This is archival data. This system was retired as of August 21, 2023 and the information on this page has not been updated since then. For current information, visit catalogs.umn.edu.
Requirements for this program are current for
Fall 2020
Required credits in this minor: 14
to 16
The Leadership Minor is an interdisciplinary, multidimensional, experiential, and global program. Students will explore and experience multiple frameworks of leadership. The program prepares students for real-life leadership experiences, both on campus and in the larger global community by combining social change theories of leadership with authentic community leadership. This minor is a collaborative effort of the Office for Student Affairs and Office of Undergraduate Education.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Admission Requirements
Students officially declare the Leadership Minor in the first few weeks of their Field Experience course (LEAD 3971), after completing the first two courses (LEAD 1961W and LEAD 3961) of the program with a grade of C- or better.
Effective Spring 2020:
OLPD 1302 no longer serves as the first class for students who wish to pursue the Leadership Minor*. Students intending to complete the Leadership Minor must take only LEAD 1961W as a pre-requisite for LEAD 3961 to continue in the Minor.
*Students who completed OLPD 1302 prior to Spring 2020 may still enroll in LEAD 3961. Email lead@umn.edu for further information.
One Stop for tuition, course registration, financial aid, academic calendars, and more
LEAD 1961W - Personal Leadership in the University
(CIV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Lead1961V / Lead 1961W
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Examine personal views of leadership, differences between personal/positional leadership, leadership ethics/values, personal leadership strengths/skills.
LEAD 3961 - Leadership, You, and Your Community
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
How do effective leaders create positive systemic change within complex systems? What is community and how does it shape the work of leadership? Students examine leadership from a multi-dimensional and multicultural perspective and critically examine leadership theories in authentic, complex community settings.
LEAD 3971 - Leadership Minor: Field Experience
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Students apply and integrate leadership theory in a community experience, think critically about their positional leadership roles, extrapolate the experience to future leadership issues within their specific fields, and work through challenges of positional leadership.
LEAD 4961W - Leadership for Global Citizenship
(GP, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
In this final, writing intensive capstone course, students pull together the threads of leadership theory and practice worked with over the course of the Leadership Minor. In addition, students gain experience working with diverse leaders from around the world, mapping political contexts, and planning their own global leadership path within their specific field.
AAS 3251W - Sociological Perspectives on Race, Class, and Gender
(SOCS, DSJ, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AAS 3251W/Afro 3251W/Soc 3251W
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
In the midst of social unrest, it is important for us to understand social inequality. In this course we will analyze the impact of three major forms of inequality in the United States: race, class, and gender. Through taking an intersectional approach at these topics, we will examine the ways these social forces work institutionally, conceptually, and in terms of our everyday realities. We will focus on these inequalities as intertwined and deeply embedded in the history of the country. Along with race, class, and gender we will focus on other axes of inequality including sexuality, citizenship, and dis/ability. We will analyze the meanings and values attached to these social categories, and the ways in which these social constructions help rationalize, justify, and reproduce social inequality.
ABUS 4022W - Management in Organizations
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Demands on today's managers, with a focus on small to medium-sized organizations. Techniques/ideas beyond traditional studies. Applying management theory at all levels. Managing in a global workplace. Organizational planning and decision making. Organizing resources. Leading/motivating people. Controlling/evaluating organizational activities. This writing intensive designated course will spend significant time focusing on the writing process. Writing is crucial to this discipline because clear, accurate, and professional communication is essential to organization management. The ability to write effectively in terms of specified audiences ensures, in the professional world, successful communication between team members as well as the success of the projects, companies, and employees they represent.
prereq: 45 semester credits recommended
ABUS 4041 - Dynamics of Leadership
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Successful leadership via flexible approach. Knowledge, skills, and abilities that leaders develop from eight leadership strategies: academic, bureaucratic, eclectic, economic, fellowship, military, political, social. Ways to lead diverse populations in a global environment.
prereq: 45 cr completed
AECM 2221W - Foundations of Leadership Practice
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
How to be an effective leader in profit/non-profit agricultural settings. Roles, responsibilities, knowledge, attitudes, and skills to hire staff, set goals, coach, mentor/manage teams, and improve communication.
AMST 3114 - America in International Perspective
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
The nature of international cultural exchange. The impact of U.S. cultures and society on other countries of the world as well as the impact of other cultures and societies on the United States.
AMST 4101 - Gender, Sexuality, and Politics in America
(HIS, DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AmSt 4101/GLBT 4101
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Ways public and private life intersect through the issues of gender, sexuality, family, politics, and public life; ways in which racial, ethnic, and class divisions have been manifest in the political ideologies affecting private life.
ANTH 4031W - Anthropology and Social Justice
(CIV, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Spring Odd Year
Practical application of theories/methods from social/cultural anthropology. Issues of policy, planning, implementation, and ethics as they relate to applied anthropology.
prereq: 1003 or 1005 or 4003 or grad student or instr consent
BIOL 2301 - Dean's Scholar: Critical Service Learning
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Importance of service in leadership. How personal experiences influence perspectives on social issues. Techniques for group work. Service project with community organization related to biological sciences.
prereq: 1301, CBS Dean's Scholar
CHIC 4275 - Theory in Action: Community Engagement in a Social Justice Framework
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Theoretical frameworks of social justice and community engagement for work outside classroom with/in Latina/o community. Worker issues/organizing. Placements in unions, worker organizations. Policy initiatives on labor issues. Students reflect on their own identity development, social location, and position of power/privilege.
CI 1826 - Social Change, Social Justice: An Introduction to Applied Calculus
(MATH)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This class is an introduction to differential calculus: instantaneous rates of change, derivative graphs and formulas, multivariate scenarios, partial derivatives and integration. Applications focus on analyzing change in social science scenarios such as gentrification and racial disparities in housing using authentic Minnesota data.
Prerequisites: four years high school math OR grade of at least B+ in CI 0832 or PSTL 0732 OR placement test score OR instructor consent.
COMM 3409 - Nonverbal Communication
(SOCS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Nonverbal communication in interpersonal communication process. Nonverbal codes (touch, space, smell, eye contact) and their communicative functions (impression management, flirting, persuading, lying) in relational contexts (intimate relationships, friendships, work relationship). Theories, practices.
COMM 3411 - Introduction to Small Group Communication
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Cooperative thinking in task-oriented groups. Planning, preparing for, and participating in small groups in private and public contexts.
