Building Community Partnerships (11:607:402)

Course Description

3 Credits. Building and mobilizing community coalitions and partnerships is a well-developed strategy for leveraging resources towards solving complex community problems. These solutions require the engagement of multiple community sectors. In this course students learn the essential elements for building collaborative partnerships across disparate groups. Students examine various coalition/community partnership frameworks and develop leadership skills necessary to initiate, build, evaluate, and sustain durable coalitions and community partnerships. This course is beneficial for students pursuing careers in healthcare, public health, human services, education, community development, non-governmental organizations (NGO), faith-based organizations, non-profits, government (local, state, federal), foundation and business and corporations.

Course Objectives

• Explore the benefits and challenges of effective collaborative leadership through various community partnership frameworks and models;
• Learn about communication, decision-making, and problem-solving methods for effective leadership;
• Understand others' needs and perspectives to foster sound partnerships;
• Develop an approach to leadership that responds effectively to changing circumstances;
• Examine specific methods to cultivate collaborative leadership traits, skills, and roles.

Required Text

Leading Through Collaboration: Guiding Groups to Productive Solutions, John Glaser. Corwin Press. 2005

Evaluation/Grades

Final grade with be representative of:

• Discussion Questions = 25%
• Essays = 25%
• Quizzes = 20%
• EdPuzzle Videos = 10%
• FINAL Research Project = 20%

Grading

Per Rutgers guidelines:

A = 90–100
B+ = 87–89.9
B = 80–86.9
C+ = 77–79.9
C = 70–76.9
D = 60–69.9
F = below 60

Course Schedule

Module One

• Course Overview: navigate through the Home tabs to acclimate yourself to the course
• Week One Icebreaker Discussion Question
• Sign up/register for EdPuzzle

Module Two

• Read Preface and Part I: "Staying on One Page: An Attitude on Coherence"
• Read Chapter One: "Coherence: The Mysterious and Scientific Side of Problem Solving"
• View EdPuzzle Video: "The Fastest Way to Build Self Confidence"
• Assignment: Discussion Question - Model Collaborator: Given your experience (academics, professional, community, social, etc.,): Provide a brief example of someone that reflected collaborative leadership in a group setting (no names necessary, keep it generic). What capacities did the person exemplify and how did it affect the group dynamic? Provide a brief example of someone that reflected adversarial attributes in a group setting (no names necessary, keep it generic). What negative traits did the person exemplify and how did it affect the group dynamic? Based on the EdPuzzle video in Module One, what are the indirect behaviors you use to borrow confidence or protect what you have? How can indirect behaviors affect collaboration and coherence?

Module Three

• Read Chapters Two and Three: "Starting with the Self - Attitudes and Habits That Promote Collaboration" and "Creating Shared Meaning"
• View EdPuzzle Video: "The Power of Vulnerability"
• Complete Discussion Question: The Self + Vulnerability Based on the chapter readings and EdPuzzle video on vulnerability, what have been your experiences of individuals who have "armored up" in group settings? Have you "armored up" in group settings? Why? What can your experience(s) with vulnerability teach us about the skills needed to promote collaboration?

Module Four

• Read Chapter Four: "Perils of Coherence"
• View EdPuzzle Videos (two videos this week): "Conformity & Groupthink" and "Groupthink Group 13 2015"
• Complete Discussion Question: Groupthink + Questioning Assumption: Upon reading Chapter Four and viewing the two Ed Puzzle videos, "Conformity & Groupthink" and "Groupthink Group 13 2015", what do you consider a prime example of groupthink that caused major chaos, devastation, and/or harm (can be a current event or from prior era/epoch in history)? Briefly discuss a personal example where groupthink negatively affected your understanding and sense of truth in a school/academic group, team/sports, social circle, family, community or organization. Based on the experience and your new knowledge, how could you have questioned these faulty assumptions that led to you "certainty?"

Module Five

• Read Part II in textbook: "Tools and strategies for Leading Through Collaboration"
• Read Chapter Five: "Fundamental Elements for Creating Coherence"
• There is NO EdPuzzle assignment this week
• Complete Reflective Essay on Coherence: Coherence is a foundation of collaboration. How does the convergence of purpose amongst community partners/collaborators be the basis of creating win-win scenarios? Using "The Four Fundamentals" (Table 5.1 in the text), share a personal, academic, and/or professional situation that reflects these elements. If the situation was not positive, use the fundamentals as an example of how it could have been approached differently (i.e. handled better). Overall, how/why can these fundamentals contribute to coherence, namely for your leadership experiences and potential?

