Course Overview:
This three week short course is geared to entry-level professionals and will provide participants with the opportunity to focus on supervision theory, supervising staffs and individuals, and working with challenging staff members.
Supervision will be explored through lectures, readings, participation on a discussion board, and case studies. Participants will examine various staff issues and discuss techniques for positively managing challenging staff. Participants will also be expected to read a leadership or supervision book during the course.
Examples of books for the reading requirement:
Encouraging the Heart: A Leader’s Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
The Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management/i>, Jerry B. Harvey
The Absolutes of Leadership/i>, Philip B. Crosby
Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within/i>, Robert E. Quinn
Learning Outcomes:
Greater understanding of supervision and models for leadership or supervision
Techniques for building a strong staff team
Techniques for supervising individual staff members
Techniques for working with difficult or challenging staff
Participant Expectations:
Participants should plan to spend approximately 4 to 5 hours per week in this course. This will include time to read materials, complete case studies and participate in asynchronous on-line discussions. Participants will need to log on for course content that will be posted as indicated in the timeline. In addition participants will need to respond to questions posted on the discussion board each week. As the discussion board is asynchronous, students may check in and post at their convenience. This learning tool will be an important part of participant's learning experience.
Proposed Outline (subject to pace of course)
Introductions and Getting Started – Monday, March 8
Module 1: Supervision: The Basic Steps – Tuesday, March 9
Discussion : Wednesday, March 10
Module 2: Individual Supervision Techniques – The Tango - Thursday, March 11
Discussion: Friday, March 12
Module 3: Working with a Challenging Staff Member – Quit Stepping on my Toes – Tuesday, March 16
Discussion: Wednesday, March 17
Module 4: Building Your Staff Team (or Leading the Macarena) - Thursday, March 18
Discussion: Friday, March 19
Case Studies Posted: Monday, March 22
Case Study Responses: Wednesday, March 24
Course Summary and Evaluation – Friday, March 26
Instructor Bio: Darese Doskal-Scaffido is currently Director of Residence Life at Tompkins Cortland Community College. She has supervised various levels of Residential Life staff for 16 years at Indiana State University, University of Connecticut and Ithaca College. She has a Masters Degree in College Student Personnel from Indiana State University and an Undergraduate degree in Psychology from Northwestern University. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Women of NASPA.
