Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies
DRAFT: THIS MAY CHANGE BUT THE BASIC STRUCTURE WILL STAY THE SAME
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
School of Education
Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies
Community Organizing, Ed Pol 111/Ed Pol 501
NOTE: I WILL BE COMMUNICATING WITH YOU THROUGH YOUR UWM EMAIL, SO YOU
MUST BE ACCESSING THIS EMAIL AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
Instructor:
Aaron Schutz
Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies
Enderis 535
Phone: 229-4150 (Note: if I don’t answer it goes to “google voice” and the voice-mail
you leave gets sent to me through email)
Email: schutz@uwm.edu
Course Objectives:
This course will examine basic techniques for organizing communities. The objectives of the
course are:
--To understand the differences between different approaches to community change.
--To learn the history and theory of organizing and its relationship to social movements in
America.
--To learn how to conduct a one-on-one interview to identify self-interests and build
relationships.
--To learn strategies for building networks within fragmented communities.
--To learn skills for locating targets, cutting issues and building effective tactics and strategies.
--To learn different approaches to community organizing: institutional and individual
approaches.
--To understand the differences between public, private, and civic roles from an organizing
perspective.
--To explore ways to identify the key concerns of a local community and identify self-interests
that an organizer might work to bring a community together around.
--To develop a sense of some "nuts and bolts" issues related to community organizing
Overarching Objective:
To understand how to pursue rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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This class is meant to teach students about practical, nonpartisan strategies that they could use to
pursue their own, or community determined interests in social change. It is not meant to advocate for
or promote any specific governmental action or legislative change at a local, state or federal level. The
strategies have and could be used to address a variety of different contexts and issues.
Texts
1.
Schutz, Aaron and Sandy, Marie. 2011. Collective Action for Social Change: An Introduction
to Community Organizing. (Palgrave: New York). [Note: we make almost nothing on these
books ourselves, and donate what we get to local community efforts.]
2.
Assorted articles on-line at the course’s D2L site. We will be using the 111 D2L site, and all
501 students will be added to that. Please contact me ASAP if something is missing.
Requirements
Reflections and Responses to Other Students’ Reflections. Each week, students will participate
in a series of discussion forums on different readings for the course. Students will be expected to take
part in all class discussions; reflect understandings from the readings; receive alternative perspectives
in a constructive and respectful manner; listen well to the comments of others; share and negotiate
meaning; ask questions for understanding; and contribute to the growth of others.
Sometimes I may assign people different sections of the readings, or have specific instructions.
If you are assigned to discuss a particular section, you are expected to read the entire reading as well.
Your initial reflections for each forum should be at least 300 words long, and you will need to respond
substantively to the comments of at least two of your colleagues with a total of about 250 words. This
is the MINIMUM, and sometimes you may require more to make your point. If you only do the
minimum, your posts should be quite substantive (see last page of syllabus for evaluation rubric).
Initial Reflection. (due Wednesday at midnight except the first week, which is shifted to
Thursday because of Memorial Day) should:





indicate what you thought were the most interesting points (you SHOULDN'T summarize the
chapter--different students will point to different things--but your response should show you
read the whole thing)
relate the chapter content to your own experience.
include a couple of BRIEF key quotes.
criticize any limitations of the reading (don't worry that I wrote some of it--I don't agree with
all of it myself at this point :)
again, I don't want a summary. I want you to tell your colleagues in the class what YOU think
about different aspects of the chapter, good or bad, related to your own experience where
relevant.
Responses to the Reflections of others: I would like you to elaborate on your colleague’s post.
One way to think about this is to find one post with which you agree and why, and one with which you
disagree. Another way to think about it is, “I see your point, but have you thought about this or that
aspect of the subject matter,” or “yes, and I have found in my experience that this is true because…”
(Submit this post no later than Saturday at Midnight). You are free to respond to posts that cover
different readings or AV materials than the ones you addressed in your reflective post. Your two
response posts must be a minimum of 200 words, but may need to be longer in order for you to state
your case.
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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Read all posts. Students are required to read all of the posts in every forum they are assigned to, even
if they do not respond to these posts themselves.
SEE THE LAST PAGE OF SYLLABUS FOR THE EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR POSTS
Weekly Quizzes: These are meant to evaluate whether you have read the material carefully, and
to point you to key issues that will support you in making sense of the class. Quizzes will open on
Thursday at 10am and will close Saturday at midnight. The quizzes will not be attempts to “trick” you,
but may ask questions that will require you to think or look back at the readings.
Paper 1: Critical Response to Course Readings. A detailed description will be passed out in
class. Students failing to turn paper in on time or failing to turn paper in by rewrite date will lose 1/3
of a grade unless an acceptable reason is given or prior arrangements are made with me.
