Ramapo College of New Jersey
Fall 2015 1st Year Seminar Syllabus
Instructor: Tamika Quick
Class Location:
Office: SC 203
Time:
Office Hours: By appointment
Section:
Email: aquick@ramapo.edu
______________________________________________________________________________
Course Description:
Identity manifests in the way we lead, make decisions, form relationships, and negotiate responsibilities each
day. Student leaders, who are often at the center of transformative efforts for social justice, diversity and
educational equity on college and university campuses, must understand how their own identities impact the
way they interpret, work with, and lead across differences.
Identity and leadership shows how student affairs professionals can use autobiographical writing to better
understand how personal identities influence interactions with students and colleagues. Leadership norms,
values, assumptions, and behaviors often originate in personal identities. By making connections between
identity and leadership practice, student leaders can strengthen their work to transform higher education
through social justice and other change efforts.
This course offers experienced and emerging leaders a window into understanding the deep intersections of
identity and professional practice as well as guideposts for individual leadership development. Through
personal narratives, the contributing authors discuss the significant impact of their identities in terms of race,
ethnicity, culture, sexuality, gender, socioeconomic class, nationality, disability, spirituality, and religion on
their roles as higher education leaders. A model of identity, leadership, and social justice with ways of being
and doing is provided and illustrated through author narratives.
The course will begin by introducing frameworks of identity and leadership, current research, theory and why
attention to intersections of identity and leadership is important for student leaders. The second portion will
feature a collection of essays written by higher education leaders who examine how specific identities emerge
in their leadership practice and how they strive to manage across differences authentically from within these
identities. The course will conclude with an Identity and Leadership Autobiography Assignment, which
guides students step by step through the process of reflecting on how their own identities and experiences
impact their leadership practice. This assignment may also be used to facilitate self-reflection activities in
group settings.
Required Texts:
Chavez, A., & Sanlo, R. (2013). Identity and Leadership: informing our lives, informing our practice.
Washington D.C.: National Association of Student Personnel Administration.
Statement for Students with Disabilities:
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with the Office
of Specialized Services (OSS) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be
obtained from OSS. Please sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. OSS is
located in C-Wing and is open 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for OSS is
(201)684-7514. Email: oss@ramapo.edu. Website: www.ramapo.edu/oss/
Grading:
Clarity of expression in class discussions and in written work is highly valued, as are assignments turned in on
time. Assignments turned in after the due date will be penalized by one letter grade. Assignments will not be
accepted if more than one week late.
Explanation of Letter Grades:
A
Outstanding achievement. Unusually profound command of the course content; exceptionally high
level of scholarship and excellence.
AExcellent achievement. Very thorough command of course content; very high level of scholarship.
B+
Very good achievement. Thorough command of course material.
B
Good achievement. Solid, acceptable performance.
BFair achievement. Acceptable performance.
C+
Not wholly satisfactory achievement. Marginal performance on some aspects of the course
requirements. C Marginal achievement. Minimally acceptable performance on course assignments.
CUnsatisfactory achievement. Inadequate knowledge of course content.
Simply meeting the instructors’ expectations constitutes “B” work; going above and beyond is “A” work; and
failing to meet the minimum expectations will result in a grade of “C” or lower.
Grading Scale:
A = 94-100
B = 84-86
C = 74-76
F = < 65
A- = 90-93
B- = 80-83
C- = 70-73
B+ = 87-89
C+ = 77-79
D = 65 – 69
Incompletes:
Given in exceptional circumstances when approved by the instructor and when requested by a student who
has satisfactorily completed at least two-thirds of course requirements prior to the end of a term, for reasons
of illness or other emergency. When the work is completed by the date indicated on the academic calendar,
the grade assigned replaces the I. If work is not satisfactorily completed by the date indicated in the Academic
Calendar, the grade is changed to F.
INCOMPLETE POLICY (ONLINE COURSES ONLY)
•
Review the Academic Calendar for Incomplete Dates
•
Students will need to submit a request from their Ramapo e-mail account to their instructor. Online
Incomplete Forms may be obtained by contacting Office of the Registrar.
•
The Online Incomplete Form must be completed by the student and the signature field, completion date,
and the work to be completed filled in by the instructor.
•
The form then needs to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar: registrar@ramapo.edu. The
Incomplete Request Form must be received in the Office of the Registrar by the last day of the
semester/session.
•
Incompletes for the Winter term are not permitted for January graduates. If a January graduate needs an
incomplete they will need to defer their graduation date to May.
INCOMPLETE EXTENSIONS
In extraordinary circumstances a student may petition for an incomplete extension. This must be
filed with the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day to resolve an incomplete as per the
Academic Calendar. The incomplete extension form must be obtained from the Office of the
Registrar.
