Requirements for Leadership Studies
Courses in leadership studies are designed to achieve three interdependent objectives: to develop awareness of the roles and responsibilities of leaders and followers in a variety of contexts, thus enhancing potential for effective citizenship in a democratic culture; to develop critical skills for effective followership and enlightened leadership in a variety of domains and careers; and to provide a focus for the integration of knowledge from a variety of intellectual perspectives.
Communicating Plus: Leadership Studies. Leadership is a reciprocal process of problem-solving and innovation within a group, organization, or community. Effective leadership and productive followership both require critical thinking and the sharing of meaning through effective communication. Effective group behavior requires attention to all aspects of the communication cycle (receiving, processing, and sending information) and to all forms of expression (written, oral, and nonverbal). Because effective leadership and followership depend so thoroughly on problem-solving, critical-thinking, and communication behaviors, the Leadership Studies Program and the Communicating Plus Programs at Ripon College are mutually supportive. Students completing the Leadership Studies Program will encounter a variety of classroom activities and assignments designed to foster and assess their development of skills in the four Communicating Plus skills areas—written communication,
oral communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
Requirements for a minor in leadership studies: Twenty-one credits including Leadership Studies 100, 251, 264, 372 or 383, two credits of 550, plus two other courses approved by the Leadership Studies Program Director.
Courses
LS 100. Introduction to Leadership Studies: Leadership
and the Human Spirit (Christ)
Four credits.
Introduction to the study of leadership and followership behaviors with emphasis on the development and expression of human values, especially moral and ethical values. The course outlines the historical development of concepts of leadership and summarizes approaches to leadership study in a number of disciplines. Environmental factors, reciprocal roles, critical-thinking skills, communication skills, and group problem-solving strategies are stressed. The course culminates in consideration of historical case studies and in completion of team projects. Lectures, readings, discussions, papers, group projects. This course is intended for first- and second-year students.
LS 251. Personal Mastery Workshop (Christ)
Three credits.
Introduction to concepts, practices and exercises for developing effective habits of introspection,
reflection, proprioception and goal-oriented personal discipline. The course will consider the nature of individual effectiveness over the long term as evidenced in selected examples from history, literature, film and current events. Lecture, reading, discussion and group projects.
Prerequisite: Leadership Studies 100 or consent of the instructor.
LS 264. Team Learning Workshop (Christ)
Three credits.
Introduction to concepts, practices and exercises for developing effective habits of interpersonal
and small-group interaction, brainstorming, problem-solving, and dialogue. The course will consider questions about a group’s capacity to learn and enhance group performance in goal-oriented activities. Lecture, reading, discussion and group projects. Prerequisite: Leadership
Studies 100 or consent of the instructor.
LS 372. Systems Thinking and Strategic Vision (Christ)
Three credits.
Introduction to systems analysis and strategic planning as they relate to effective leadership and followership behaviors. The course will consider the nature, functions, and integrity of living systems and their relationships to smaller subsystems and larger supersystems. Some attention will be paid to the practice of strategic planning. Lecture, reading, discussion, and group projects. Prerequisite: Leadership Studies 100 or consent of the instructor.
383. Case Studies in Ethical Leadership (Christ)
Three credits.
Consideration of functional and dysfunctional behavior in leadership roles featuring case studies from various walks of life drawn from history, current events, literature, and film. Special attention will be paid to ethical and moral issues, though the course will start with the assumption that ethical and moral issues are prominent in all leadership behavior. Specific cases addressed will change each time the course is offered. Lecture, reading, discussion, and group projects. Prerequisite: Leadership Studies 100 or consent of the instructor.
LS 550. Independent Study: Internship (Christ)
One to four credits.
Supervised work off campus in an environment conducive to observation and study of leadership
behavior and leadership processes. Prerequisite: Junior standing and consent of the instructor.
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