COMM 3451W - Intercultural Communication: Theory and Practice
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Theories of and factors influencing intercultural communication. Development of effective intercultural communication skills.
prereq: Planning an intercultural experience
COMM 3625W - Communication Ethics
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Applying concepts/theories from philosophy and social science to ethical issues in interpersonal, group, organizational, intercultural, and media communication.
DES 4165 - Design and Globalization
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Des 4165/Des 5165
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
The course explores how culture, identity, and difference are defined and produced and the role that design plays in the production of difference, inequality, and marginalization.
prereq: Jr or sr
ENGL 3505 - Protest Literature and Community Action
(DSJ)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
This course combines academic analysis and experiential learning to understand, in both theory and practice, different perspectives on the power of "protest" in civic life. We will read a selection from the vast genre of progressive protest literature (pamphlets, poems, polemics, lists of demands, teaching philosophies, organizing principles, cultural histories, newsletter articles, movement chronicles, and excerpts from novels and biographies) from four key social-justice movements: the American Indian Movement, the Black Power movement, the post-Great Recession struggle for economic power, and the battle for immigrant rights. We'll also learn about this experientially as we roll up our sleeves and get involved in local community-based education initiatives and local social-justice organizations through our service-learning. Students receive initial training from CLA Career Services, The Center for Community-Engaged Learning, the Minnesota Literacy Council, as well as orientations at community sites.
EPSY 3132 - Psychology of Multiculturalism in Education
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Course critically examines social and cultural diversity in the United States, confronting social issues of poverty, handicappism, homophobia, racism, sexism, victim-blaming, violence, and so on, and presenting models for change. Students examine how and why prejudices develop.
ESPM 3202W - Environmental Conflict Management, Leadership, and Planning
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
ESPM 3202WESPM /5202
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Negotiation of natural resource management issues. Use of collaborative planning. Case study approach to conflict management, strategic planning, and building leadership qualities. Emphasizes analytical concepts, techniques, and skills.
FSOS 3102 - Family Systems and Diversity
(SOCS, DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
FSoS 3102/FSOS 5101
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Family systems/theories applied to dynamics/processes relevant to family life. Diversity issues related to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability. Divorce, single parenthood, remarriage. Family strengths/problems.
prereq: At least soph or instr consent
FSOS 4108 - Understanding and Working with Immigrants and Refugee Families
(SOCS, DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course focuses on the impact of “immigration” (i.e., refugee vs. various types of immigration statuses) on family relationships, specifically how culture of origin and acculturation processes influence individuals and families over time; explores issues faced by various immigrant family systems, including a consideration of generational status, gender identities, social classes, and ethnic/racial group identities; develops intercultural interaction skills that prepare students to effectively engage with diverse immigrant families in multiple contexts; and builds practical skills that enhance students’ abilities to work in and collaborate with community-and faith-based organizations to strengthen cultural resources while overcoming barriers to increase service utilization.
GCC 3003 - Seeking Solutions to Global Health Issues
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3003/GCC 5003/NURS 5040H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Often, the most progress on challenging issues such as health and equity is made when you apply an interdisciplinary perspective. The same is true for global health issues. Whether responding to emerging pandemics, food insecurity, maternal mortality, or civil society collapse during conflict, solutions often lie at the intersection of animal, environmental, and human health.
In this course, students will work in teams to examine the fundamental challenges to addressing complex global health problems in East Africa and East African refugee communities here in the Twin Cities. Together we will seek practical solutions that take culture, equity, and sustainability into account. In-field professionals and experts will be available to mentor each team, including professionals based in Uganda and Somalia. This exploration will help students propose realistic actions that could be taken to resolve these issues. This course will help students gain the understanding and skills necessary for beginning to develop solutions to global health issues.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GCC 3005 - Innovation for Changemakers: Design for a Disrupted World
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
CEGE 5571/GCC 3005/GCC 5005
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall & Summer
Do you want to make a difference? We live at the intersection of COVID-19, racism, economic recession, and environmental collapse. Now is the time to make an impact.
In this project-based course, you will work in interdisciplinary teams. You'll develop entrepreneurial responses to current social and environmental problems. You'll develop tools, mindsets, and skills to address any complex grand challenge. Your project may address food insecurity, unemployment, housing, environmental impacts, equity, or other issues. Proposed designs for how you might have a social impact can take many forms (student group, program intervention with an existing organization, public policy strategy, or for-profit or non-profit venture) but must have ideas for how to be financially sustainable.
Community members, locally and globally, will serve as mentors and research consultants to teams. Weekly speakers will share their innovative efforts to serve the common good.
A primary focus of the course is up-front work to identify the ?right? problem to solve. You will use a discovery process, design thinking, and input from field research to addressing the challenge you choose. You will build a model around the community?s culture, needs, and wants.
By the end of the class, you will have a well-designed plan to turn your project into an actionable solution if that is of interest.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GCC 3007 - Toward Conquest of Disease
(ENV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3007/GCC 5007
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Since the rise of civilization, the large predators of humans have been subdued and the most dangerous predators remaining are those unseen--vastly smaller than our bodies. They are the microbial predators that cause disease. Infectious disease has devastated human populations and even caused global population declines. Subduing and managing disease is one of the grand challenges of our time. Through an enormous global effort, we have driven smallpox in humans and Rinderpest in livestock extinct from the natural world, and guinea worm is expected to follow. Other infectious diseases are in continual decline. In this course we will combine ecological thought and ecological models with historical and future perspectives to understand the fundamental dynamics of our miniscule predators, and relate this to similar miniscule predators of wild and domestic animals, to crops, and to other plants.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
prereq: sophomore, junior, senior
GCC 3011 - Pathways to Renewable Energy
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3011/GCC 5011
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
This interdisciplinary course will examine obstacles to energy transitions at different scales. It will explore the role of energy in society, the physics of energy, how energy systems were created and how they function, and how the markets, policies, and regulatory frameworks for energy systems in the US developed. The course will closely examine the Realpolitik of energy and the technical, legal, regulatory, and policy underpinnings of renewable energy in the US and Minnesota. Students will learn the drivers that can lead global systems to change despite powerful constraints and how local and institutional action enables broader reform. Students will put their learning into action by developing a proposal and then working on a project to accelerate the energy transition and to ensure that the energy transition benefits people in a just and equitable way.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
prereq: sophomore, junior, senior
GCC 3013 - Making Sense of Climate Change - Science, Art, and Agency
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3013/GCC 5013
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
The overarching theme of the course is the role of artistic/humanistic ways of knowing as tools for making sense and meaning in the face of "grand challenges." Our culture tends to privilege science, and to isolate it from the "purposive" disciplines--arts and humanities--that help humanity ask and answer difficult questions about what should be done about our grand challenges. In this course, we will examine climate change science, with a particular focus on how climate change is expected to affect key ecological systems such as forests and farms and resources for vital biodiversity such as pollinators. We will study the work of artists who have responded to climate change science through their artistic practice to make sense and meaning of climate change. Finally, students create collaborative public art projects that will become part of local community festivals/events late in the semester.