Module Six

• Read Chapter Six: "Aligning the Team"
• View EdPuzzle Videos (2 this week): "Tom Wujek: Build a tower, build a team" and "Rethinking Thinking"
• Complete Module 6 Quiz

Module Seven

• Refer to Chapter 6 for this week's module assignment
• There is NO EdPuzzle assignment this week
• Complete Discussion Question - (refer to Chapter 6) - Work Teams: Community partners/collaborators may have different strengths and weaknesses, which can best inform the aligning of work teams to achieve effective action. Share an example of a group/team problem – academics, professional, community, etc. (you can refer to list on page 83). Based on your experiences and newfound textual knowledge, discuss what you think are the most important characteristics of organizing effective work teams amongst community partners/collaborators.

Module Eight

• Read Chapter Seven: "Focusing on the Vision"
• View EdPuzzle Videos (two videos this week): "What Questions Did You Ask Today?" and "Start with Why"
• Complete Module Eight Discussion Question: Simon Sinek "Why": Upon viewing the EdPuzzle video, what are your thoughts about the Golden Circle model - how does it explain how leaders and organizations are able to inspire? What do you think is meant by "People don't buy "What" you do, they buy "Why" you do it? Have you ever worked with a person or organization who lost their "Why"? What impact did it have on the collaborative process and vision building? What is the "Why" for your leadership development?

Module Nine

• Refer to Chapter Seven: "Focusing on the Vision"
• There is NO EdPuzzle this week
• Complete Reflective Essay on Vision: What is your definition of vision? What is the power and necessity of having a clear vision as a focus in building strong collaboration amongst diverse, potential community partners? As an emergent leader, how do inquiry versus positionalism affect the potential for community partners/collaborators to undertake complex challenges to achieve success? How will you cultivate the ability to inquire deeply for effective leadership

Module 10

• Read Chapter Eight: "Searching for Solutions"
• View EdPuzzle Videos (two videos this week): "Nominal Group Technique and Multivoting" and "Effective Remote Brainstorming"
• Complete M10 Quiz
• Begin initial preparation/organization for Final Research Project

Module Eleven

• Refer to Chapter Eight: "Searching for Solutions"
• There is NO EdPuzzle this week
• Discussion Question Assignment—Solutions: Once a problem/issue/need is identified, what are the challenges of maintaining the collaborative process while addressing real and potential conflicts amongst collaborators/community partners for effective solution-oriented outcomes? How will you, as an effective leader, search for solutions through collaboration (and ensure they're aligned with the established vision)? And what is your perspective of taking risks (i.e., "creative courage") when searching for solutions? NOTE: Aside from referring to Chapter 8, meld/cite/augment discussion with prior module content (e.g., prior chapters, prior modules, EdPuzzle videos).
• Continue collaborating on final project

Module Twelve

• Read Chapter Nine: "Reaching Effective Agreements"
• View EdPuzzle Video: "Leadership Tutorial: Building Consensus"
• Complete Module 12 Quiz
• Continue collaborating on final project

Module Thirteen

• Refer to Chapter Nine: "Reaching Effective Agreements"
• There is NO EdPuzzle this week
• Submit Reflective Essay: Consensus—Do you consider yourself a good listener? Why? Have you ever been in a conversation with someone or in a group situation and you are waiting anxiously for your opportunity to state your opinion, thought, perspective, etc., but while you're gearing up to speak, you were no longer listening (i.e., you were 'reloading'). Have you ever interrupted someone while they were still speaking to offer your opinion? Has someone ever interrupted you so they could speak? How do these scenarios affect the potential for polarization in group settings (e.g., "either/or" perspectives)? Share/elaborate on a personal, academic and/or professional experience when this occurred. What does the notion, "draw the circle around the team" mean to you in terms of fostering openness and shared meaning to reach effective agreements as a leader?
• Continue collaborating on final project.

