TUSCULUM COLLEGE
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
COURSE SYLLABUS
LEADERSHIP PRACTICE AND SKILLS - MGMT 521
MAOM ______
Instructor Name
Phone (w)
E-mail
Course Dates
(h)
Course Description:
This course explores the concept of leadership using various theoretical and scholarly
views, approached with a view to application. Emphasis will be placed on the
development of leadership skills and styles to enable students to become effective
organizational leaders. (3 credit hours).
Required Texts:
Dubrin, A. J. (2004). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (4 th ed.).
Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (ISBN 0-618-30596-3)
Indicate any other supplemental materials.
Course Goals:
This course will enable students to distinguish between leaders and managers from
both role and task perspectives. Through examination of established and emerging
leadership theories, students will develop an understanding of the role of leaders as
visionaries, team builders, and change agents. Students will examine skills, capabilities,
and knowledge managers must have to successfully perform in the context of local,
regional, and global cultures. The course will assist the students in the development of
leadership skills and styles to enable them to become effective organizational leaders.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the graduate student will be able to:

Distinguish between leaders and managers from both role and task perspectives.

Understand the role of leaders as visionaries, team builders, and change agents.
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
Understand the skills, capabilities, and knowledge managers must have to
successfully perform in the context of local, regional, and global cultures.

Understand the leadership skills and styles necessary to become effective
organizational leaders.
Advanced Competencies:
The five Advanced Competencies must be addressed in the course.
The Advanced Competencies are:
1. Critical Thinking—narrowing of focus, sorting ideas generated, identifying the
most reasonable ones. This involves recognizing opinions vs. facts, being
honest with oneself, resisting manipulation, overcoming confusion, asking
questions, acknowledging complexity, finding connections between subjects,
and being intellectually independent.
2. Synthesis of Information—taking independent bits of information,
understanding their relevance, and bringing them together into a meaningful
order.
3. Problem Solving—defining the problem, thinking about problem is both
narrowed and expanded, possibilities are generated, a plan is created and
performed.
4. Ethical Decision Making—values and plan in life are clear to the student,
information needed to make decisions is available, values are applied to
information, and action is taken.
5. Data Analysis and Interpretation—organizing qualitative and/or
quantitative data, selecting appropriate analyses or statistical tools, gleaning
for similar content/calculating, deriving a finding, interpreting, and practically
applying it.
These competencies will be addressed in this course. You should indicate how each
is addressed in your course format. Some suggestions are listed below, in italics.

Critical Thinking - Students will apply textbook theories to current events through
case studies. Students will assume the role of management and address issues
involving hiring/firing/promotion/demotion of an employee. This role will require
them to balance personal moral beliefs with political, legal, and economic
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constraints. As no clear correct course of action will exist, the student must use
logical and analytical skills in reaching an optimal solution.

Synthesis of Information – Through case studies that require the evaluation of a
potential new hire or an existing employee, students will gather information from a
variety of sources (i.e. recommendations, personal statements, performance
evaluations). The student must assimilate the information according to its relevance
and reliability to aid in the decision making process.

Problem Solving – Students will apply alternative solutions to management
problems through case studies and current events. More than one potential solution
may arise, requiring the students to select a course of action, implement the change,
and justify their actions should any questions arise.

Ethical Decision Making – Students must balance personal moral beliefs with
political, legal, and economic constraints in evaluating a potential new hire or an
existing employee. The course will address the ethical reasoning behind certain
political and legal standards and will discuss specific examples of company
violations of these standards.