GCC 3014 - The Future of Work and Life in the 21st Century
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3014/GCC 5014
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
This course seeks solutions to the technological, demographic, and economic forces that challenge taken-for-granted mindsets and existing policies around work, careers, and life. Students will consider positive and negative impacts of the forces that render the conventional education/work/retirement lockstep obsolete. What do these changes mean for men and women of different ages and backgrounds? What are alternative, sustainable ways of working and living in the 21st century? These questions reflect global challenges that touch the lives of people everywhere. Students will work in teams to begin to address these realities and formulate innovative solutions to better transform learning, working, caring, and community-building in the 21st century.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 3016 - Science and Society: Working Together to Avoid the Antibiotic Resistance Apocalypse
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3016/GCC 5016
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Before the discovery of antibiotics, even a simple thorn prick could lead to life threatening infection. Antibiotics are truly miracle drugs, making most bacterial infections relatively easy to cure. However, this landscape is rapidly changing with the advent of microbes that are resistant to antibiotics. This course will provide an overview of how antibiotic use invoked antibiotic resistance, including in depth discussions of antibiotic resistant microorganisms and the impact of globalization on this exploding problem. Societal and ethical implications associated with antibiotic use and restriction in humans and animals will be discussed, along with global issues of antibiotic regulation and population surveillance. The class will conclude with discussions of alternative therapeutic approaches that are essential to avoid "antibiotic apocalypse." The course will include lectures by world-renowned experts in various topics, and students will leverage this knowledge with their own presentations on important topics related to issues of personal freedom versus societal needs.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 3017 - World Food Problems: Agronomics, Economics and Hunger
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Agro 4103/ApEc 4103/GCC 3017
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
This course provides a multi-disciplinary look at problems (and some of the possible solutions) affecting food production, distribution, and requirements for the seven plus billion inhabitants of this planet. It is co-taught by a plant geneticist (Morrell) and an economist (Runge) who together have worked on international food production and policy issues for the past 40 years. Historical context, the present situation and future scenarios related to the human population and food production are examined. Presentations and discussions cover sometimes conflicting views from multiple perspectives on population growth, use of technology, as well as the ethical and cultural values of people in various parts of the world. The global challenge perspective is reflected in attention to issues of poverty, inequality, gender, the legacy of colonialism, and racial and ethnic prejudice. Emphasis is placed on the need for governments, international assistance agencies, international research and extension centers, as well as the private sector to assist in solving the complex problems associated with malnutrition, undernutrition, obesity, and sustainable food production.
Through a better understanding of world food problems, this course enables students to reflect on the shared sense of responsibility by nations, the international community and ourselves to build and maintain a stronger sense of our roles as historical agents. Throughout the semester students are exposed to issues related to world food problems through the lenses of two instructors from different disciplinary backgrounds. The core issues of malnutrition and food production are approached simultaneously from a production perspective as well as an economic and policy perspective throughout the semester.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GCC 3018 - What American Dream? Children of the Social Class Divide
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
As a result of the increasing and widening social class divide present in the early 21st century, American families and their children are facing more challenges than ever before. In this course, students will identify and confront the barriers to opportunities created by the divide and seek solutions that can be pursued with families, schools, and communities, and public policy to redress these inequities. Because of the complexity of this grand challenge, an interdisciplinary approach to intervention and policy is required. From course instructors' respective vantage points in prevention science, developmental and educational psychology, and family social science, and with the perspectives provided by faculty contributors from economics, law, and pediatrics, students engage with diverse modes of inquiry, epistemologies, and critical lenses by which possible solutions can be generated and implemented.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 3025 - Seeking the Good Life at the End of the World: Sustainability in the 21st Century
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall & Spring
What does it mean to live "the good life" in a time of rapid climate changes, mass extinction of plant and animal species, and the increasing pollution of our oceans, atmosphere, and soils? Is it possible to live sustainably, as individuals and societies, in what scientists are calling the Anthropocene, or this new epoch of human influence over the planet? Will sustainability require that we sacrifice the gains humanity has made in our quality of life? Or can we find a way to create a good Anthropocene? This course will attempt to answer these questions in four ways:
1. By providing an overview of sustainability science, both what it says about about human and natural systems and how it comes to make these claims
2. By examining various conceptions of the good life, both individual and social, and how they intersect with the findings of sustainability science
3. By exploring the conflicts that exist within and between differing visions of sustainability and the good life through case studies in energy, water, and food
4. By pursuing collaborative research projects that will help students apply their knowledge and skills to current problems in sustainability studies
We will read widely in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to understand a range of historical and contemporary perspectives on these questions, and in doing so we will put abstract ethical principles into conversation with a diversity of specific cultures and environments. By the end of the course, students will have examined their own assumptions about personal and professional happiness, considered how these align with and diverge from societal visions and values, and explored innovative solutions to help sustain our productive economy and our planet.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 3026 - Stepping Into the Gap: How can you support diversity in STEM?
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
The goal of this class is to empower students to alter the cognitive, social, and emotional factors that have led to the underrepresentation of many groups in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In addition to studying research on the psychology of learning and diversity, we will survey literature about scientific communication and learn about the impact of disparities in educational opportunities. We will also engage in discussions about the persistent problems related to equity and access in STEM education.
In October, November, and December, the class meets at a local middle school (easily accessible by public transportation). University students lead introductory science demos, stage a science fair so the middle school students have a chance to play judge, and then partner with the middle school students as they invent, execute and present their own science fair projects.
During September, and on school holidays in October and November, the class will discuss theories and research that explains the crisis being experienced across America and in particular, in the Twin Cities. They will design evidence-based curriculum materials to address key issues and have hands-on experiences as peer mentor-teachers. Overall, this class will provide experiences that are likely to be transformative in relation to students' views of education, opportunity, and the power of their involvement.
