An interdisciplinary critical review of social change strategies and their historical and contemporary contexts.  Students will identify and share their own motivations for social change as part of a critical attempt to identify and understand the meaning systems behind social change strategies such as: social movements, legislative and political systems, violence-based conflict, market systems and economics, education and multimedia, direct service, and alternative communities.  These strategies will be explored as part of a binary framework, that in order to achieve social change you must both: 1) change the system and 2) change the people. 

Democratic Learning Environment:

This course strongly encourages students of diverse backgrounds, politics, religious beliefs, and values to learn together, and from one another, in a respectful, democratic, and rigorous learning environment.

I understand my role and responsibility to you and the institution as facilitator of a productive learning environment. I also believe that democratic pedagogy supports increased student engagement and learning. Bridging my role as facilitator with a democratic approach, I have provided some structures and guidance to facilitate your learning, and welcome and encourage your collaboration on how to best structure our time together. One the first day of class, we will review and negotiate the syllabus. I have included areas within the syllabus where you can make choices about the course content, and I welcome additional changes that best fit the learning needs of this particular classroom community.

Due the democratic nature of this course, students are asked to remain flexible as the course schedule may change. Any changes to the course schedule will be discussed and agreed upon as a group, and the updated schedule will be posted to Canvas and sent out to all students by the instructor through a Canvas announcement.  As opportunities arise, the class may leave campus during the class meeting time, always returning to campus by the end of our scheduled classroom time.

Course Objectives:

As a result of participation in this course, students will:

1. Explore their personal and vocational definitions, motivations and meaning systems for social change and critically reflect on these understandings in comparison to the critical evaluation of social change strategies.
2. Develop a repertoire of social change strategies and identify the meaning systems (religious and secular) that undergird them.
3. Develop and use skills of social, historical, and political analysis to critically evaluate social change strategies.
4. Understand and engage diverse perspectives and meaningfully work with others in difference and diversity

Course Learning Goals:

Co-created by students and instructor on the first day of class

1. Further develop vocational goals & SC options (where can one make a difference & how)
2. New and creative strategies/techniques
3. Creative learning
4. How social change happens within diverse context and applications (praxis, conservative efforts, the Church)
5. Different SC leadership styles (individual stories)
6. Explore spiritual motivations for social change

Seminar Participation: Your active participation is of primary importance to your learning in a seminar course structure and environment. In order to build an effective learning community it is essential that each participant is present. As such, a major basis for accountability and evaluation is regular and timely participation in the seminar. If you are unable to attend class – either due to illness or other unavoidable conflicts, please notify your seminar instructor in advance.

You will complete a Self-Evaluation and Grading Rubric at the end of the course. I will provide this rubric to help you with the self-grading process, which is open to your revision. The first section of the rubric will directly correlate to the course learning goals, and the second section will include the below democratic learning performance goals.

Evaluation of your learning and performance should look at both the quality and quantity of your engagement with course content and the learning community. Here are some example questions to keep in mind as you think about evaluating your learning and performance:

1. Did I actively engage with course content: preparatory reading/media, reflective group dialogue, and course assignments?

2. Was my engagement meaningful?

1. Did I contribute to the co-creation of knowledge in useful and meaningful ways?

2. Did I engage in multi-directional dialogue?

3. Did I demonstrate critical analysis and creative thinking?

3. Did I help create a democratic learning environment?

1. Did I demonstrate agency in my learning and the learning of others, as well as encourage agency of others in the classroom community (not relying solely on the instructors for my learning experience)

2. Were my interactions respectful?

1. Respectful of other voices by being concise, but thorough in my contributions

2. Limit judgmental tone/language

3. Speak for myself, and not inappropriately speak for others

4. Share experiences, reflections, and/or questions, while trying not to make assumptions about other cultures and people

5. Honor the value that each person brings to the classroom community, knowing that we are all products of different experiences, educational backgrounds, opportunities, cultures, and histories, and are at different places in our own self understanding and understanding of others

3. Did I encourage equitable contribution within the classroom community (i.e.: encouraging others to speak if I speak often; speaking up more often if I tend to be quiet; and asking opinions of those who might have something valuable to contribute)?

4. Did I encourage the classroom community to consider multiple perspectives, including those not obviously present in the classroom?

Attendance: If you are going to miss class, please communicate this in advance with the instructor.  Absence from class equivalent to 20% of the course (7 hours of a four-credit course), will result in suspension from the course and a Withdrawal Failing (WF) recorded on your transcript.

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

• Demonstrate a complex interdisciplinary understanding of historical and contemporary social change strategies and movements;

• Develop and practice an inclusive and collaborative approach to social change leadership; and

• Demonstrate the cultural capacity and organizational skills necessary for civic agency and efficacy in diverse social, political and educational institutions.