Northeastern State University

College of Liberal Arts

Department of Communication, Art, & Theatre

Tahlequah, OK

 

INSTRUCTOR:

Amy Aldridge Sanford, PhD

aldridga@nsuok.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS:

Face-to-face meetings are by appointment.  Please do not hesitate to email me with questions; I will respond within 24 hours.

 

COURSE TITLE AND NUMBER:                                      CLASS DAYS & TIME:

COMM 5623 Women in Leadership                                     June 6- July 28; online

COMM 4623 Women in Leadership

 

PREREQUISITES:

none

           

DESCRIPTION OF COURSE:

This course is designed to provide communication students who have an interest in leadership with information and insights that pertain to women and leadership in particular.

 

COURSE PURPOSE:

It is based on the assumption that understanding power, authority, and influence as they apply to women in particular will impact on how wisely and well leadership is exercised by women and also by men.

           

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students willÉ

á  Uncover the assumptions in how we think about women leaders; 

á  Develop a deeper understanding of their own experience of diversity, gender, and social identity; and

á      Reflect on goals, strengths, and styles as a leader.

           

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: (Required Books)

Eagly, A. H. and L. Carli. (2007).  ÒThrough the Labyrinth:  The Truth about how Women

Become Leaders.Ó  Harvard Business Press:  Boston. ISBN: 1422116913

Helgeson, S. and J. Johnson.  (2010).  ÒThe Female Vision:  WomenÕs Real Power at Work.Ó

            Berrett-Koehler:  San Francisco, CA.  ISBN: 1576753824

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). (6th ed.) (2009).

American Psychological Association.   ISBN:  9781433805615

Tarr-Whelan, L.  (2009).  ÒWomen Lead the Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and

Changing the World.Ó Berrett-Koehler:  San Francisco, CA. ISBN: 1605091359

 

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:

We will read texts about women in leadership and discuss those texts on the Discussion Board.  You will be given an opportunity to apply this knowledge in a final project.

 

STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES: (Attendance/Punctuality)

Your classmates are counting on you to get your work done on time.  In many ways, their grades depend on it.  Therefore, Reading Responses and Participation in Blackboard Discussion will NOT be accepted late.  No matter the reason.  If you donÕt get those done by the deadline, the grade is a zero.  In other words, work ahead.

 

For all other assignments, one letter grade will be deducted for every day (including weekends) that the assignment is late.  After four days, the assignment will not be accepted for credit.

 

ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES:
Please keep in mind that every session is the equivalent of two full weeks in a regular 16-week course.  The workload is reflective of that.  Please manage your time well and try to work ahead.

I.      Why study women and leadership?  A look at the past.

 

Week 1:  Friedan, Ch 1 (scanned); Collins, Intro and Ch 1 (scanned); and Faludi, Ch 5 (scanned)

 

Week 2:  Tarr-Whelan-Ch 2; Helgeson & Johnson-Ch 2; and Eagly & Carli-Ch 1-2

 

II.    Sex and Gender and Difference

 

Week 3:  Take Bem Sex Role Inventory; watch lecture (Boren, Keller, and Sanford); and Eagly & Carli-Ch 3 and Ch 8

 

Week 4:  Pittinsky, et al (scanned) and Tarr-Whelan-Ch 5

 

Week 5:  Helgeson & Johnson-Ch 1 & Ch 4-6

 

 

III.   Opportunities and Constraints

 

Week 6:  Hewlett (scanned); Eagly & Carli-Ch 4-7 and 9; and Tarr-Whelan-Ch 4

 

IV.  Why Study Women in Leadership?  A look at a better future.

 

Week 7:  Tarr-Whelan-Ch 1 & Conclusion and Helgeson & Johnson-Ch 7-8

 

Week 8:  Eagly & Carli-Ch 10-11

 

 

STUDENT EVALUATION:

Discussion Starters/Reading Responses (30%):  Reading responses are reflections you have on the reading.  They should be posted on the discussion board by the deadlines listed in this syllabus.  The RR should be at least 500 words and thoroughly thought out.  You are to include information from the sessionÕs assigned readings in ONE reading response.  Mark up your book/articles while you are reading and discuss the items that got your attention.   Reading responses should include brief summaries of the text (be sure to use page numbers when directly quoting from the readings), your analysis of the material, and examples when appropriate.  This will add depth to your responses.  At the end of your response, write some possible discussion questions. 