This class builds on a partnership between the University of Minnesota and a local middle school. The overarching goal is to support students from groups typically underrepresented in science as they participate in an advanced science learning opportunity: the science fair. Our engagement with the school science fair process should result in an experience that motivates future participation in STEM opportunities.
This is a grand challenge curriculum course.
GCC 3027 - Power Systems Journey: Making the Invisible Visible and Actionable
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3027/GCC 5027
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
An energy revolution is underway, and needs to accelerate to support climate and economic goals. But the general citizenry does not understand our current energy systems, particularly the seemingly invisible phenomena of electricity, and its generation, distribution, and use. Technical knowledge is only half the solution, however. It is through human decisions and behaviors that technical solutions get applied and adopted, and the importance of communication and storytelling is being recognized for its relevance to making change. How can science literacy and behavior-motivating engagement and storytelling be combined to help make systemic change? This course explores the integration of science-based environmental education, with art-led, place-based exploration of landscapes and creative map-making to address this challenge. How do we make electricity visible, understandable, and interesting -- so we can engage citizens in energy conservation with basic literacy about the electric power system so that they can be informed voters, policy advocates, and consumers. In this class, you will take on this challenge, first learning about the electric power systems you use, their cultural and technical history, systems thinking, design thinking, and prior examples of communication and education efforts. With this foundation, you will then apply your learning to create a public education project delivered via online GIS Story maps that use a combination of data, art, and story to help others understand, and act on the power journey we are all on. All will share the common exploration of power systems through field trips, and contribute to a multi-faceted story of power, presented in a group map and individual GIS Story maps. No prior knowledge of GIS story maps or electricity issues is needed. The study of power systems can be a model for learning and communicating about other topics that explore the interaction of technology and society toward sustainability.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GCC 3028 - Harnessing the power of research, community, clinic and policy to build a culture of health
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3028/GCC 5028
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall & Spring
Imagine a world where factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status had no bearing on a person's health status, quality of life, or longevity--a world where everyone had an equal opportunity to live a long and healthy life. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Despite decades of focused public health efforts, health inequities remain; individuals from low income and diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds are far more likely to, (1) struggle with chronic health conditions, (2) report lower quality of life, and (3) have a lower life expectancy, than others. Bold and innovative solutions are needed to address this grand challenge. Integration is one such method that can potentially increase the success and sustainability of approaches to reduce health disparities and create a culture of health for all. Integration is an approach to solving complex public health problems that merges academic research, clinical practice, policy and community resources in new ways.
This interactive course will challenge students to identify root causes of health, including access to food, housing, transportation and education. Students will also focus on health disparities and barriers to eliminating these existing, disparate, negative outcomes. Students will be introduced to the concept of integration science and practice; will learn about the importance of integration across research, practice, community, and policy domains to address health disparities; and will cultivate the communication skills needed to intentionally and successfully facilitate integration practice. Course instructors with unique vantage points as concerned scientists, health practitioners, and policy wonks will engage students in class discussions and activities, individual writing assignments and small-group work aimed at unveiling the reasons health disparities persist globally--challenging them to consider opportunities for integration to alleviate existing disparities. The semester will culminate in students working in groups to create their own integrated projects aimed at addressing a health disparity.
GCC 3029 - Agents of Change: scientific and philosophical perspectives
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3029/GCC 5029
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Grand challenges like structural racism, climate change, gender oppression, and global poverty have to be solved by individual people, acting together, often through institutions. This means that we need good agents of change to address the challenges we face. What does it mean to be a ?good agent?? What are the best ways to think about this kind of agency? And how can we foster more of it in ourselves, our friends, our children, and our fellow citizens?
This course is taught by a philosopher and a psychologist, and we approach questions like these from both perspectives. Traditionally, many philosophers have thought that we need to cultivate virtues such as compassion and open-mindedness in order to be good people. Some recent psychological work casts doubt on this picture: the social and environmental forces that influence our behavior cannot be overcome with virtuous character! On the other hand, psychological research also shows that some of the good traits we have are ones that develop reliably, from early childhood. Which perspective offers more opportunities for progress? Should we foster good agency by working on individual character or by changing social circumstances? Or, if both are important, what would a combined approach look like?
The ultimate goal of the course is to encourage students to apply the theoretical and scientific ideas about improving agency to specific grand challenges. How do philosophy and psychology help us to define and resolve the challenges that confront people who want to make a difference? To provide a model for this kind of research, we focus on structural racism and white supremacy to expose the ways in which individual and structural forces can impede epistemic and moral agency. Course requirements include active class participation, group projects, and writing assignments designed to foster creative engagement across different fields.
GCC 3031 - The Global Climate Challenge: Creating an Empowered Movement for Change
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3031/GCC 5031
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Students will explore ecological and human health consequences of climate change, the psychology of climate inaction, and will be invited to join us in the radical work of discovering not only their own leadership potential but that of others. We will unpack the old story of domination and hierarchy and invite the class to become part of a vibrant new story of human partnership that will not only help humanity deal with the physical threat of climate change but will help us create a world where we have the necessary skills and attitudes to engage the many other grand challenges facing us. Using a strategy of grassroots empowerment, the course will be organized to help us connect to the heart of what we really value; to understand the threat of climate change; to examine how we feel in the light of that threat; and to take powerful action together. Students will work in groups throughout the course to assess the global ecological threat posed by climate change, and they will be part of designing and executing an activity where they empower a community to take action.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
prereq: soph, jr, sr
GCC 3032 - Ecosystem Health: Leadership at the Intersection of Humans, Animals, and the Environment
(ENV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCC 3032/GCC 5032
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall & Spring
What are the effects of climate change, disease emergence, food and water security, gender, conflict and poverty, and sustainability of ecosystem services on health, and how do we lead across boundaries for positive change? Unfortunately, these large-scale problems often become overwhelming, making single solution-based progress seem daunting and difficult to implement in policy. Fortunately, the emerging discipline of ecosystem health provides an approach to these problems grounded in trans-disciplinary science. Ecosystem health recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health, and merges theories and methods of ecological, health and political sciences. It poses that health threats can be prevented, monitored and controlled via a variety of approaches and technologies that guide management action as well as policy. Thus, balancing human and animal health with the management of our ecosystems. In this class, we will focus on the emerging discipline of ecosystem health, and how these theories, methods, and shared leadership approaches set the stage for solutions to grand challenges of health at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment. We will focus not only on the creation and evaluation of solutions but on their feasibility and implementation in the real world through policy and real-time decision making. This will be taught in the active learning style classroom, requiring pre-class readings to support didactic theory and case-based learning in class. Participation and both individual and group projects (written and oral presentation) will comprise most of the student evaluation. These projects may reflect innovative solutions, discoveries about unknowns, or development of methods useful for ecosystem health challenges. We envision that some of them will lead to peer-review publications, technical reports, or other forms of publication.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 5003 - Seeking Solutions to Global Health Issues
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Often, the most progress on challenging issues such as health and equity is made when you apply an interdisciplinary perspective. The same is true for global health issues. Whether responding to emerging pandemics, food insecurity, maternal mortality, or civil society collapse during conflict, solutions often lie at the intersection of animal, environmental, and human health.