Data Analysis and Interpretation – Students will apply theoretical models (i.e. job
analysis, statistical selection methods, performance measurement) to various
employment situations.
Students With Disabilities:
Tusculum provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to
participate in educational programs, activities, and services. Students with disabilities
requiring accommodations to participate in class activities or meet course requirements
should contact Lori McCallister at (423) 636-7300, extension 651 or 1-800-729-0256,
extension 651.
Tusculum College Learning Center:
If any student requires additional academic support, they may obtain it through the
Tusculum College Learning Center. For this service, please contact Lori McCallister at
(423) 636-7300, extension 651; 1-800-729-0256, extension 651; or by email at
lmccalli@tusculum.edu. The Learning Center is located in Room 100 of Annie Hogan
Byrd. The mailing address is Tusculum College Learning Center, Box 5025,
Greeneville, Tennessee, 37743.
Course Schedule:
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Include a description of Weekly Individual Assignments and a description of Weekly
Learning Team Assignments. Include both individual and learning team assignments
prior to the first class meeting.
Grading System:
Instructors must reveal their own grading system.

The grading system should include the relative weights and percentages of
assignments, tests, etc.

Instructors should be specific on how the percentages are derived and what
assessment measures are utilized to determine the grade. Separate criteria to
measure a particular assignment should be included either here in the syllabus or
provided as an attachment to the syllabus. Grading criteria should be aligned with
the learning outcomes.

Grading for learning team assignments should be included in the system (the
learning team assignments should equal around 20% of the grade). Individual
performances of learning team members should be evident in the grading of
learning team assignments. Instructors should guard against some members of the
learning team “carrying” weak students.
Grading Scale:
The scale set forth by Tusculum College must be used for all courses. The grading
system used by instructors must be converted to this grading scale.
95 - 100
90 - 94
87 - 89
83 - 86
80 - 82
77 - 79
73 - 76
70 - 72
0-69
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
Explanation of Assignments:
All assignments should be described. Information may include nature and objectives of
assignments, length, grading criteria, due date, and any other relevant information.
Collectively, all of the assignments, tests, and any other activities should contribute to
measuring the extent to which students are performing on the course objectives and the
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Advanced Competencies. All individual and learning team assignments should be
included in this section.
Research Assignment:
Faculty members should ensure that there is a specific research assignment that
requires the students to utilize the Tusculum College library resources either in person
or via the Tate Library website: http://library.tusculum.edu. Librarians are available to
assist faculty in developing assignments and in instructing and assisting students in
their research. Several of the online resources may also be accessed from home with a
username and password provided by library staff. For more information, contact Anne
Reever, Asst. Library Director for Distance Education, in Greeneville at 423-636-5320
or 1-800-729-0256 extension 5801 or Mary Halliburton, Distance Education Librarian
Southeast, in Knoxville at 865-693-1177 or 1-800-729-0116 extension 5016.
Course Attendance Policy:
The Tusculum College Professional Studies attendance policy is found in the college
catalog. Please note that attendance is mandatory and is monitored across the
program, as well as in individual courses. Sanctions may be imposed for excessive
misses across the program. Within each course, any student missing more than one
third of any course will receive an “F”. Instructors must adhere to Tusculum’s policy,
but may specify additional policies on attendance, lateness, and making up work.
Instructors must carefully document student attendance including late arrivals and early
departures. Any combination of missing that is greater than 1/3 of the class time is an
automatic “F” and the student is to be assigned the “F” by the instructor. Instructors are
expected to hold students accountable for class time missed due to absences.
Instructors are encouraged to require additional assignments/activities be completed to
ensure that the student has covered the material missed. A statement to this effect and
how the absence may affect the grade should be included.
Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism is a violation of the Ethics of Social Responsibility competency. As stated in
the Graduate and Professional Studies Student Handbook and Research Guide, and in
the Tusculum College Catalog, plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. It consists
of knowingly presenting in writing or in speech the intellectual or creative work of others
as if it were one’s own. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Failing to identify direct or word-for-word quotations by use of appropriate
symbols and reference to the source
2. Restating in your own words the work (ideas, conclusions, words) of another
without reference to the source
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3. Presenting as your own the creative work (for instance, music or photographs) of
another without proper acknowledgement.
See the Graduate and Professional Studies Student Handbook and Research Guide
and the Tusculum College Catalog for other forms of academic dishonesty and the
sanctions for dishonest performance.
Other Policies:
Instructors should provide students with any other policies to which they will adhere
during the course.