A summary of my leadership-related coursework at CU Boulder, highlighting key learnings and takeaways.
Course Description: Explores challenges to leadership at the community level such as drug abuse, poverty, decline of infrastructure, care of the aged, etc. Gives particular attention to the development of effective leadership responses to community difficulties at university, city, state, and national levels.
An full your involvement, this class is the fundamental basis for exploring wicked problems and framing them through social action. We have the opportunity to present on areas of focus, including and not limited to, Engineering Ethics, Energy and Sustainability, Mental Health, Education, etc. We get to hear from Alumni about their experiences addressing wicked problems in their fields.
Course Description: Examines the challenges to leadership posed by major global issues. Problems in the areas of human rights, hunger, disease, large-scale collective violence and environmental deterioration are explored with a special emphasis on the development of effective, long-term leadership strategies. Department enforced prerequisites: PRLC 1810 and PRLC 1820 and PRLC 2820.
We focused on the 2030 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and framed the class as exploring case studies of efforts to implement them. It was a small class so we all got very intentional time learning about each others involvements and interests and framing them through the lens of exploring wicked problems.
Course Description: Approaches leadership as a process of inquiry, empathy, and action, cultivating skills leaders need to understand, communicate about, and generate innovative approaches to complex issues. Each student conducts extensive, principled research about a complex social issue of their choice, investigating its multidimensionality by applying different analytic lenses. Instructor consent required for students not in Engineering Leadership.
This was one of my favorite classes that also satisfied a writing requirment. We spent the semester exploring different writings, research studies, and films surrounding topics related to complex leadership challenges and the ethical considerations involved. Each week involved exploring different modes of writing to articulate understandings of our topics for the week.
Course Description: Students analyze the leadership styles within a host organization, examine how successfully an organization fulfills its mission and further refine their own theories of what constitutes effective leadership. Students also complete a meaningful project over the course of the internship. Department enforced prerequisites: PRLC 1810 and PRLC 1820 and PRLC 2820.
This class was in tandem with my work for PLC when I was PLC's TLC coordinator, which was the well-being focused role in PLC. The role outlined coming up with community events to support community, and develop curriculum for first year classes surrounding well-being and leadership development of self. We worked closely with PLCs therapist to increase access to mental health resources withing the program.
Course Description: Integrates leadership topics and experiences students pursued through the Leadership Studies Minor. Using advanced critical thinking skills, the seminar requires students to evidence their knowledge, competencies and skills related to leadership theory and practice through examining contemporary leadership challenges. Further, the seminar directs students to justify decision-making processes, demonstrating their ability to synthesize prior knowledge to effect desirable, ethical outcomes.
This was a practicum application of our leadership studies curriculum. We had the opportunity to work with a local organization surrounding a wicked problem we spend a semester delving into; my group worked with NoSo November, a nonprofit grassroots movement supporting community growth off the internet. Our topic was Technology Addiction. It was an enriching and enjoyable experience.
Final Presentation Slides: Reclaiming Our Attention