IST2020-1-SP14 - Community Organizing

Instructor: Jenny Whitcher, Ph.D., MASC Director and Director of Service Learning
E-mail: JWhitcher@iliff.edu
Office Hours: By appointment, email me your availability

Course Synopsis:

A strong democracy depends on the civic agency of the people. In this course, students will learn about the history and core concepts of relational, broad-based community organizing in the United States, while gaining community organizing practice within their own communities. Students will reflect on their core values to define and develop their core self interest and public identity, build meaningful public relationships across difference and diversity, build and evaluate power, and develop community organizing strategies in collaboration with others.

Each student will identify a community they are already currently involved with as a learning site for the quarter (e.g.: student organization, internship site, work, church, community group/nonprofit, etc.). Within this community context, students will practice community organizing tools and public skills, critically analyze through a community organizer worldview, and develop a community organizer portfolio to document their learning and development throughout the quarter and to plan for next steps beyond the confines of this course.

Syllabus

Books for the Course:

All reading and media are accessible online through the Canvas course management website via open source weblink or downloadable pdf. While available electronically, you may prefer to purchase the following books, as we will be reading these books in their entirety, or close to it. The rest of the readings are chapters from books (not entire books) or articles.

• Alinsky, Saul. 1970. (1946) 1974. Reveille for Radicals . New York: Vintage Books.
• ----------. (1971) 1989. Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals . New York: Vintage Books.
• Chambers, Edward T.D. 2003. Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action and Justice .  New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
• Gecan, Michael. 2004. Going Public: An Organizer's Guide to Citizen Action . Norwell, MA: Anchor.
• Rogers, Mary B. 1990. Cold Anger: A Story of Faith and Power Politics . Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press.

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

Course Overview:

A strong democracy depends on the civic agency of the people. In this course, students will learn about the history and core concepts of relational, broad-based community organizing in the United States, while gaining community organizing practice within their own communities. Students will reflect on their core values to define and develop their core self interest and public identity, build meaningful public relationships across difference and diversity, build and evaluate power, and develop community organizing strategies in collaboration with others.

Each student will identify a community they are already currently involved with as a learning site for the quarter (e.g.: student organization, internship site, work, church, community group/nonprofit, etc.). Within this community context, students will practice community organizing tools and public skills, critically analyze through a community organizer worldview, and develop a community organizer portfolio to document their learning and development throughout the quarter and to plan for next steps beyond the confines of this course.

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 and within an institutional setting, 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 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. Understand the history and contemporary context of relational, broad-based community organizing;
2. Develop and demonstrate public skills, strategies, and techniques of relational, broad-based community organizing; and
3. Critically reflect and act on the role and responsibility of a democratic citizen through the community organizing model of social change.

Course Learning Goals: Co-created by students and instructor on the first day of class.

1. Developing core self interest (grounding oneself before a one-to-one)
2. How to co-create collective self interest
3. How to assess community needs (house meetings)
4. How to organize with a community that is not yours or your identity group
1. Tools/ways to make sure you maintain connection to the community visions/needs
2. How to facilitate constructive allyship among an organized community and sympathizers.
3. How to work across difference in a community
5. Understand differences between mobilizing, community organizing, and service models of SC
6. Understand a C.O. leadership model (hierarchy/democratic)
1. How to develop leadership and empowerment within communities
2. Understand differences between leadership and authority (power)
7. How to handle disinterest

Evaluation:

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 the 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 objectives and learning goals that we will review and co-develop during our first class period, 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?

Course Requirements and Grade Distribution: To be negotiated by students and instructor in week 1

Self Interest Assessment                                                     20%

Relational Meeting Research Summaries                           20%

Community Organizer Portfolio                                           40%       

Community Organizer Portfolio Presentation                      20%

Policies and Services

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.

We begin and end class on time. If you are persistently late or leaving class early, this time will be counted as absence from class and may lead to suspension from the course and a WF grade.

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

Pass/Fail:  Master's 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 Master's 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. 

MASC Degree Learning Goals

• 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.