Module Fourteen

• Read Chapter 10: Bringing Coherence to the Entire Organization
• View EdPuzzle Video: "What Great Leaders Actually Do"
• Respond to Discussion Question - Applying Collaboration + Coherence: Effective change agents apply learning principles to the enterprise of leading. Based on the final chapter, what specific tools and strategies will you use to evaluate coalitions and community partnerships? How do plan to utilize and apply these principles to build community partnerships and ensure sustainability?
• Work on final research project, due in Module 15

Module Fifteen: FINAL Research Project due during finals week

• Research Project: Who's Who – Mary Parker Follett. Mary Parker Follett is a significant woman in the realm of organizational management. The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain a broader appreciation for the context in which her important accomplishments and contributions were achieved, as well as document the work group/team's approach for collaboration to complete the project.
  
  

  Research component:

  1. Introduction: basic information on Mark Parker Follett (e.g., who is she, why is she relevant)
  2. Contributions
  3. Legacy
  4. Follett works: books, publications, etc.
  5. Student resources/references
  6. Student contact information

  Collaboration component:

  1. Modes of technology used to foster communication, organization, time-management (e.g., Google Docs, Skype).
  2. Issues/problems/conflicts/perils of coherence and collaboration.
  3. Tools and strategies used to lead to coherence and collaboration.
     NOTE: textual elements should be referenced.

Congratulations on completing the course.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Please follow the procedures outlined at ods.rutgers.edu/students/getting-registered. Full policies and procedures are at Office of Disability Services website.

Academic Integrity

The university's policy on Academic Integrity is available at policies on academic integrity.

The principles of academic integrity require that a student:

• properly acknowledge and cite all use of the ideas, results, or words of others.
• properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work.
• make sure that all work submitted as his or her own in a course or other academic activity is produced without the aid of impermissible materials or impermissible collaboration.
• obtain all data or results by ethical means and report them accurately without suppressing any results inconsistent with his or her interpretation or conclusions.
• treat all other students in an ethical manner, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference. This requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress.
• uphold the canons of the ethical or professional code of the profession for which he or she is preparing.

Adherence to these principles is necessary in order to ensure that:

• everyone is given proper credit for his or her ideas, words, results, and other scholarly accomplishments.
• all student work is fairly evaluated and no student has an inappropriate advantage over others.
• the academic and ethical development of all students is fostered.
• the reputation of the University for integrity in its teaching, research, and scholarship is maintained and enhanced.

NOTE: Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Resubmitting your own work that has previously been evaluated in this class or any other class.
• Copying text directly from websites and other sources without attributing the original source(s).
• Copying the work of students in other sections (past or present) of this course.

Failure to uphold these principles of academic integrity threatens both the reputation of the University and the value of the degrees awarded to its students. Every member of the University community therefore bears a responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic integrity are upheld.

NOTE: To help protect you, and future students, from plagiarism, all essay assignments will be submitted through Turnitin.com.

Attendance and Participation Policy

Students are expected to actively participate in all of the online activities for the course. Attendance in the online sessions is determined by thorough, thoughtful, relevant and on time contributions made in the weekly assignments including threaded discussions, reaction papers and quizzes. The course proceeds with the assumption that students have thoughtfully read and reviewed the assigned materials.

Students are responsible for completion of all assigned readings, materials discussed and assignments on or before the assigned due date.

Student Wellness Services

Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS)

848-932-7884 | 17 Senior Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

CAPS is a University mental health support service that includes counseling, alcohol and other drug assistance, and psychiatric services staffed by a team of professional within Rutgers Health services to support students' efforts to succeed at Rutgers University. CAPS offers a variety of services that include: individual therapy, group therapy and workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists in the community and consultation and collaboration with campus partners.

Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA)

848-932-1181 | 3 Bartlett Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance provides confidential crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy for victims of sexual and relationship violence and stalking to students, staff and faculty. To reach staff during office hours when the university is open or to reach an advocate after hours, call 848-932-1181.

Disability Services

848-445-6800 | Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145, Livingston Campus, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854

Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation.

If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the Registration form on the ODS website.

Scarlet Listeners

732-247-5555 | scarlet.listeners@gmail.com

Free and confidential peer counseling and referral hotline, providing a comforting and supportive safe space.