Organization & Management Courses Fall 2006

First Year Program
Second Year Program
Electives

First Year Program

OMG 535
Group Dynamics & Leadership I
Competency Area: Collaboration & Group Dynamics (Required)

This course is designed specifically for first semester O&M students and focuses on group dynamics and leadership in work teams. The course introduces students to elements of group dynamics and to a model that matches leadership styles to stages of group development. Students work in teams throughout the course and use course concepts to analyze their experience. Skills emphasized will be useful for both group leaders and members and include: observing group dynamics and providing feedback, diagnosing stage of group development, matching leadership style to stage of development, working effectively with diversity, facilitating collaborative decision-making, and managing conflict. Students are expected to read The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams, by Blanchard, Carew, and Parisi-Carew. Students may do additional readings and discussions, field or research projects, or case study analysis on-line.

Section K: Donna Mellen
Time: Saturdays & Sundays, September 16 & 17 and October 7 & 8, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 24
Credits: 2

OMD 620
Leadership and Management Theory & Practice
Competency Area: Self Development (Required)

This course will explore and evaluate models of leadership and management. Using a theoretical and developmental approach, the primary learning objective is to construct personal models of leading and managing in complex environments. Through a variety of readings, experiential activities, self assessment tools and cases, students will have the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skill base and better determine the most effective ways to influence and sustain their organizations. Students should check the course conference on FirstClass, for on-line assignments that will begin prior to the first class meeting.

Section K: Robbie Hertneky
Time: Saturdays, October 28 & November 18,
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 24
Credits: 1

OMD 651
Professional Seminar
Competency Area: Self Development (Required)

Professional Seminar provides a setting in which students and faculty offer consultation and support regarding issues students face in their educational, professional, and personal development. All students enrolled in Professional Seminar meet as a community, working together with faculty to develop a productive and inclusive learning group. Through assigned reading, reflective writing, dialogue and guided activities, students will focus on their professional goals and their learning goals for their master's program. Students may do additional readings and discussions, field or research projects, or case study analysis on-line.

Section K: Bill Griffith and Robbie Hertneky
Time: Fridays, September 15, October 6 & 27,
November 17 and December 8, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Maximum: 24
Credits: 1

OM 690
SIS: Supervised Independent Study

If you are planning an independent study, please register for an SIS on your registration form. However, an SIS contract must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by December 1, 2006 in order for it to appear on your schedule or transcript. Please be sure to specify on the contract if the SIS will be used to fulfill a competency area or serve as a required course substitute, or as an elective. Contracts received after the December 1st deadline will be returned to you for registration in a subsequent semester (additional costs may apply). Credits will not appear on your schedule until the SIS contract(s) has been submitted to the Registrar's Office, thus affecting your enrollment status and perhaps your financial aid eligibility.

Credits: variable

OMS 528
Systems Theories & the Organizational Environment
Competency Area: Systems & Strategic Thinking (Required)

An historical and contemporary overview of systems theories will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on how these theories can be applied in assessing critical local and global environmental factors including social, scientific, ecological, political and economic trends that have a wide range of impact on our society and organizations. This course will also include material on the importance of individual cognitive development in the understanding and application of systems theories. There will be reading assignments prior to the first class and reading and online assignments between classes.

Section K: Steve Guerriero
Time: Sundays, October 29, November 19 and
Saturday, December 9, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 20
Changed 08/31/06 to: Maximum 24
Credits: 2

Second Year Program

OMC 678
Change Models & Applications
Competency Area: Purposeful Systemic Change (Required)

For organizations to thrive in today's complex and dynamic environment, organization leaders and managers increasingly need knowledge on how to engage organizational members in systemic change directed toward the fulfillment of clear and meaningful objectives that are understood and supported by a critical mass of people within the organization. Models for leading and facilitating planned short and long term change efforts at the group and organization level will be introduced, as well as ways of responding to unplanned change. The application of change theory and models will be addressed through a variety of means, including role play, simulation, case studies, class discussion, and through the use of on-line technology. Change strategies and methods will be evaluated for application and fit with the intended change outcomes, organization needs, and organization culture. Emphasis will be made on the emotional/social aspects of change and the use of effective collaborative processes in change, because most change efforts fall short with the human aspects of change and failure to include people in the process of change. Pre-course readings, assignments, and detailed syllabus will be available on FirstClass approximately three weeks before the first class meeting.

