DPLS 742su09   Leadership and Appreciative Inquiry
Summer 2009           3 Credits

Professor:        Theresa McDowell, PhD, LICSW, CSP

Office Phone: 509-389-0077 (Cell Phone)

E-mail: mcdowell.theresa@gmail.com

Office hours: Please call for an appointment

Class Logistics:

Monday evenings 6-10

Room: TBA

Dates: June 2009-6/22, 6/29

July 2009-7/3, 7/6, 7/13, 7/20 and 7/27

Course Overview

DESCRIPTION

This course invites students to engage in strategies of appreciate and strengths based organizational learning and discovery. The focus is on the theory and practice of appreicative inquiry as an approach to organizational wellness. In stark contrast to more traditonal and deficit based organizational improvement models, appreciative and strengths based methodologies focus on the unconditional positive question as a catalyst for constructing healthy organizations within the context of functional biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions.  Ethical leadership and leading from anywhere in the organization are concepts that will be explored and historical organizational development practices will be subject to a critical analysis in the context of collective wellness. Theoretical connections will be explored including critical and social theories. The emerging field of Positive Organizational Scholarship is studied as well.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Anderson, H., Coopperrider, D., Gergen, K. J., Gergen, M. M., McNamee, S., Whitney, D. (2008) Revised edition. The Appreciative Organization. Taos Institute. http://www.taosinstitute.net/publishing/focus_book_series.htm#AppOrg

Cameron, K. S., Dutton, J. E., Quinn, R. E. (Eds.) (2003). Positive Organizational Scholarship. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishing.

Cooperrider, D. L., Sorensen, P. F. Jr., Yaeger, T. F., Whitney, D. (Eds.). (2001). Appreciative Inquiry: An Emerging Direction for Organization Development. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.

Gergen, K. J. & Gergen, M. (2004). Social Construction: Entering the Dialogue. Chagrin Falls, OH: Taos Institute Publications.

Gambles, R., Lewis, S., Rapoport, R. (2006) The Myth of Work-Life Balance: The Challenge of Our Time for Men, Women and Societies. John Wiley-n-Sons Ltd.

DeGraff, J. Take Back Your Time. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. http://www.timeday.org/btbyt.asp

Wheatley, M. (2009) Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

CHOOSE ONE:

Wheatley, M. (2009) The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

OR

Ruiz, D.M., (1997) The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book. Amber-Allen Publishing.

METHODOLOGY

Small and Large Group Discussions, Fieldwork, Films, Student Presentations.

INSTRUCTIONAL INTENTIONS

As opposed to instructional objectives, instructional intentions are general statements about the overall direction of the course. They indicate what you as a student can expect to take from the class. By the end of this class, students should be able to:

1.         Understand what appreciative inquiry is and how it differs from more traditional organizational change models.

2.         Be familiar with the emerging field of positive organizational scholarship.

3.         Design and conduct an appreciative inquiry.

4.         Understand the theoretical basis supporting appreciative inquiry.

5.         Engaged in critical personal and collective reflection related to the use of appreciative and strengths based organizational change methods.

6.         Understand the connection between social theory, critical theory, capitalism, and organizational culture in the context of power and wellness.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

While the achievement of the above intentions is primarily the responsibility of the student, various learning activities are designed to facilitate this process. Reading and reflecting upon what was read to be able to contribute to a class discussion should assist you in understanding the class concepts. A variety of texts have been chosen to expose you to the wide range of arts-based research methods, approaches, and interpretations. Written assignments and research activities are designed to provide opportunities to develop experience with different forms of understanding.

Evaluation and Grade Assignment

At this level of coursework, attendance and participation is essential. This is not a spectator sport you are expected to be involved; it is also up to you to make the course meaningful to you. This makes assigning a grade highly subjective and subject to a value judgment on the part of the instructor as to the quality of your effort, thought, and participation put forth in completing course requirements. This particular instructor values quality of input over quantity. I will be looking for demonstrations of how you are making the course material your own and how you are constructing and internalizing (not simply acquiring) knowledge. Your grade will be based on a combination of class attendance, meeting assignment deadlines, content (what you communicate in class and in assignments), written communication (quality of papers), and your work as it compares to that of your peers.

