Higher Education Syllabi Project

Course Title: The Theory and Practice of Leadership

Instructor	Professor Lena Astin
Institution	UCLA
Office Number	310.825.2709
E-mail address	hastin@gseis.ucla.edu

The Seminar will review existing theories and research on leadership and will explore how this knowledge and understanding apply to higher education.

Readings, discussions, observations, case studies, films and other means will be used to address some of the following:

- What is leadership?
- What is the relationship between leadership and management?
- How do leaders learn and change?
- Are leaders born?
- Are academic leaders different from other leaders?
- Developing your own leadership abilities is one of the expected and hoped for outcomes.
- Would organizations be different if there were more women and people of color in senior leadership roles?

Class Requirements

1. Students will be expected to identify a topic and prepare a 15-20 page paper (students are encouraged to work in groups and present a group project).

2. Each student will be responsible for preparing a critical book review (5 pages).

3. Class participation. Each student will be asked to make a presentation on a topic she/he chooses.

Grade

The grade will be letter grade based on the studentÕs performance.


	-	Term paper			 40%

	-	Book review			 30%

	-	Class presentation		 15%

	-	Class participation		 15%

Issues Concerning Leadership

1. Do differences in cultural contexts change the nature of leadership? If so, how?

2. If there is leadership expertise, what is it and how may it be taught?

3. What do the disciplines have to contribute to an understanding of leadership?

4. What is the relationship between leadership and management?

5. What do we mean by "Leadership?"

6. Must a leader have authority?

7. How does one distinguish between leaders and good leaders?

8. What is the relationship between power and authority?

9. Would organizations be different if there were more women in senior leadership roles?

10. What is an organizational culture?

11. What organizational factors most influence successful leadership? Successful management?

12. What contribution can the case-study method make to the understanding of leadership?

13. What ought the mix of methods of social scientific study of leadership be?

These questions were selected from a list of questions generated at a Seminar on Leadership organized by Irving Spitzberg Jr. at the Council for Liberal Learning (January, 1986).

Persisting Questions

1. Does leadership play a role in organizational performance?

2. How have the theoretical conceptions of leadership changed?

3. How do organizations change? Do leaders play a role?

4. Is there a dark side of leadership?

5. How does one evaluate effective leadership?

6. Are there special attributes that are essential to effective leadership?

Class Schedule


October  2:		Introduction



October  9:		General Perspectives on Leadership

							Women of Influence, Women of Vision; Chapter 1



October 16:		What is Leadership?  (Lena, Chris)

							Introduce Guidebook

							Consciousness of Self



October 23:		Leadership in Higher Education  (Shanan, Lynn, Shannon)

							Congruency

							Topic of paper and title of book to be reviewed due.



October 30:		Leadership in Corporations  (Tim, Justin)

							Commitment



November  6:		Political Leadership  (Lucy, Cyndy, Kristen)

							Collaboration



November 13:		Leadership in the Community  (Ed, Mike, Fred)

							(grass roots leadership)

							Common Purpose

							Book review (and copies of review or abstract for classmates) due.



November 20:		Gender and Leadership  (Natasha, Christina, Beth)

							Controversy with Civility



November 27:		Leadership and Multiculturalism  (Lori, Susan)

							Citizenship



December  4:		Leadership Development  (Group)

							(Where are we with our themes and practice)



December 11:		(at the Astin's house)

							Closing Session:  sharing experiences and insights

							Final paper due.