Section K: Peter Smith
Time: Saturdays, September 16, October 7 & 28, November 18 and December 9, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 24
Credits: 3

OMF 561
Financial Management I
Competency Area: Financial Management (Required)

This course will focus on the uses of financial data within the organization by its managers. Students will examine the type of information that is needed by managers to assist in planning, decision-making and operational controls. Students will acquire skills in topics such as financial statement analysis, statements of cash flow and various budgeting concepts. Students will complete additional problems and work on a group project and presentation involving case-study analysis on-line.

Section K: TBA
Changed 07/14/06 to: Sandra Colliton
Time: Sundays, September 17, October 8 & 29, November 19 and December 10, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 24
Credits: 3

OMC 691
Practicum
Practicum Seminar
Competency Area: Purposeful Systemic Change (Required)
Restricted to matriculated O&M students.

Under faculty guidance, students doing practicum work will discuss their practicum projects, evaluate their experience and consult with other students. The seminar is designed to help solve problems confronting students as their projects unfold and to sharpen analytical and consulting skills.

Section K1: John Carr
Section K2: Wendy Elliott
Section K3: Donna Mellen
Section K4: Peter Smith
Time: Fridays, September 15, October 6 & 27, November 17 and December 8, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Maximum: 7 per section
Credits: variable
(Practicum Seminar credited as part of Practicum)

OMF 572
School Finance
Competency Area: Financial Management
Required of and Priority to Principal Certification students.

This course is an introduction to school finance and budgeting with a particular concentration on fiscal issues for building-level administrators. The course will cover the basic principles of school finance as well as ethical issues in school financial management. An emphasis will be placed on developing skills in financial analysis that will assist principals in their decision-making. Therefore, the course will focus on practical issues such as writing grants, locating fiscal resources, and using spreadsheets to facilitate building-level budgeting and financial analysis. Students should check the FirstClass course folder three weeks prior to the initial class meeting. Pre-course reading assignments and important information regarding the course will be posted.

Section K: Edward McCaul
Time: Sundays, September 17, October 8 & 29, November 19 and December 10, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 15
Credits: 3

OM 690
SIS: Supervised Independent Study

Credits: variable

Electives

OMD 642
Managerial Communications: A Integrated Approach
Competency Area: Self Development
Priority to 2nd year O&M students

Our success as managers and leaders depends in great measure on how well we communicate with others and with ourselves. Our “communicative competence” is based in many domains and depends on many kinds of intelligence, including linguistic, interpersonal, emotional, and technical. This course draws on research in fields of human development, management, technology, and change theory, as well as studies in cognition, emotion, and behavior. Students will focus on both written and oral communication, integrating online and face-to-face modalities. Teleconferencing, online communications, presentation software, and video replay will be employed. Course reading and significant online participation, as well as writing assignments are required prior to the first face-to-face meeting. Students will do additional readings and discussions, field or research projects, or case study analysis on-line and in telephone conferences. Course begins online on October 1. No registrations will be accepted after that date.

Section K: Bill Griffith
Time: Saturday & Sunday, November 11 & 12,
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 2

OMF 571
Program Design & Grantwriting
Competency Area: Financial Management
Priority to 2nd year O&M students.

Program design and grant writing are required competencies for the managers of today's not-for-profit organizations. Too often both areas are approached in crisis mode with little planning or clarity about program goals and strategic directions. This course will provide an outline of concrete strategies for a planned and comprehensive approach to program design and preparation of a proposal. Students will practice by developing a real grant proposal. A portion of this course will be conducted using on-line technology through FirstClass. Students will do additional readings and discussions on-line. Students should check the course conference on FirstClass for on-line assignments that will begin prior to the first class meeting.

Section K: TBA
Changed 07/14/06 to: Donald Woodhouse
Time: Fridays, September 15, October 6 & 27,
November 17 and December 8, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Maximum: 20
Credits: 2

OMD 649
Self Knowledge for Leadership
Competency Area: Self Development
Priority to 2nd year O&M students.

Self-understanding and self - development are fundamental to effective leadership. The first aim of this course is to increase students' self-awareness as leaders. Students engage in activities to enhance awareness of their responses in a variety of situations. They develop a vision of themselves as leaders and reflect on ways in which they are and are not moving toward that vision. The second aim of the course is to provide students with a conceptual framework and strategy for altering dysfunctional behavior patterns that are blocking their full effectiveness as leaders. Each student will select one such behavioral pattern and will apply course concepts to clarify the dynamics of the pattern and to develop and implement a more effective response. Students should check the course conference on FirstClass for on-line assignments that will begin prior to the first class meeting.

Section K: Donna Mellen
Time: Saturday & Sunday, October 14 & 15,
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Maximum: 24
Credits: 1

OM 690
SIS: Supervised Independent Study

Credits: variable