In this course, students will work in teams to examine the fundamental challenges to addressing complex global health problems in East Africa and East African refugee communities here in the Twin Cities. Together we will seek practical solutions that take culture, equity, and sustainability into account. In-field professionals and experts will be available to mentor each team, including professionals based in Uganda and Somalia. This exploration will help students propose realistic actions that could be taken to resolve these issues. This course will help students gain the understanding and skills necessary for beginning to develop solutions to global health issues.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GCC 5008 - Policy and Science of Global Environmental Change
(ENV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 5146/FNRM 5146/GCC 5008/P
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Through readings, lectures, discussions, written assignments, and presentations this course introduces the critical issues underpinning global change and its environmental and social implications. The course examines current literature in exploring evidence for human-induced global change and its potential effects on a wide range of biological processes and examines the social and economic drivers, social and economic consequences, and political processes at local, national, and international scales related to global change.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 5022 - The Human Experience of Sensory Loss: Seeking Equitable and Effective Solutions
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall & Spring
This course focuses on the visual, auditory, and other sensory pathways that convey information about the world to mind and brain. Millions of people worldwide experience deficits in sensory function that affect their quality of life. We will focus on the characteristics of healthy sensory functioning as well as how sensory disorders can affect personal identity, impede information processing, and alter brain structure and function. The course will address the demographics and risk factors for sensory disabilities, the implications of these disabilities for activities of daily living, the history of society's response to sensory disability, as well as societal, ethical, and personal attitudes toward sensory disabilities. The course will also explore translational and applied approaches for addressing sensory disabilities. Each class session will be co-taught by a pair of instructors, representing multiple scientific and social perspectives. A major goal of the course is to view sensory function and impairment from multiple perspectives cognitive science, neuroscience, medicine, engineering, society, consumers, ethics and social justice. The course will combine lectures, discussions, and student-led presentations of research papers. The course will include hands-on demonstrations of assistive technology and panel discussions with people with visual and hearing disabilities. During the semester, each student (or pairs of students) will develop a mini research proposal to address a real-world issue related to sensory impairment. The proposal must be translational in nature, and must include consultation with consumers of the proposed project. The final class session will be devoted to poster presentations of the mini proposals. The proposal report must include consideration of potentially opposing viewpoints about the proposed research. This course addresses two of our University's grand challenges: Advancing Health Through Tailored Solutions, and Just and Equitable Communities.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course.
GCC 5501 - Knowledge to Impact: Creating Action with Your Grand Challenge Project Idea
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
This course provides an intensive, hands-on experience designing and developing a sustainable intervention to an aspect of a Grand Challenge. In other words, converting knowledge to impact. The target audience is students and student teams who have identified and/or worked on a specific problem in a previous GCC course and wish to dig deeper in developing a project plan.
Students should enter the class with a problem statement identifying the challenge they aim to address, a target location or community, and a proposed solution or intervention that they wish to develop. Student solutions should address a problem that is about a broadly defined Grand Challenge; examples of applicable areas include water, immigration and refugees, energy, housing, educational opportunity gap, public health, food and sustainable agriculture. Ideas outside this range are also acceptable.
By the end of class, students will create a plausible design and implementation plan for a solution that addresses their self-created Grand Challenge problem statement. This solution or intervention could take many forms, depending on student interest and problem statement. Business or nonprofit plans, policy and advocacy plans, media and awareness campaigns and activism plans are all possible. Determining the correct path(s) is part of the learning objectives for the course. Students will leave the course with a completed preliminary pitch deck for their plan in order to make the case for initial, or seed stage, support.
Throughout this document (and course), the terms solution and intervention will be used somewhat interchangeably. This reflects the fact that different disciplines use different words to describe similar aspects of the overall process covered in this class. Understanding some of those differences is part of the learning objectives for the class.
This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to second year undergraduate students and above and graduate students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GLBT 3301 - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Social Movements in the United States
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GLBT 3301/GWSS 3501
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Interdisciplinary course. Development of GLBT social movements using social movement theory/service learning.
GLBT 4101 - Gender, Sexuality, and Politics in America
(HIS, DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AmSt 4101/GLBT 4101
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Ways public and private life intersect through the issues of gender, sexuality, family, politics, and public life; ways in which racial, ethnic, and class divisions have been manifest in the political ideologies affecting private life.
GLOS 3602 - Other Worlds: Globalization and Culture
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
'Globalization' and 'Culture' are both terms that have been defined and understood in a variety of ways and the significance of which continues to be debated to the present, both inside and outside the academy. Globalization has been talked about both as an irresistible historical force, tending toward the creation of an increasingly interconnected, or, as is sometimes claimed, an increasingly homogeneous world, and as a set of processes, the outcome of which remains open-ended and uncertain, as likely to produce new kinds of differences as universal sameness. Culture meanwhile has been variously defined as that which distinguishes humans from other species (and which all humans therefore share) and as that which divides communities of humans from one another on the basis of different beliefs, customs, values etc. This course reflects on some of the possible meanings of both "Globalization" and "Culture" and asks what we can learn by considering them in relation to one another. How do the phenomena associated with globalization, such as increasing flows of people, capital, goods and information across increasing distances challenge our understandings of culture, including the idea that the world is composed of so many discrete and bounded "cultures"? At the same time, does culture and its associated expressive forms, including narrative fiction, poetry and film, furnish us with new possibilities for thinking about globalization? Does global interconnection produce a single, unified world, or multiple worlds? Are the movements of people, goods, ideas and information across distances associated with new developments caused by contemporary globalization, or have they been going on for centuries or even millennia? Might contemporary debates about climate change and environmental crisis compel us to consider these phenomena in new ways? The course addresses these questions as they have been discussed by scholars from a variety of disciplines and as they have been imagined by artists, poets, novelists and filmmakers. In doing so, it considers whether the distinctiveness of present day globalization is to be sought in part in the new forms of imagining and creative expression to which it has given rise.
