed in completing the writing prompt. Complete your paper by adding to your submission a 1-2 double-spaced page explanation of how you implemented and followed each of the writing process steps.

Week 7

Portfolio Milestone:

Remember that the final Portfolio Project is due at the end of the next module, which is the last of the course. Review the Portfolio Project description on the Module 8 page of the Assignment section along with the Portfolio Project grading rubric, which can be accessed from the Course Information page.

Week 8

Portfolio Assignment (350 points)

Based on an experience in which you encountered negative leadership behavior, compose an essay that proposes a recommendation to improve the quality of leadership. Your essay will encompasses the elements of critical thought and good writing that have been presented throughout this course. Be sure to include the following: * The details of the experience * An analysis of the leadership behavior * Research supportive of your description of the behavior as being negative * A recommendation for strengthening leadership behavior

The paper should be well-written, supported by at least four scholarly references, formatted according to CSU-Global Guidelines, and approximately 700-800 words in length. Refer to the Portfolio Project rubric for grading criteria.
For project details, see the Portfolio Project Description, which can be accessed from the Week 8 Assignments page.
Course Policies

Late Work
Students are permitted a 7 day grace period during which they may submit a Critical Thinking assignment after the original due date without penalty. Papers submitted between 8 and 14 days after the original due date will be accepted with a potential 10 percent reduction in grade for late submission. Papers submitted 15 or more days beyond the original due date may not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. No Portfolios will be accepted late and no assignments will be accepted after the last day of class unless a student has requested an incomplete grade in accordance with the Incomplete Policy.

Course Grading 20% Discussion Participation10% Mastery Exercises
35% Critical Thinking Activities
35% Final Portfolio Paper | Grading Scale and Policies A | 95.0 – 100 | A- | 90.0 – 94.9 | B+ | 86.7 – 89.9 | B | 83.3 – 86.6 | B- | 80.0 – 83.2 | C+ | 75.0 – 79.9 | C | 70.0 – 74.9 | D | 60.0 – 69.9 | F | 59.9 or below | FN* | Failure for Nonparticipation | I** | Incomplete | |
* Students who stop atteding class and fail the course for nonparticipation will be issued the “FN” grade. The FN grade may have implications for financial aid and scholarship awards.
** An “I” grade may be assigned at the Instructor’s discretion to students who are in good standing (passing) in the course. Students should have completed a majority of the coursework in order to be eligible for the “I” grade. Students should request an "I" grade from the Instructor with a written justification, which must include explanation of extenuating circumstances that prevented timely completion of the coursework. If the request is approved, the Instructor will require a written agreement consisting of a) the specific coursework to be completed, b) the plan to complete the coursework, and c) the deadline for completion. The agreement will be kept on file at CSU-Global Campus. An incomplete course must be satisfactorily completed within the time frame stipulated in the agreement, but no later than the end of the following semester from the date the “I” was given. An incomplete not removed within one year shall convert to an F and be included in the computation of the student’s grade point average.

Academic Integrity
Students must assume responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other work designated by the instructor of the course. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized possession of academic materials, and falsification. The Student Handbook provides information on how students can avoid plagiarism by understanding what it is and how to use library and internet resources appropriately with proper citation. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for complete policies regarding plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

APA
Students are expected to follow the CSU-Global APA requirements when citing in APA (based on the APA Style Manual, 6th edition). For details on CSU-Global APA style, please review the APA resources located under the Library tab in Blackboard.

Netiquette
All posts and classroom communication must be conducted in a professional and respectful manner in accordance with the student code of conduct. Think before you push the Send button. Did you say just what you meant? How will the person on the other end read the words?
Any derogatory or inappropriate comments regarding race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, are unacceptable and subject to disciplinary action.
If you have concerns about something that has been said, please let your instructor know.

Institutional Policies
Refer to the Academic Catalog for comprehensive documentation of CSU-GC institutional policies.