The criteria for the grade assignment in this course are:

15%: Class participation: Intellectual and social interaction is a major part of the course. You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the class readings, bring your reflections, questions, wonderments, and conclusions to the table.

10% Intro to AI: Write a reflective paper exploring appreciative inquiry and/or the positive scholarship movement in general. Due June 29th.

10% POS Chapter Reviews: Each student will be responsible for summarizing a chapter in the Positive Organizational Scholarship book. The summaries are to be no more than 3 pages and will highlight major points.

20%: Group Book Review: Choose either the Gambles or Wheatley (either one) book. Each group will share the learning's from their group with the other group. Your group will determine exactly how you want to share those learning's. That is the group project. On an individual level, assess how well you believe your group worked together to complete this assignment--what all in your opinion, did your group do well? This will mean documenting the process and "constructing" it from both a group and individual level. The individual assessment will be due the class after you present your book review so that you can incorporate the actual presentation as part of the assessment of what your group did well. Group Presentation:7/13. Individual Assessment due March 7/20/03.

20%: Reflected Best Self: Following the instructions, gather instances of how others see you at your best using the following modified questions:

1) One of your greatest strengths is:
For example, I think of the time that

2) What I value most in my relationship with you is:
For example, I think of the time that

3) One thing that I think is unique about you (in a good way) is:
For example, I think of the time that

Compose a portrait of you when you are at your best. Your portrait can take a creative form if you can express it better that way. DUE 7/27.

25%: Group or Individual AI Project: design and possibly conduct an appreciative inquiry for a group or organization of your choice. For example, some of you may have an opportunity to design and even conduct an appreciative inquiry at your workplace during the spring semester. Others may not have the opportunity to go as far as actually conducting an AI, but you can design one you would like to carry out if the opportunity arose.

Grading System

For this instructor, grading is much like judging figure skating. First of all, it is difficult to quantify what is primarily subjective, artistic work through "grading" it. However, since we must, just as in figure skating, I tend to look at both technical and artistic quality. Technical quality has to do with how well written the work is (complete sentences and paragraphs, proper grammar, spelling, APA style, etc.). Artistic quality has to do with the presentation (how well it flowed, evidence of original thought, creativity, depth and breadth). Also taken into account is Gonzaga grading system. Thus, your course grade is based on a combination of the results of assignments, class participation, and general evidence of regular and consistent application of the class concepts. Weight is given to the degree of subject mastery demonstrated by the student as well as the ability to communicate orally and in written form.

A/A- Evidence that the student has determined how the material is meaningful to them by telling or showing how they can use the information in their specific setting (application of class concepts); written assignments meet the "Grading Criteria" described below (written communication); student attends class regularly and participates in class discussions meaningfully and frequently (oral communication); meets all assignment deadlines; work is above average compared to that of other students in the class. Work is "excellent."

B+/B The student understands the concepts but does not understand how they apply to their setting (application of class concepts); written assignments do not meet aspects of the "Grading Criteria" described below (written communication); student misses three of more classes but participates in class discussions meaningfully and frequently when in attendance (oral communication); misses one or more assignment deadlines; work is average compared to that of other students in the class. Work is "good."

B- and below The student does not understand the concepts or how they apply to their setting (application of class concepts); written assignments do not meet many aspects of the "Grading Criteria" described below (written communication); student misses more than three classes and does not participate in class discussions meaningfully when in attendance (oral communication); misses two or more assignment deadlines; work is below average compared to that of other students in the class. Work is below that expected of a Graduate student.

Grading Criteria for Written Assignments

Written work is evaluated in three areas: quality of the content (what you say), quality of expression (how you say it) and technicalities (spelling, grammar, punctuation, APA style, etc.).