General Information on Papers: Papers should be written in grammatical form, typed, give
evidence to support conclusions. They should do more than simply report data. Successful papers will
make an argument that brings your opinion, ideas, and experience in contact with the material we have
examined. Successful papers will not simply make assertions, but will bring evidence and reasoning to
bear on the material at hand. More detailed guidelines will be passed out. Papers may be rewritten for
better grades, and I will often request that papers be rewritten.
Take-Home Exam. This will cover material up to the point at which it is passed out. Students may
use the material in the course readings to complete this exam. Because we will spend extensive time in
class discussing this material, students are expected to complete the exam without assistance from their
classmates.
Research Paper for Ed Pol 501.
Undergraduate Requirements
Responses/Participation
Quizzes
Paper #1
Take Home Examination
Weight
40 percent
20 percent
20 percent
20 percent
Graduate Requirements
Responses/Participation
Quizzes
Paper #1
Take Home Examination
Research Paper
Weight
30 percent
10 percent
15 percent
20 percent
25 percent
Students who fail to substantively post in more than 4 forums (there are a number of distinct
forums each week) will fail the course.
A Note about Online Course Expectations/Communication
What can you expect from me? You can expect that I will answer your emails at least every other
day, although students who have my courses with me in the past may note that I may every effort to
get back to you more frequently than that. When possible, please post questions about the syllabus or
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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technology directly in the D2L discussion groups labeled for that purpose.
I am sympathetic to the fact that crises and emergencies do occasionally happen in our lives, and I will
accommodate modifications to the course schedule if you meet with such circumstances. Unless there
is a documentable, debilitating illness or tragedy/emergency, please do not ask for extensions on
assignments. I will dock points for any papers that are turned in late. Should all the requisites not be
completed by the end of the semester, a final grade will be tabulated on the work completed.
I read all of your discussion group posts -- really! It may not be possible for me to respond to each of
your posts personally every week, however. You should expect to receive a personal response from me
on the boards every two to three weeks and to receive regular feedback about your online participation
(again, every 2 to 3 weeks). If I am satisfied with your performance, you may not hear from me, but if
I haven’t heard much from you on the boards, you will probably receive private correspondence from
me. There is no need for students to email me about their perceived performance of other students. I
will never try to publicly embarrass any student in this class, and hope that private emails from me will
be considered helpful and not punitive.
I hope you will learn something valuable from this course and that you will find it a worthwhile
experience. I will make every effort to grade you fairly. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you feel I
have made an error.
What do I expect from you? To deepen everyone’s learning, I expect you to engage with the
readings, be open to learning, and meet the deadlines for the course requirements outlined in this
syllabus. I, along with UWM, am responsible for ensuring that our online D2L learning environment
is available to you. You are solely responsible for securing adequate access to a reliable computer with
internet access in order to participate. Inadequate computer access or support is not an acceptable
excuse to miss posts, or to fail to submit papers or take exams on time. It is a good idea to have a
technology back-up plan, such as using a local public library or campus computer in case your primary
computer fails. I suggest familiarizing yourself with “plan B” computer options and availability at the
start of the semester.
Other Class Policies
Academic Misconduct
The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures
to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest
completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of
others' academic endeavors. Papers submitted for this class must have been written expressly for this
class. Unless explicitly negotiated with the instructor, papers or parts of papers turned into more than one
course will be treated as academic misconduct. Quotations taken from articles and/or books should be
indicated with quotation marks.
Accommodation for Religious Observances
Students will be allowed to complete requirements that are missed because of a religious observance.
Grade Appeal Procedures
A student may appeal a grade on the grounds that it is based on a capricious or arbitrary decision of the
course instructor. Such an appeal shall follow the established procedures adopted by the department.
These procedures are available in writing from the department chairperson.
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Incompletes
A notation of "incomplete" may be given in lieu of a final grade to a student who has carried out a
subject successfully until the end of the semester but who, because of illness or other unusual and
substantiated cause beyond the student's control, has been unable to complete some limited amount of
term work. An incomplete is not given unless you prove to the instructor that you were prevented
from completing course requirements for just cause as indicated above.
Participation by Students with Disabilities
If you need special accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please
contact the instructor as soon as possible.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is not tolerated by the University, and threatens the edicational experience and wellbeing of students, faculty, and staff. The University will not tolerate behavior between or among
members of the University community which creates an unacceptable working environment for anyone
Missing Papers
You should always keep a copy of any major paper or exam you pass in to me. If the paper is
somehow misplaced, and you do not have a copy, you will need to rewrite.