Academic Integrity:
Every member of the Ramapo community is expected to be honest and forthright in their academic
endeavors. Since violations of academic integrity erode community confidence and undermine the pursuit of
truth and knowledge at the College; academic dishonesty must be avoided. There are four broad forms of
academic dishonesty:
Course Assignments:
I.
Class Participation (10 points)
This class will consist of presentations by the instructor and others, case studies, small and large
group class discussions, experimental group work, and other teaching strategies. Members of the
class will be expected to keep up with reading assignments and to demonstrate their knowledge
and preparedness by the quality of their class participation, discussion of salient issues, raising
relevant questions, and articulation of problems emerging from the readings, case studies, and
class discussions. Because of the interactive nature of the class, attendance at each session is
crucial to maximum learning.
II. Summer Reading Essay (10 points)
A 2 – 3 page essay should be assigned after the discussion to provide students with an early
means to demonstrate their critical thinking and written communication skills.
III. Identity and Leadership Autobiography Assignment & Oral Presentation (60 points)
For this assignment, choose one identity that you have had since birth or prior to age 5. Analyze,
illustrate, and process personal values and/or beliefs originating in this identity, and how each
manifests in your leadership practice or how you believe it will manifest in your future leadership
practice. This autobiography should be a narrative and interpretation about your life and
leadership from within this identity culture. Be sure to go deep with your analysis! You are
encouraged to utilize metaphors, artifacts (e.g., photos, themes), or other creative means to
explore this identity, but be sure to stay focused on specifically describing and interpreting
elements of one identity only.
The paper (10pgs – 20 points) is a chance to convey your understanding on leadership theory
through application. After having read the Chavez and Sanlo text, you will be expected to analyze
the development of your identity leadership style according to the identities and theories we have
covered in the course. This paper will be evaluated base on the appropriateness of the theory
selected, your ability to demonstrate an understanding of the theory you selected and the quality
of your writing.
One Paragraph/One Page Proposal & Presentation (20 points)
A one page paragraph/page proposal is due for feedback and approval on the date specified.
Feel free to email or arrange a phone or in-person appointment should you wish to discuss
your ideas or have questions.
In your one paragraph/one page proposal, discuss the identity you would like to focus on in
your autobiographical essay and how focusing your analysis on this specific identity will
assist you as a leader.
The Identity and Leadership Self-Analysis Tool will facilitate several activities to assist you in
getting started on this assignment.
Steps
1. Introduction
2. Identify, describe, and illustrate three major values or themes from this identity
3. How identity values and themes manifest in your leadership
4. Identity and leadership theory effectiveness
5. Discuss three learning goals
Oral Presentation: (20 points)
Based on the autobiography you will present the identity and theory chosen to analyze.
Summarize how you believe this identity is or will be helpful to your effectiveness as a leader and
how it is or will be limiting to your effectiveness as a leader. Students will present in class
addressing how their leadership theory helps us understand the student populations that have the
same identity as chosen to study.
IV. Experiential Learning (15 points)
Students may join a club or organization related to an identity of their choice and writes a one to
two page reflection paper on how their identity helps them as a student leader.
Graded Assignments Breakdown
Assignment
Class Participation
Summer Reading Essay
Identity and Leadership Autobiography Assignment
10 page paper
Proposal Paper & Presentation
Oral Presentation
Experiential Learning
Total
Points
10 points
10 points
20 points
20 points
10 points
10 points
15 points
100 points
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to revision)
Class
Topic
Reading
Assignments Due
WK 1
Overview of the Course
Introductions
Learning Outcomes and Expectations
Summer Reading Discussion #1
Syllabus
WK 2
Summer Reading Discussion #2
WK 3
Foundational Leadership Theories
WK 4
Foundational Leadership Theories Cont.
WK 5
Library (Information Literacy) Session
Identities of the Self Worksheet
WK 6
Advisement Session
Identity and Leadership Worksheet
WK 7
Vision of Identity & Leadership in Academe
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 3-5
WK 8
Insights on Identity, Leadership, and Social
Justice
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 9--35
Oral Presentations
(5 minutes)
WK 9
Negotiating Complexities of Identity,
Leadership and Social Justice
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 53, 63, 67, 75, 85
Oral Presentations
(5 minutes)
WK 10
Leading through Invisible Identities
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 115, 123, 135, 145,
155
Oral Presentations
(5 minutes)
WK 11
The Paradox of Intersecting Identities
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 185,193,201,217
Oral Presentations
(10-15 minutes)
WK 12
Negotiating Professional & Personal
Identities in Leadership
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 225,233,243,251
Oral Presentations
(10-15 minutes)
WK 13
Introspective Guide to Identity & Leadership
Chavez & Sanlo
pgs. 271
Oral Presentations
(10-15 minutes)
Identity and Leadership
Autobiography
Assignment
Due
WK 14
Wrap Up & Reflection
Summer Reading Essay
2-3 pgs
Experiential Learning
Reflection Due
1-2pgs.