Special Topic Courses

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.

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.

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.)