Links to UWM Syllabus Policies on a range of issues can be found here:
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf.
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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Course Outline
Ed Pol 111
Note: This schedule is open to change.
Week 1
Introduction
Watch Instructor Video Introduction to Week 1
I’ll be doing a new youtube video every week.
Posts this week are due THURSDAY because of Memorial Day. On all other weeks,
posts are due on Wednesday.
1) Introduce yourself in the “Introductions” forum. You don’t need to respond to
others’ posts, but you can.
-What program are you from?
-Why are you in this course?
-Tell us a little about your story.
-Tell us any experience you have had with “organizing”—it doesn’t have to be
the kind we are talking about in this class; it doesn’t have to be about building
“power.”
Read and Respond Separately to:
2) Schutz/Sandy, Introduction, Ch. 1 “What Organizing Is,” and Ch. 2 “What
Organizing Isn’t”
3) Von Hoffman, “Finding and Making Leaders”
4) Watch “Take Back the Schools” and read “Introduction to the Latino Civil Rights
Movement, both on D2L. (Note, the movie is about an hour long).
Video is here:
http://edpol111.weebly.com/ Password (no caps): alinsky
NOTE: VIDEO IS IN TWO PARTS ON WEBSITE. WATCH BOTH.
Other options are available on D2L for watching.
In your response, please:
1) Relate what happens in the movie to the two chapters about community
organizing.
2) Discuss one or two key strategies used by the students in the movie.
3) Discuss how particular events outside the control of those trying to affect
change in the school district affected the strategies and nature of the opposition
to the district.
Week 2
History and One on Ones
Watch Instructor Video Introduction to Week 2
Read and Respond Separately to
1) Schutz/Sandy Chapter 3: “History” (NOTE, THIS WILL REQUIRE A LONGER
REFLECTION THAN USUAL, at least 400 words. I will assign different students to
different sections of this to focus on, but at least 200 words should focus on the rest of
the chapter.)
2) Schutz/Sandy Chapter 9: Public-Civic-Private
3) One on Ones
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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a. Schutz/Sandy Chapter 10: One on Ones and
b. watch my video about doing one on ones here: http://youtu.be/vQB3yyhJBWs
(Optional: “Jacoby Brown One on One Video” at: http://edpol111.weebly.com/
Password (no caps): alinsky; or here: https://goo.gl/3oYHHl )
c. “Brief Introduction to One on Ones (one page)
4) Assignment: you will be assigned another partner who you will conduct a one on
one interview with. You should approach them formally as a member of an
organization (this may feel a little odd). As I will discuss, this is a “personal but
public” engagement. You are not trying to become their best friend. As chapter 10
notes, your job in this interview is to have a conversation where you:
1. Discover what this person’s “self-interest” or “passion” is. What do they
care about enough to actually act upon?
2. Create a relationship. This should just happen, but we’ll talk about it.
3. Recruit for an organization. How can you hook them in to some activity
now so you can start to actually get them to work?
4. Evaluate whether this is someone who could be a leader in your
organization. Note that this is not a judgment about whether someone is a
“good” person. There are plenty of wonderful people who for different
reasons might not make an effective leader. I might not . You don’t need
to actually write about your judgment in your report on your one on one next
week.
Please contact me if you run into problems with this.
5) Ed Pol 501 students only: Chapter from Ed Chambers, Roots for Radicals
Week 3
Saul Alinsky
Watch Instructor Video Introduction to Week 3
Read and Respond Separately to:
1) Schutz/Sandy, Ch. 4: Saul Alinsky AND watch Alinsky video (30 minutes) at:
http://edpol111.weebly.com/ Password (no caps): alinsky
2) Alinky, Reveille for Radicals Chs. 4-6 on D2L
3) Alinsky, Reveille for Radicals, Chs. 7-8 on D2L
4) Assignment: Write up what you found from your one-on-one interview
5) Fill out brief Survey on your personality (this one will be quick--- questions!) and
return it to me by email. The survey is under the “Content” tab in the “Syllabus and
Assignments” section.
6) 501 Students Only: Horwitt, Chapter from Let Them Call Me Rebel (from Alinsky
Biography) on D2L
Week 4
Gender, Obama, Leadership, and Social Movements
Watch Instructor Video Introduction
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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Read and Respond Separately to:
1) Stahl and Stoecker, “Community Organizing or Organizing Community?” on D2L
(Note: They are NOT saying that all women use one strategy and ALL men use
another strategy, only that women TEND to use one strategy and men TEND to use
another. You will need to decide whether they are right.)