Breadth and Depth: You must show evidence you have thought about the topic in depth. This will require you to do more than explain or describe the concepts you are learning. Analyze the topic from differing views and show you have wrestled with it.

Organization and Logical Development: You should have a purpose or theme that is introduced in the beginning of the paper/project, developed in the body and referred to in the conclusion. Paragraphs should be linked to each other in a logical sequence using transitional sentences. Use arguments, examples, facts, opinions and details to explain your point and lend credibility to what you are saying.

Clarity: Choose your words carefully and construct sentences purposefully so that each point you make is expressed as precisely and clearly as possible.

Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling: Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Verbs should agree with their subjects, sentences should be complete, and paragraphs are more than one sentence long.

Transitions, Summaries, Conclusions and Headings: Provide transitions between ideas and sections, summarize sections of the paper, and end with an overall conclusion to remind the reader of the main points. Headings are appropriately used to break up the manuscript.

APA Style: Sources are cited properly within the text and a complete reference list is provided. Perform your own reference audit: are all citations mentioned in the text on the reference list? Is everything on the reference list a work cited in the text of the paper?

Creativity: You are encouraged to be creative (especially in this class). Make the class concepts your own. You do not have to agree with the readings or the instructor, but you do have to be able to explain what you agree and disagree with and why.

Critical Reflection and Revision: Revise, revise, revise! After you draft your paper, read it. Make revisions. Read it again and out loud to yourself. Make revisions. Have someone else read it. Make revisions. Read it again. Now you can begin to think about handing it in as a class assignment.

Professor Assumptions About This Class

1. Intellectual and social interaction is an essential part of this course. Because this will not be a course where you come and take notes for four hours, your absence in a class meeting will be noticed. I understand there are conflicts that may prevent you from attending all class meetings for the full length of time. If you do need to miss part or all of a class, it is your responsibility to notify me and contact another class member to find out what you missed. Depending on what you miss, you may be asked to complete a "make-up" assignment, the nature of which will be negotiated by you and me. Because I do believe people who are able to attend all class meetings should be recognized for that, if you miss class, your grade for the "Class Participation" portion of the course may be less than an "A.."

2. While I do believe class attendance is critical, I do not expect you to risk your life to get to class, which means if the weather is bad or you are sick, use your own judgment about the importance of getting to class vs. staying safe or getting well. Please recognize there are consequences attached to either decision (not coming to class could effect your "Class Participation" grade; if you are ill, coming to class could make you sicker and the rest of us sick; etc.). Everyone begins the semester with an "A+" in Class Participation/Attendance.

3. In order to end on time, we need to start on time. I realize some of you may be late to class. If and when this happens, I may not necessarily stop and recap what you missed. Every effort will be made to end class on time, however, please recognize that a rousing class discussion may take us over "time;" an essential point may still need to be covered; or announcements related to the next class meeting may need to be made. I will work to provide you with what I hope is a provocative, challenging, true doctoral level experience that is worthy of the time and money you are investing furthering your education. While I am not interested in keeping you in class for the sake of filling time we will be in class as long as it takes (within the constraints of the scheduled time) to meet our objectives for the evening.

4. Part of my job is to bring material and perspectives to the class that are outside of the assigned reading. Texts are chosen to provide you with a foundation in appreciative inquiry and positive organizational scholarship and references for those who further their study in this area. However, the assigned reading in this or any graduate class is the tip of the iceberg. Although it may seem like a lot of reading, we will barely skim the surface of this topic. It is expected that you have completed the assigned reading for each class so that you come to class informed and ready to contribute to the discussion. However, we may not always specifically talk about the reading. Class time will generally be used to expand upon what you have read, engage in activities related to the course topic, discuss assignments, and work on a more intimate level with a small group. Could you get away without doing the assigned reading? Probably. But at this level, I assume you are interested in personal and professional growth and being familiar with the literature in the field is essential to your growth as a scholar-practitioner.