GWSS 3003 - Gender and Global Politics
(SOCS, GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Similarities/differences in women's experiences throughout world, from cross-cultural/historical perspective. Uses range of reading materials/media (feminist scholarship, fiction, film, news media, oral history, autobiography).
GWSS 3404 - Transnational Sexualities
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GLBT 3404/GWSS 3404
Typically offered:
Fall Odd, Spring Even Year
Lesbian/gay lives throughout world. Culturally-specific/transcultural aspects of lesbian/gay identity formation, political struggles, community involvement, and global networking. Lesbian/gay life in areas other than Europe and the United States.
GWSS 3505W - Girls, Girlhood, and Resistance
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GWSS 3505W/GWSS 3505V
Typically offered:
Fall Odd Year
A critical engagement with what constitutes "girlhood" and "resistance" through comparative analyses of girls' resistance and activism across North America.
HSCI 3401 - Ethics in Science and Technology
(HIS, CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
HSci 3401/5401
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
In addition to examining the idea of ethics itself, this course will examine the ethical questions embodied in specific historical events, technological systems, and scientific enterprises. Commonly, technology is assumed to be the best engineered solution for a particular goal and (good) science is supposed to be objective; however, this is never truly the case, values and moral choices underlie all of our systems for understanding and interacting with the world around us. These values and choices are almost always contentious. Through a series of historical case studies we will grapple with the big issues of right and wrong and the role of morality in a technological world. Our goal will be to learn to question and think critically about the things we create, the tools we use, and the ideology and practice of science.
JOUR 3741 - Diversity and Media
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
How are our perceptions of crime been influenced by the news? How do social movements use media to share their messages? What can we as audiences do? Social media, news and entertainment media help shape our ideas about identity and differences. Learn how representation and inclusion have been negotiated through media with a particular focus on local case studies. Topics include race, ethnicity, social class, physical ability, and gender. Students will learn how to use media literacy to build a just and equitable society.
JOUR 3745 - Media and Popular Culture
(AH, DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Popular culture is everywhere. Social media, film, music, video games, television, websites, and news bring popular culture into our daily lives. In this class, we will examine popular culture in modern and historical contexts through various mass communication, sociological, and cultural theories. Is popular culture of the people? or dictated by corporate interests? What social and commercial pressures result in stereotypes, misrepresentation and exclusion in popular culture? Does popular culture mirror or shape social reality? This course will provide you with the tools to become active and thoughtful consumers of media and popular culture.
LEAD 3972 - Field Experience: Intercultural Internship
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
Internship-based course focused on leadership principles and intercultural values that impact the work environment. Possible internship locations include New York City, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. For students in the undergraduate Leadership Minor, this is the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a real-life setting.
Prior to departure for the on-site internship in the city location, students spend a week in class at the University studying the theoretical frameworks that will provide the foundation for the 6-week internship, reflection process, and living experience. The composition of the class cohort will include international and domestic students, which provides the opportunity to experience and reflect upon the internship and the designated city living experience through an intercultural lens. Upon completion of the internship, the class cohort will return to the University to complete a final week of class on campus.
LEAD 4481 - Leadership and Social Change in Ireland
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Spring Even Year
Learn how ordinary individuals and communities can inspire, mobilize, and engage with others to make a difference and to tackle what might appear to be an impossible public problem. The city of Belfast, Northern Ireland will provide a rich context for students to learn about the role that ordinary citizens, informal leaders, and public officials played in facilitating a reconciliation of a long-standing conflict (The Troubles), which still remains ever present. Despite public perception that Northern Ireland has moved forward from the Troubles, more walls have gone up since the peace agreement was signed, and there is still significant segregation between Protestants and Catholics.
Learn how ordinary individuals and communities can inspire, mobilize, and engage with others to make a difference and to tackle what might appear to be an impossible public problem. The city of Belfast, Northern Ireland will provide a rich context for students to learn about the role that ordinary citizens, informal leaders, and public officials played in facilitating a reconciliation of a long-standing conflict (The Troubles), which still remains ever present. Despite public perception that Northern Ireland has moved forward from the Troubles, more walls have gone up since the peace agreement was signed, and there is still significant segregation between Protestants and Catholics.
In addition to analyzing leadership and social change in the context of Ireland, students will simultaneously reflect on their own capacities for leadership and cultural competence, and the role that they might play in a social issue when they return to the US.
LEAD 4484 - Cross-Cultural Leadership Bali
Credits:
3.0
[max 9.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
This 4000-level study abroad course explores leadership development as related to global citizenship. It is designed for students who are interested in exploring topics and themes of leadership, globalization and happiness in a different cultural context. Specifically, this course will take students to Bali, Indonesia, and utilize the history, sites, people and agencies of Tabanan, Ubud, Sanur, and Denpasar, to explore and learn about those communities as well as how culture affects leadership and the social constructs of happiness. Students will use their knowledge of leadership?particularly the notions of community, intercultural leadership, and social constructs of happiness?to examine the current opportunities and challenges the Balinese face. Students will interact with local community leaders who are working to make change, as well as citizens in the community.
In this course, students will:
1. Understand the ways in which different cultural norms and values can change the manner in which leadership skills and initiatives are utilized to create change.
2. Explore the role that particular social, environmental, and spiritual belief systems can play in the practice of community leadership.
3. Gain knowledge about global issues in Bali and, more specifically, how different individuals can use their experiences, knowledge, and practice to make a difference.
4. Continue personal development growth through awareness of the history of Bali, as well as the cultural context of Tabanan, Ubud, Bedulu, and Denpasar, its people, and its surrounding areas.
5. Explore the intersections of culture and happiness in the Balinese context and contrast that with their own cultural understanding of happiness.
LEAD 4971 - Directed Study, Leadership Minor
Credits:
1.0
-4.0
[max 12.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Design/carry out study project under direction of leadership minor instructors/faculty.
