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Special Topic Courses
One of the features that makes our leadership studies program unique is our ability to add special topics courses in response to the most current developments in the leadership industry.
Classes such as The Pursuit of Happiness, Bad Leaders, Leadership in the Wizarding World, and LEAD at Sea create unique opportunities for students to dive deeper in to many aspects of leadership as they continue on their own personal leadership development journey. Mindfulness and Meditation? Leading Across Differences? Homelessness in America? We got that! Our special topics courses are open to all Drake students, so join us for a special topics class and immerse yourself in the most up-to-date exploration of leadership and positive social change.
LEAD 199 - #MeToo: Advancing Grassroots Social Change (1 credit hr.)
Discover the processes, language, and skills needed to create meaningful grassroots social change. This class will examine grassroots historical movements such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and contemporary social change movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo to understand how social movements are created and sustained. The intention is to provide students awareness and how such change is created and advocacy for creating a change they would like to see at Drake or in the Des Moines community. The class will conclude with students creating a blueprint for a change they believe is needed and timely. No prerequisite and open to all Drake students. Ms. Terry Hernandez, Executive Director and Ms. Brookes Findley, Director of Community Initiatives and Investments of the Chrysalis will teach the class.
LEAD 199 - Conflict with Civility (1 credit hr.)
This highly interactive course will provide you foundational knowledge and practical tools to approach and handle the difficult aspects of conflict. Areas to be covered are effective listening, dialogue versus debate, conflict management styles, and constructive communication. Through this course, students will learn to identify sources of conflict, understand the benefits of handling conflict and will acquire and practice a language of leadership for working through conflict. No prerequisite and open to all Drake students.
LEAD 199 - In the Pursuit of Happiness: Exploring the Roots of a Happy and Meaningful Life (1 credit hr.)
Students will engage online with the most provocative and practical lessons on the art and science of happiness. This online class will utilize materials from the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) created by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Students will gain practical strategies for tapping into and nurturing their own happiness, including weekly activities that foster social and emotional wellbeing. This will enable students to observe and measure their own happiness along the way. An opening one-hour orientation session and a closing one-hour evaluation session will be the only traditional class sessions used in the class. The online class will begin the week of September 4-7.
No prerequisite and open to all Drake students.
(Offered online for one credit hour.)
Looking for a different course? Click the link below to explore LEAD's Core and Elective Courses.
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