Courses
Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduates:
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Detailed introduction to community resource management. Theoretical frameworks, methodological investigation, applied practices. Enhancement of ability of community development professionals to work with communities to plan, develop and monitor conversation and development of natural resources with multiple functions.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Analysis of principles and practices of community change and development. Use of case studies to relate community development approaches to conceptual models from diverse disciplines. Exploration of professional practice principles, and student construction of their personal framework for practicing community development.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Introduction to research methods relevant to community development. Formulate and begin a research effort, methods of data collection and how conceptual frameworks are used to develop the questions and analyze data. Emphasis on strategies for reporting findings and applying findings in community action and methods of evaluating the entire research process. Significant attention paid to issues of research ethics and inclusiveness.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Examines role of civil society in community planning efforts. Comparative approach to planning theories and approaches. Focus on change within communities and the roles of government, planners, and citizens in reacting to or shaping change. Dimensions of social capital and the context of change covered.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Introduction to concepts of communities and regions, theories of economic growth, drivers of economic growth, the economic base of a community, sources of growth or decline in the community, roles of local government and institutions, and analytical tools. Strategies for local economic development will also be explored.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
A base knowledge course. For students currently working within, in partnership with, or considering working with Native communities. Basic understanding within the context of community development of the diversity of the tribal structures and cultures and the unique history and jurisdictional considerations of these nations. Working with tribes, Federal and Indian relations, and governance and cultural issues.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Approaches economy and community by looking at the inherent interdependence, jointness, and potential complimentarity between ecology and economy (utility) of a place.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Focus on non-western approaches to helping Native communities build their capacity. Students will learn to take a participatory, culture-centered, and strength-based approach to development.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Introduction to the historical and contemporary issues related to natural resource management on Native American lands. Philosophical and economic arguments concerning natural resource conservation, preservation and extraction will be explored.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Students will learn the conceptual relationships among Community and Sustainable Development and Sustainable Communities and examine the social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainable communities. The course includes analysis of public policy impacts on community sustainability, practical actions for enhancing sustainability, and changing power dynamics and reward structures involved in incorporating sustainability into Community Development.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Course explores theories of local economic development and addresses the development issues faced by communities in the 21st century. Students will understand and apply concepts from economic development planning, economic analysis, business development, human resource development, community-based development, and high-technology development.
Credits: 2. Contact Hours: Lecture 2.
Introduction to the Community Development program. Focus on on-line delivery methods, graduate level research and writing, technology skills.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Review and evaluation of historical and current housing issues, production, and financial systems, including consideration of racial, ethnic, income, and gender issues as they relate to the role of housing developments and programs in community development. (Typically Offered: Spring)
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Defining leadership and applying it to the workplace. Understanding of potential link between leadership and community capacity. Identifying strategies for leadership development in communities.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Basic Grant Development and Management will introduce students to the grant-getting process and provide an overview of what happens after a project is funded. The following topics will be covered: researching funding sources, generating cutting edge ideas, assessing needs, planning a project, establishing credibility, formulating a sustainable budget, designing an evaluation plan, managing the funded project, and disseminating project results.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Understanding of how non-profit organizations are run in order that they may participate more fully in community development efforts. Learning skills necessary to assist organizations to manage community development projects and programs, such as, budgeting, planning, personnel, facilities, volunteer management, and fundraising.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Focus on role of tribally-chartered colleges and universities in economic development within Native communities. Social capital analytic framework to examine and evaluate tribal college model of economic development.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Mechanisms for community inclusion and exclusion in relation to immigration will be examined. Aspects of ethnicity, religion, occupation and transnationalism are addressed in terms of community mechanism for incorporating immigrants as community assets.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Introduction to the fundamental theories and practices of budgeting in the public and non-profit sectors. Topics covered include overview of budgeting and budget reform, taxation, expenditures, budget preparation and adoption, budget implementation, and performance budgeting. (Typically Offered: Summer)
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Introduction to the philosophy, techniques, and methodologies of organizational and program evaluation. Overview of program evaluation and theory, techniques to evaluate program processes and performance, evaluation designs, assessing program efficiency, models to diagnose organizations, and methods to assess organizational performance.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Understanding what ethics are and identify ethical dimensions of a problem. Ability to employ ethical analysis and engagement strategies in public problem-solving.
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Substantive grounding in the theories and practice of measuring community economic dynamics; build solid foundation skills for applied community economic analysis.
Credits: 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 4 times.
Special topics in Community Development. Independent Study, must get instructor approval. (Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer)
Credits: 1-30. Repeatable.
Students work with major professor to conduct research and carry out work on their creative component. Instructor permission required. (Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer)
Courses for graduate students:
Credits: 1-6. Repeatable.
Thesis Research. (Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer)