Course information contained within the Bulletin is accurate at the time of publication in August 2023 but is subject to change. For the most up-to-date course information, please refer to the Course Catalog.
AOD 5301. People-Centered Community Development. 3 Credit Hours.
People-Centered Community Development offers a broad perspective on community development (CD), focused on the United States of America. The course covers many of the major considerations of CD. We will analyze CD from different standpoints: bureaucratic; research; historical; theoretical; ethnographic; grassroots; activist; policy maker; and, funder. The course emphasizes people-centered, participatory, and holistic approaches to CD. We will explore how intervention strategies, available resources, gender, race, inequity, and competing development ideologies play out in community development. A framework that stresses holism, dialogue, field research, and the emic perspective inspires the course.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5302. Introduction to Mission-Driven Organizations: Theory and Practice. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is a graduate-level introduction to theory and practice of the non-profit sector and for-profit organizations focused on social, cultural and environmental change, with a heavy emphasis on practical application. This course will provide an introduction to some of the special management and leadership issues facing these mission-driven organizations. Course readings and discussions will include topics such as writing and fulfilling mission statements, facilitating governance, designing effective fundraising tactics, and engaging in advocacy or lobbying. We will also cover the formation of the nonprofit sector and its differences from public and for-profit sectors.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5401. System Dynamics. 3 Credit Hours.
Frameworks for understanding dynamic social systems that form the bases for research, assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of social entities are explored. Linear and nonlinear theories are examined, especially as they may be applied to group and organizational training and development.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5402. Negotiating Conflict. 3 Credit Hours.
The course examines the role of communication in setting where there is an attempt to manage conflict among individuals or groups. The course provides: an overview of social science theory on conflict processes; an understanding of the major forces that influence conflict interaction; an increased ability to negotiate and intervene in difficult conflicts; and an increased awareness of one's own conflict style and personal responses in various conflict settings. In this course, you will have the opportunity to develop more self awareness and to improve your negotiation skills, including: identifying the difference between needs and positions, applying appropriate negotiation and conflict resolution strategies, developing an appreciation for how bias, perception, power, and culture impact dialogue, learning to deal with anger and other behaviors in conflict situations, and gaining a better understanding of your role in these conflict situations.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5403. Facilitating Adult Learning. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines teaching and learning transactions in adult educational settings and the methods and techniques appropriate for facilitating adult learning.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5404. Organizational Development. 3 Credit Hours.
This course integrates psychological theory with tools and methods for understanding organizations, dealing with human capital problems in organizations and for making organizations more effective and more satisfying as places to work. During this course, students will explore evidence-based practice with regard to recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5515. Conflict Resolution in Education. 3 Credit Hours.
Educators need to know how to develop safe and constructive learning environments. Effective management of conflict in educational settings and the creation of conflict competence in students and staff are key. This course provides an overview of proven programs in conflict resolution education in K-12 contexts.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5516. Negotiation Processes. 3 Credit Hours.
Negotiation is a critical skill in any professional or personal context. This course teaches students to engage effectively in cooperative and competitive orientations as a means to negotiate dyadic and multiparty situations.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5518. Third-Party Conflict Intervention. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines the various ideologies and roles that third parties adopt as they intervene in conflict in interpersonal, group, organizational, or cross-cultural settings. Students learn the fundamentals of various third-party roles, including mediators, arbitrators, ombudspersons, and facilitators. Emphasis is placed on how conflict interveners' purpose drives their practice as they work toward transforming difficult conflicts.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5522. Interpersonal Skills Training. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines training methods to develop interpersonal and team effectiveness in the workplace. Skills included are understanding others, clear communication, asserting needs, exchanging feedback, influencing, resolving conflict, collaborating, and shifting gears.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5524. Sociocultural Dynamics. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines contending frameworks for understanding conditions and dynamics of sociocultural diversity and scenarios for preferred outcomes. Contemporary and evolving issues of human diversity in our global, local, and personal contexts are explored, especially as these relate to professional practice.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5527. Training Design and Delivery. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines the design of training programs in public and private sector organizations. Students learn to design active, experientially based training programs.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5532. Leadership and Management. 3 Credit Hours.
This course addresses the theoretical understandings that guide appropriate implementation of professional managerial and facilitative roles in adult and organizational development. Students gain increased clarity regarding contextually appropriate practice of both management and leadership.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5533. Team Development. 3 Credit Hours.
This course blends academic inquiry and experiential learning in exploring the nature and dimensions of teams. We focus on: Characteristics of teams; Processes of teamwork; Issues teams face; and Organizational context of teams.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5534. Group Facilitation and Consultation. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on the skills needed to assist groups and teams in their decision-making processes. Students learn both voting and consensus processes and develop the skills needed to facilitate either approach to decision-making. The course also covers a range of specialized formats for assisting group decision-making such as brainstorming, nominal group technique, problem solving, incrementalism, and mixed scanning.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5535. Organizational Assessment, Design and Strategy. 3 Credit Hours.
This course explores applied research and evaluation in organizations. It highlights methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, administrative data analysts, and "tests" used for organizational purposes such as employee selection, performance appraisal and employee motivation/satisfaction. Students are expected to explore a relevant organizational research/assessment proposal.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 5540. Current Topics in AOD. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.
The topics of this course vary. Its inclusion in the curriculum allows faculty and students to explore emerging issues in the field.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
AOD 8101. Training and Organizational Development: Theory and Research. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is a doctoral level graduate seminar that focuses on critical conceptual and empirical issues facing the field of training and development. The course is structured around major training themes such as training needs assessment, design, evaluation and transfer. The course is not specifically designed to "train" trainers but to give participants an appreciation for the critical research issues that must be addressed in the training literature. To appreciate these issues, participants will also be involved in projects designed to simulate the practical issues and constraints in designing a training program. Thus, the course is based on the principles of action learning and learner control of the learning process.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
AOD 9187. Practicum in Adult and Organizational Development. 3 Credit Hours.
This course provides students with the opportunity to translate adult and organizational theory into practice by gaining experience working in contexts in which change and learning are being fostered. Students work under the auspices of the Training and Development Center and are placed in a variety of contexts. This course should be taken near the end of the student's program.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
AOD 9231. Proseminar in AOD. 3 Credit Hours.
This capstone course provides students with the opportunity to design and complete a culminating project that applies the principles of AOD theory and practice.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