To apply, please create a contract here: https://goo.gl/forms/K8s9ZhrY6Vp5oRGf2
Please note: The UMN's Credit policy can be found here: https://policy.umn.edu/education/studentwork. One credit represents, for the average University undergraduate student, three hours of academic work per week, averaged over the semester, in order to complete the work of the course to achieve an average grade. One credit equals 42 to 45 hours of work over the course of the semester (1 credit x 3 hours of work per week x 14 or 15 weeks in a semester equals 42 to 45 hours of academic work). Students should keep the above policy in mind while determining their project and the amount of credits for enrollment. The amount of enrolled credits also proportionally influences the amount of instructor contact hours/week.
LEAD 4972 - Directed Research, Leadership Minor
Credits:
1.0
-4.0
[max 12.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Students complete individually arranged research project with Leadership Minor instructor. Contact Leadership Minor office for registration requirements.
*Please note - The University of Minnesota's Credit policy can be found here: https://policy.umn.edu/education/studentwork. One credit represents, for the average University undergraduate student, three hours of academic work per week, averaged over the semester, in order to complete the work of the course to achieve an average grade. One credit equals 42 to 45 hours of work over the course of the semester (1 credit x 3 hours of work per week x 14 or 15 weeks in a semester equals 42 to 45 hours of academic work). Students should keep the above policy in mind while determining their project and the amount of credits for enrollment. The amount of enrolled credits also proportionally influences the amount of instructor contact hours/week.
prereq: instr consent
Contract URL: https://goo.gl/forms/iw89wCSrPN30HbAz2
MGMT 4001 - Social Venturing in Action
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BA4000/MGMT4000/MGMT4001
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Capstone course. Students choose projects with nonprofit organizations in local communities. Readings/discussions tie managerial theory to experiences.
The focus of this course is on sectors of the economy that provide goods and services with motivation beyond generating profits for investors. The non-profit sector and impact-related for-profit organizations are a large, growing, and increasingly entrepreneurial part of our economy. Non-profit administration and social entrepreneurship require knowledge of subjects unique to this sector. This class will provide a basis of knowledge about these issues from the standpoint of practitioners and researchers.
Because the landscape of the non-profit and impact-related for-profit world is broad, one seminar course cannot possibly cover all of the important and interesting issues in this field. In this course, we will focus our attention by exploring a number of issues that involve the intersection of the for-profit and the not-for- profit economies.
prereq: Senior standing
MIL 3302 - Applied Leadership in Small Unit Operations
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
MIL 3302 balances adaptability and professional competence building on the tactical lessons introduced in MIL 3301. Adaptability concepts introduced include analysis of complex problems, creating solutions that exhibit agile and adaptive thinking, analysis of the environment and formulation of solutions to tactical and organizational problems.
prereq: Two yrs of ROTC or equiv established by U.S. Army, must see Army ROTC dept officials, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in lab.
NAV 4401W - Leadership and Management I
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Advanced study of organizational behavior/management. Major behavioral theories examined in detail. Practical applications. Exercises, case studies, seminar discussions.
NURS 4707 - Nursing Leadership: Professional Practice in Complex Systems
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Leadership skills for safe effective practice as a new graduate nurse; issues affecting nursing practice; leadership attributes, e.g., creating effective teams, confident interaction with others, resolving conflict, managing resources, leadership for assuring patient safety and quality care.
prereq: Sr enrolled in BSN program
OLPD 3305 - Learning About Leadership Through Film and Literature
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Readings from leadership studies, literature, and film. Ethical dilemmas. Different styles of leadership and their consequences. Intersection of public/private in exercising leadership. Competing loyalties/pressures felt by leaders/followers. Fundamental questions about nature/desirability of leadership.
OLPD 3381 - Developing Intercultural Competence
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Past/current research on intercultural leadership. Students share their understanding/experiences within intercultural framework.
OLPD 5048 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Leadership
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Summer
Introduction to cultural variables of leadership that influence functioning of cross-cultural groups. Lectures, case studies, discussion, problem-solving, simulations. Intensive workshop.
PA 3001 - Changing the World: Contemporary Public Policy
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Foundation for understanding the what, who, where, and how of public policy making. These components are explored from different perspectives while delving into questions such as: What is public policy good for? Who decides policy priorities? What effect does public policy actually have in solving public problems? How can we improve public policy making? After successfully completing this course, students will understand the process, structure, and context of policymaking; identify who, how, and what influences the policy process; and apply knowledge of public policy and the policymaking process to a specific policy issue. A strong understanding of the American political system is encouraged.
POL 3235W - Democracy and Citizenship
(CIV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course considers the nature of contemporary democracy and the role that members of the political community do, can, and should play. While approaches in teaching the class vary, students can expect to read historical and contemporary texts, see films and videos, to approach questions about the nature of democracy, justifications for democracy, and challenges faced by contemporary democracy as it relates to racial inequality, immigration, gender inequality, and ecological crises. Topics will include: the centrality of social movements for democracies; deliberative and participatory democracy; as well as questions about how members of political communities can best participate in democratic life to address structural inequalities. Students will write a longer essay that allows them to demonstrate their capacities to understand and explain complex ideas and to make a theoretically compelling argument, using appropriate supporting evidence.
Suggested prerequisite 1201
POL 4771 - Race and Politics in America: Making Sense of Racial Attitudes in the United States
(DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Race continues to be one of the defining fault lines in American politics. Most obviously, the existence of racial inequality has enormous consequences for any given individual's social and economic standing. However, it also has had an enormous impact on the pattern of attitudes and beliefs which have served as the backdrop for many of society's most pressing political debates and conflicts.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to how political scientists have studied racial attitudes and the larger problem of inter-ethnic conflict in American society. We will begin with a look at the historical circumstances which have given rise to the major research questions in the area. From there, we'll look at the major research perspectives in the area, and see how well they actually explain public opinion on matters of race. In doing so, we'll also get a look at some of the major controversies in this area of study, particularly the issues of whether the "old-fashioned racism" of the pre-civil-rights era has been replaced by new forms of racism; and the degree to which debates over policy matters with no apparent link to race - such as crime and social welfare - may actually have a lot to do with racial attitudes. Finally, we will conclude by taking an informed look at racial attitudes in recent American history, focusing on how racial attitudes and their political consequences of have changed - and not changed - over the course of the Obama presidency and the tumultuous 2016 election.