(Optional: Payne, “Ella Baker and Models for Social Change”)
2) Saavedra and Engler, 4 Modules to watch: 1A, 1B, 2A, & 2B (about 50 minutes
total) All in “Content” under “Saavedra and Engler”
Note: You actually see Saavedra and Engler talking in the last two modules.
The first two modules just have slides and their talking.
Note: These modules are taken from a much larger group of modules, but I think
they make sense independently. There are a few areas where they refer to points
they make elsewhere—you can just ignore these. If you want access to the entire
group of modules, you can contact me. Saavedra and Engler also conduct
organizing trainings around the country and internationally (and they did one for us
in Spring, 2015).
(Optional: Engler, “Creating Moments of the Whirlwind.”)
3) Participate in a “chat” group with members of your group. Come up with the key
characteristics of the “kind” of leader you are. It’s okay if you all don’t agree on
this. I’ll assign different people to groups and you will need to find a common time.
If one person can’t make a time, I can do some switching around.
Key Questions:
a. What are the positive aspects of your group as leaders?
b. What are the potentially detrimental aspects of your group as leaders?
4) Ed Pol 501 only: edited version of Moyer, “The MAP Model for Organizing Social
Movements” (if you want to read the whole thing—it’s not a difficult read—contact
me.)
Week 5
Key Concepts in Organizing
Watch Instructor Video Introduction
Assignment, DUE MONDAY AT MIDNIGHT: Paper 1
Read and Respond Separately to:
1) Schutz/Sandy Ch. 12, “Power and Targets.”
2) Schutz/Sandy Ch. 13, “Cutting an Issue” AND VIDEO from class
(http://youtu.be/D_znOcJdljk) (There is some scratchiness to the sound on these,
I’m afraid.)
(Assignment for this reflection: “cut” an issue as described in this chapter. Also
come up with a person in some official role that you would “target” to pursue this
issue. Accuracy doesn’t matter—it’s okay to just make something up  )
3) Schutz/Sandy Ch. 14, “Tactics” AND VIDEO from class
(http://youtu.be/m5i7Kf2xoZM)
(In addition to your usual reflection: come up with a tactic that you might use to put
pressure on the target you described in #3 around the issue you described there.)
Ed Pol 111 Syllabus
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4) Each “Chat” group should select one student to post a summary of the kind of leader
they are by Wednesday at Midnight from the previous week. Students should
respond as usual to this forum.
Week 6
Organizing Models (heavy reading week)
Watch Instructor Video Introduction
Read and Respond Separately to:
1) ACORN
a. Schutz/Sandy Ch. 7
b. Talbott, “Story of An ACORN Organizer” on D2L
c. play this game: http://organizinggame.org/
2) Faith-Based Organizing
a. Schutz/Sandy Ch. 6
b. Miller, “Overview of Faith Based Organizing” on D2L
c. Watch “Faith Based Organizing” video (40 min) at:
http://edpol111.weebly.com/ Password (no caps): alinsky
3) House Meetings
a. “Fred Ross and House Meetings,” on D2L
4) PRACTICE EXAM: complete practice exam and post Wed at Midnight. Respond
to others’ exams as usual by Saturday at Midnight
5) Ed Pol 501 only: IAF, “Organizing for Family and Congregation” (D2L) (This is the
original document that the move to faith-based organizing was based on.)
Week 7
Course Completed
Final Exam Due Monday at Midnight.
Papers may be rewritten until the end of week 8. I will not post grades until then.
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Rubric for Evaluating Responses
10 points per week:
Note: the number of points will be adjusted at the end to reflect the % of the course grade they
represent.
I will be grading discussions based on the following rubric:
10 points
 The student posted the required amount of messages (or more) and interacted with
his/her group members
 The student made timely and appropriate comments that were reflective and critical in
nature
 The student made reference to the course content and/or personal experiences related to
the topic matter
 detail and language demonstrate an understanding of the major ideas and concepts;
 questions indicate a high level of analysis and insight.
 The student made few, if any, grammar and spelling errors
 The student has read all of the other posts for that week in his or her groups.
5-9 Points
 The student posted the required amount of messages and interacted with his/her group
members
 The student made appropriate comments, but lacked some depth
 The student made reference to the course content and/or personal experience related to
the topic matter
 The student may have made some grammar and spelling errors
 The student has read nearly all the other posts for that week in his or her groups.
1-4 Points
 The student may not have posted the required amount of messages or didn’t interact
with his/her group members
 The student may not have added anything new to the conversation
 The student may not have referenced the course content or referenced it in a faulty
manner
 The student may have committed spelling and grammar errors that make his/her
messages hard to read
 The student has read few of the posts of other students in his/her groups.
0 Points
 The student has not posted any messages