5. Learning is a journey. Courses are developed "tentatively." Things can happen during the semester that would cause changes to the syllabus, including changes to class meeting times and assignments. Allowing for this flexibility means that we can adjust the course based on our responses to course assignments, readings, current events, etc.

6. Assignments are due on the date specified. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. While there are legitimate reasons for not being able to make a deadline, missing two or more assignment deadlines will adversely effect your grade. Assignments may be submitted before the due date and may be submitted as an e-mail attachment. If you do submit your assignments via e-mail, please use Word or save the document in "rtf" format.

7. Papers are to be word processed using 1-inch margins, standard fonts, double-spaced, following APA format for the citation of references. You may want to use the Doctoral "Paper Format" which can be found at www.gonzaga.edu/doctoral. The link is at the bottom left hand corner. While the quality of the content is more important than the quantity, it is expected you will thoroughly cover the subject you are writing about. You are expected to cite sources (following APA style) and provide a reference list when appropriate. Although you are not necessarily writing for publication purposes, it is expected that you will strive to write at a high standard. (See the "Grading Criteria for Written Assignments.") Please keep in mind, this is a doctoral level class. Your work will be evaluated accordingly.

8. When submitting written work, I prefer them to be posted to the blackboard course site. The first page should be a title page with, at the very least, the course number and your name on it.

9. If you receive a grade of lower than A- on an assignment (which means a grade of B+ or lower), and you feel a need to re-do it, that will be negotiated on a case by case basis.

10. Academic honesty: It is expected that the work of each student will be their original work. Academic dishonestly includes, but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as but not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. Do not present the work of another (this includes ideas as well as words) as your own: give credit where credit is due. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. According to Gonzagas policy, any student found guilty of academic dishonesty is subject to disciplinary action.

11. This is a doctoral level course. This means you will do a lot of reading, writing, and discussing of theoretical, philosophical, and abstract concepts. You will be writing a dissertation. I view writing as a way of knowing, a method of discovery and inquiry. Use the written assignments in this (and any other) class to sharpen your writing skills so that by the time you get to writing your dissertation, you know APA style and can write at a level acceptable for publication. Comments on written assignments will be made with this in mind.

12. Depth and breadth: I believe that one of the most important learning outcomes for doctoral  students relates to developing depth and breadth in the field. We provide breadth to an extent through the program curriculum. Courses in the program are designed to relate to but not duplicate one another. Thus, topics you may have thought should have been covered in a particular class may no have been because they are the curriculum for a different class. By taking different classes in the program curriculum, you will get broad exposure to the field of leadership. Developing depth is more up to you. You have to decide what specifically you want to learn more about and use your classes as different lenses for studying that topic. This may help you with assignments: you can take a paper or project for one class and re-develop it for another class. While recycling the same paper or project with no changes except for the name of the class and professor would be "cheating," using the same paper or project from one class as a foundation for an assignment in another is a way to develop depth.

13. It is my goal to create and facilitate a learning environment such that the intellectual, personal, social, and ethical development of all of us is stimulated. Each person in the room will be integral to the creation of that environment by encouraging intellectual honesty and respectfully listening to the viewpoints of others. It is expected that what each person brings in terms of experiential and academic knowledge will be shared. The goal of such interaction is not to always reach consensus but to understand where each other is coming from.

14. The creation of such a learning environment is not solely my responsibility. The classroom is "our" classroom. While I am responsible for facilitating the learning experience when we meet, because my tolerance level for different things is different than yours, it is acceptable and may even be necessary for you to take responsibility for steering the class back on track or clarifying what the purpose of a discussion or activity is.

15. Communication about the class will happen via e-mail. Announcements that did not get made during class, "after-thoughts," clarifications, etc. may all come to you via e-mail. I also prefer to be contacted by e-mail; it is the best way to reach me.

16. You may have to remind me of things like you'll have to miss a class or I didn't respond to an e-mail you sent. It's OK to ask me again if you haven't gotten a response in a reasonable amount of time.

17. I look forward to having FUN and LEARNING collectively!

TENTATIVE Course Schedule

 Posted 23 March PS