POL 4773W - Advocacy Organizations, Social Movements, and the Politics of Identity
(DSJ, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course introduces students to the major theoretical concepts and empirical findings in the study of U.S interest group politics. Students will read books and articles from a wide range of topics that include how interest groups are formed and maintained; various strategies and tactics that groups use to influence Congress, the courts, and executive branch; and whether those strategies result in fair and effective representation for all citizens in society. Throughout the semester students will be exposed to research using a variety of methodologies and intellectual approaches. Further, the class discussions will emphasize general concepts that reoccur in the readings and in other classes. The goal is to assist students in mastering the key concepts in group politics.
This is also a writing intensive course. Effective writing is encouraged through several writing assignments that require you to think clearly and express your thoughts concisely.
SOC 3201 - Inequality: Introduction to Stratification
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Why does inequality exist? How does it work? These are the essential questions examined in this class. Topics range from welfare and poverty to the role of race and gender in getting ahead. We will pay particular attention to social inequities – why some people live longer and happier lives while others are burdened by worry, poverty, and ill health.
prereq: soc majors/minors must register A-F
SOC 3211W - Race and Racism in the US
(DSJ, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AAS 3211W/Soc 3211W
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
We live in a society steeped in racial understandings that are often invisible?some that are hard to see, and others that we work hard not to see. This course will focus on race relations in today's society with a historical overview of the experiences of various racial and ethnic groups in order to help explain their present-day social status. This course is designed to help students begin to develop their own informed perspectives on American racial ?problems? by introducing them to the ways that sociologists deal with race, ethnicity, race relations and racism. We will expand our understanding of racial and ethnic dynamics by exploring the experiences of specific groups in the U.S. and how race/ethnicity intersects with sources of stratification such as class, nationality, and gender. The course will conclude by re-considering ideas about assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism. Throughout, our goal will be to consider race both as a source of identity and social differentiation as well as a system of privilege, power, and inequality affecting everyone in the society albeit in different ways.
SOC 3251W - Sociological Perspectives on Race, Class, and Gender
(SOCS, DSJ, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AAS 3251W/Afro 3251W/Soc 3251W
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
In the midst of social unrest, it is important for us to understand social inequality. In this course we will analyze the impact of three major forms of inequality in the United States: race, class, and gender. Through taking an intersectional approach at these topics, we will examine the ways these social forces work institutionally, conceptually, and in terms of our everyday realities. We will focus on these inequalities as intertwined and deeply embedded in the history of the country. Along with race, class, and gender we will focus on other axes of inequality including sexuality, citizenship, and dis/ability. We will analyze the meanings and values attached to these social categories, and the ways in which these social constructions help rationalize, justify, and reproduce social inequality.
prereq: Soc majors/minors must register A-F
SOC 3301W - Politics and Society
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Political sociology is concerned with the social bases of power and the social consequences of the organization of power, especially how power operates in relationship to various forms of inequality and different institutions. We will explore political socialization, electoral politics and voting, social movements, the media and framing, and politics of inequality, poverty, and welfare.
prereq: 1001 recommended; soc majors/minors must register A-F
SPAN 3401 - Latino Immigration and Community Engagement
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 6.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Service-learning course. U.S. power structures associated with emigration from Latin America. Rapid demographic change. Global economic system/emigration. Human rights. Federal immigration reform. Language issues. Inclusive political, economic, educational systems. Dialogue with Latino immigrants, community visits, civic engagement. Instructor approval required for January or summer offering.
Pre-req: A C- or better in SPAN 3015W or SPAN 3015V or SPAN 3019W
SW 2501W - Introduction to Social Justice
(DSJ, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Meanings of social justice. Ways in which social justice advocates work for social change. Criminal justice, globalization, and social welfare. Students do service learning in a social justice organization.
SW 3501 - Theories and Practices of Social Change Organizing
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Concepts, theories, and practices of social change organizing. U.S. power relations. How people organize. Cross-class, multi-racial, and multi-issue organizing. Students do service learning in social justice organization.
YOST 1366 - Stories of Resistance & Change: Youth, Race, Power & Privilege in the U.S.
(LITR, DSJ)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PSTL 1365W/YoSt 1366/PSTL 1366
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course imagines literature as an opportunity to complement other understandings of youth, and to help those who work with children and adolescents to better understand their lived experiences. We will read classic and contemporary literary texts that respond to the needs, wants, and existential questions that surround young people?s lives, and makes them visible to learners in the class who want to better understand children and adolescents in diverse settings across the United States.
Youth Studies at the University of Minnesota, prepares students to work towards understanding and helping to improve the everyday lives of diverse youth. By being in this class, reading our course texts carefully, and by engaging in learning activities with classmates, students have the chance to take away new understandings from powerful stories about youth. In fact, the texts in this course contain important descriptions of how oppression looks and feels to young people as they navigate institutions and see the impacts of structural inequality on themselves, communities, families, and friends. The young people in these texts show tremendous agency, and show meaningful examples of resistance on large and small scales. We will work together with course texts about how young people challenge and are challenged by their surroundings, and take away new meanings about how young people have promoted social justice and change.
Learning activities in this class will include reading, writing, quizzes and exams and a course project. In class learning activities include discussion, presentations, activities, and a high level of participation is expected.
Why literature? Literature can be thought of as one way of knowing about the daily lives of youth. Because literature offers a rich detailed framework of meaning showing the diverse contexts of lives of children, teenagers and young adults, youth workers can use the tools of literature to make youth work meanings from literature in which young people are primary to the text. Literature can make up a new lens through which learners can understand the daily and everyday lives of youth, and can complement the important social science lenses you may already bring to the class. Students are encouraged to develop a new set of questions about youth as they use the formal tools of literature to read literary texts that represent a range of styles, formats, themes, and choices.
Diversity and Social Justice
Literature that centers on young people from multicultural settings offers an opportunity to think about what it is that students already know about youth from diverse backgrounds, and to question whether their understanding is correct or if there are gaps in knowledge. In other words, a course goal will be to identify epistemological gaps between what we think we know about youth, race, gender, and power and privilege, and how that is confirmed and/or made more complicated by a larger body of knowledge about social constructions of power and privilege. This course calls on our literary texts to challenge and deconstruct dominant narratives about youth and their communities. Learners in this course enter into an ongoing conversation about what social justice for youth means in the context of unequal distribution of power and constructions of privilege and oppression.
