Learning and Leadership Sciences Minor
The Learning and Leadership Sciences minor provides an opportunity for students to engage in productive thinking, enabling them to lead in their professions and contribute to society and their communities.
The coursework builds on the curriculum of a student's primary discipline to enhance student leadership abilities throughout their academic career and beyond. Students will enhance their abilities to engage in productive thinking, such as critical, analytical, and creative thinking in problem-solving; discern the types of thinking required when presented with new situations; and use different types of thinking to address issues and situations as professionals and citizens. Core courses in the minor address eight competency areas that are critical for leaders: 1) understanding self and personal responsibility for learning, 2) understanding worthy team membership, 3) developing productive thinking and creative problem solving abilities, 4) developing resiliency, 5) negotiating and resolving conflict, 6) action planning for providing service, 7) communicating, and 8) recognizing and acting on the obligation to "do" leadership every day.
Students in the Learning and Leadership Sciences Minor will ultimately achieve these learning outcomes by uncovering and practicing:
- habits of deep self-reflection about learning and application of these habits to their professional and community lives;
- effective interaction with others in professional and community settings, including abilities to listen actively, communicate clearly, resolve conflicts, and negotiate desired outcomes;
- habits of professional thinking, including accountability, initiative, innovation, resilience, tolerance, and profound respect for others.
| L L S 112 | Foundations of Learning and Productive Team Membership | 2 |
| L L S 114 | Developing Responsible Learners and Effective Leaders | 2 |
| L L S 212 | Habits of Mind and Decision-Making in Leadership | 2 |
| L L S 312 | Problem Solving and Action Planning in Leadership | 2 |
| L L S 412 | Learning and Leadership in Practice | 3 |
| At least four additional credits from the following courses (or others) as per personal plan of study (with at least 1 credit at 300-level or above): | ||
| AESHM 211 | Leadership Experiences and Development (LEAD) | 3 |
| AGEDS 315 | Personal, Professional, and Entrepreneurial Leadership in Agriculture | 3 |
| FS HN 342 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| HD FS 270 | Family Communications and Relationships | 3 |
| MGMT 371 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| M S 202L | Basic Leadership Laboratory IV | 1 |
| NREM 460 | Controversies in Natural Resource Management | 3 |
| PSYCH 230 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 280 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 310 | Brain and Behavior | 3 |
| PSYCH 313 | Learning and Memory | 3 |
| SOC 305 | Social Psychology: A Sociological Perspective | 3 |
| SOC 330 | Ethnic and Race Relations | 3 |
| SOC 464 | Strategies for Community Engagement | 3 |
Courses
Courses primarily for undergraduates:
(2-0) Cr. 2. F.
Introduction to developing intentional learners and worthy team members. Learning as the foundation of human enterprise; intellectual curiosity; ethics as a personal responsibility; everyday leadership; effective team and community interactions including team learning and the effects on individuals; and growth through understanding self, demonstrating ownership of own learning, and internalizing commitment to helping others. Intentional mental processing as a means of enhancing learning. Interconnectedness of the individual, the community, and the world.
(2-0) Cr. 2. S.
Prereq: L L S 112
Focus on team and community. Application of fundamentals of human learning; evidence of development as a responsible learner; intentional mental processing as a habit of mind; planning and facilitating learning opportunities for others; responsibility of the individual to the community and the world; leading from within; holding self and others accountable for growth and development as learners and leaders.
(2-0) Cr. 2. F.
Prereq: L L S 114
Application of theories about habits of mind, mindset, and critical thinking to structured cross-disciplinary problem-solving scenarios. Development and utilization of personal and team action plans for specific habits of mind associated with leadership.
(2-0) Cr. 2. S.
Prereq: L L S 212
Transfer of theories about learning and leadership to practice. Leading for change. Using knowledge of self and interactive skills to explore interdependence. Development of an action plan that addresses a real-world problem.
(0-9) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: L L S 312
Teamwork in a practicum to execute a project that will positively change the community. Application of learning and leadership theory: framing a problem, justifying approaches, taking action, getting feedback, and planning new actions. Application to be accompanied by continual reflection and feedback. Development of final portfolio to showcase cumulative leadership growth in the Learning and Leadership Sciences minor.