 

Participation in Blackboard Discussion (20%):  Every student needs to respond to the posted Discussion Starters/Reading Responses by the deadlines listed in this syllabus.  This will facilitate a computer-mediated dialogue with your classmates and instructor. This interaction is crucial to building an online learning community.  Here are some general guidelines:

á      When you reply to a Reading Response, don't just say "I agree." Give the name or names of person(s) with whom you are agreeing, a brief, sentence or two summary of what they said you are agreeing with, and then your views. Please make sure you post this as a response rather than a new discussion thread.

á      Weekly reading assignments need to be read prior to discussion. Please come to the discussion forum with an understanding of the required material. Your understanding should become clarified through discussion, not to be based on discussion.

á      Responses should be at least 100 words.

á      You must reply to at least three Reading Responses every week.  Please donÕt wait to do all of them on the last day they are due.  It will really help everybody if you will participate throughout the week.

á      When you express an opinion, be sure and support it with material from our readings or from other sources that are available to the class. When you quote or paraphrase from the text be sure to give the page number(s).

á      YouÕre encouraged to post links to external material that help illustrate and strengthen your arguments.

á      While there will no doubt be disagreements, I expect the members of this community (including myself) to challenge ideas in a manner that reflects respect and recognition of opposing viewpoints without attacking individuals. 

á      Although it is not required, I would love to see you respond to people who respond to your posts on the discussion board.  That will make this a truly interactive, dialogic experience.

 

Research Proposal (5%):  The research proposal should make an argument for the book you would like to examine for you final paper (please see explanation of the final paper assignment).  It should describe the book, the author, and the audience, as well as any literature that has been published about the book.  You should also introduce the argument you would like to make about the book and the materials you have found to support your argument. The research proposal should be a minimum of 3 FULL pages (Times New Roman, double spaced, 1Ó margins) and should include a list of references.  The Research Proposal should be emailed to me by 6/24 at 11:59 p.m. 

 

Outline of Final Paper (5%):  The outline should include an introduction, a well-developed body, and a conclusion, and should give me a good idea about how much work you have put into the final paper and what direction you plan to take with the final paper. The outline for the final paper should be emailed to me by 7/7 at 11:59 p.m. 

 

PowerPoint Presentation of Final Paper (10%):  Create a PowerPoint Presentation of your final paper and respond to at least three other presentations. Your presentation should be thorough enough that one of your classmates could present it if asked.  DonÕt overdo the text on the slides, but utilize the notes section well.  You are not required to record yourself giving the presentation, but it would be really cool if you did.  The PowerPoint is due by 7/22 and the responses are due by 7/25.

 

Final Paper (30%):  Choose a book on leadership.  It can be an autobiography or a biography about a male or female leader or it can be a leadership book written by a male or female author.  (The better known the leader is, the less time you have to spend making an argument for why people should care about your topic).  Read the book and create a thesis about the book that can be supported by some of the readings from class and other supplemental readings.  For example, an argument can be made about Jack Welch that his style is too masculine and that his work often ignores and devalues feminine leadership styles. Papers should have a minimum of 14 pages (not including the cover page, abstract, appendix, or references) and much conform to APA standards.  Remember, EBSCO Host is your friend.  I would like to see papers from this class sent to an academic conference. Students from our communication graduate classes have presented at state, regional and national conferences in the last couple of years, and you should strive to have the same scholarly experience. The Final Paper should be emailed to me by 7/28 at 11:59 p.m.  I will confirm receipt.

  

CLASS GRIEVANCES:

I am willing to meet with you to discuss our class and/or particular assignments.  I ask that you please wait 24 hours after you have received a graded assignment to come see me.  Before we discuss your work, you are required to type out a document detailing what particular elements of your work you feel merit discussion. 

  

PLAGIARISM:

Students in this course will be responsible for authenticating any assignment submitted to the instructor.  If asked, you must be able to produce proof that the assignment you submitted is in fact your own work.  Therefore, it is recommended that you engage in a verifiable working process on assignments.  Keep copies of all drafts of your work, make photocopies of research materials, write summaries of research materials, keep logs or journals of your work on assignments and papers, learn to save drafts or versions of assignments under individual file names on computer diskettes, etc.  In addition to requiring a student to authenticate his/her work, the instructor may employ various other means of ascertaining authenticity—such as engaging in internet searches, creating quizzes based on student work, requiring students to explain their work and/or process orally, etc.

 

OTHER UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Please go to http://offices.nsuok.edu/academicaffairs/SyllabiInformation.aspx for required information pertaining to:

 

Academic Misconduct

American Disabilities Act Compliance

Inclement Weather/Disaster Policy

Teach Act

Accessibility

Release of Confidential Information