Organizational Leadership Curriculum

Financial Wellness is a practical approach to making informed and empowering decisions about financial health. Students explore values, feelings and knowledge related to money, acquire basic financial knowledge and apply this knowledge to short and long term financial decisions.

This course introduces the integration of communication skills essential for effective reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college level. In this writing intensive course, students develop composition skills to produce collegiate-level papers modeling rhetorical modes and thematic content in addition to strategies for reading complex texts; presentation skills for personal introductions, verbal summaries of readings and response writings, and peer review of papers; and basic technological skills for word processing, e-mail, and introductory-level online research.

This required interdisciplinary course is designed to give all undergraduate students entering Bay Path University a common experience and foundation for lifelong learning. Students examine leadership within the larger context of our interdependent world and their own strengths, values, and aspirations. Students also examine learning styles, communication skills and technology to create a personalized action plan for success. This course lays the foundation for higher-level courses in the WELL program.

Together, we will spend the course defining and refining our response to the question: what is a meaningful career and what resources do I need to achieve one? We will also build upon the learning we achieved in WEL 220 by thinking about how career management skills can help us become more effective leaders. This course has been designed to support learners in all phases of their professional and life paths, from meaningful career planning through the job search and beyond. You will find that many assignments can be tailored to your own personal situation, whether you are just embarking on your career, changing course, or preparing for retirement.

Prerequisite: WEL 100 or WEL 220

The BA in Leadership and Organizational Studies program requires 28 core electives:

• Behavioral/Social Science Electives (9 credits)
• Humanities Electives (9 credits)
• Mathematics Elective (3 credits)
• Science Electives (lab required) (7 credits)

Learn more about which courses apply to these credits by speaking with an enrollment counselor.

In this course students will apply the practices for effective reading and writing introduced in ENG 114 to the distinctive language and forms of various disciplines. This course lays the foundation for academic and professional research and stresses the use of appropriate and effective information sources. Readings for a variety of academic audiences will provide students with strategies to communicate in the sciences, business and technology, psychology, liberal studies, and the social sciences. Research and documentation skills appropriate to the disciplines are stressed. In addition to leading students through the research process from start to finish, this course will examine the many ramifications of academic honesty.

Prerequisite: ENG 114

Selected readings in fiction, poetry, and drama introduce the student to literary types and techniques. These readings provide a basis for collegiate-level discussion, analysis, and the development of critical judgment. Building on the communications and research skills from earlier courses in the sequence, this course emphasizes continued practice in writing, and students complete a documented research paper using primary and secondary sources as one of the course writing assignments. Discussions and oral presentations based on assigned literature support the overall goal of the sequence: to enhance the advancement of the students, first academically and then professionally.

Prerequisite: ENG 114

This course provides the 21st Century foundation for business students who will need newly shaped perspectives, solid research and communication skills, positive ethical spirit, and new technological resources to work and make decisions in global economy. Students learn the basics of business, the process of innovation and the role that business plays in society. Students are encouraged to develop their own innovative capacities, whether they want to start up a business of their own, augment the capabilities of a small business, step up to the myriad of non-profit challenges, or excel in corporate America. Students learn how to think systematically as business professionals, innovators and/or entrepreneurs. By first exploring the economics of business, in this country and beyond, students begin to recognize that all businesses are subject to ongoing trends, discoveries and breakthroughs that must be accommodated. Some represent threats; others opportunities. None can be ignored. Learning that the form of a business should follow the functions it must provide, students discover the range of options available to them as they contemplate career paths that may be of interest to them. Finally, students are provided with insight into each of the areas of functional expertise found in all organizations; i.e., finance and accounting, marketing and sales, customer support, operations, logistics, et. al.

The BA in Leadership and Organizational Studies requires 50 credits of general electives. Learn more about which courses apply to these credits by speaking with an enrollment counselor.

This course builds a bridge from students’ general education to the work they do in the field of business. With the aim of preparing students for both professional life and graduate work, this writing-intensive course introduces disciplinary strategies for preparing routine business correspondence, for investigating provocative issues, and for communicating to others about them. In this way, the course offers students time to learn and to practice more advanced skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; in using appropriate software support in presentations; and in mastering information literacy in the field of business. The course emphasizes fundamental principles of communication with time-on-task and real world, discipline-specific models for communication tasks.

Prerequisite: ENG 114 and ENG 124 or ENG 134

As the final course in the CIT core, Communicating for Leadership serves as a bridge to upper-level courses in students fields of study. Furthermore, different sections are taught by instructors in these fields. This allows students to study the specialized communication styles and demands associated with effective leadership in their majors; that is, business majors study corporate communications; students in legal studies examine communication models and strategies for conflict resolution, liberal studies majors draw upon multimedia skills and technologies to enhance their communications, etc. Through readings, writing projects, discussions, and role-plays, students also study interpersonal communication skills, verbal and non-verbal communication, the dynamics and ethics of interviewing, and organizational and small group communication. While writing, reading, listening, and information literacy are integrated into the course, the course offers explicit instruction in public speaking and offers students opportunities to practice speaking to multiple and complex audiences in forums relevant to their fields of study.

Prerequisite: ENG 114, ENG 124, ENG 134

In this course, students will be provided a baseline of knowledge of the fundamentals of computers and digital literacies to ensure they will be able to understand a constantly changing technology oriented landscape. In this course, students will be exposed to the fundamentals of computing technology, including computer hardware and software concepts; the Windows operating system and commands; drives, folders, and files; Google’s suite of applications; use of the Internet and growing connectivity with everyday devices; and digital literacy knowledge and skills. By mastering the fundamentals of computing technology and demonstrating digital literacy, students will have the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century workforce.

This course provides the student with a hands-on exercise-oriented approach to learning. Understanding file management and functions of the operating system, developing a thorough knowledge of Excel, and acquiring database management skills will be covered. Students will be provided with practical examples that demonstrate the computer as a useful tool for presenting business data and solving problems. Topics will include creating professional-looking worksheets; using templates; building formulas and functions; creating and modifying charts, including pivot tables; working with Excel lists; managing multiple worksheets and workbooks; developing customized applications with macros and visual basic; utilizing financial functions, goal seeking, and what-if assumptions. Students will also design, create, and modify databases, run queries; and produce reports.

Leadership requires a balanced understanding of human behavior and applied managerial skill. This course introduces organizational studies and organizational behavior. It examines the history of the field as well as the critical role that theory and research play in the discipline. Topics include the characteristics of effective leadership and organizational power, different frameworks for leadership and leadership styles, building and managing high-performing diverse teams, managing a diverse and inclusive organization, supporting diverse employees, and effective and ethical managerial decision-making.

This course is an introduction to the basic functions and theories of management in the context of a dynamic environment. Emphasis is on the role of managers in making organizations effective and efficient, in part through developing an understanding of how to assess and capitalize on the changing internal and external environments, but most of all how to deal with the complexities of human behavior in the context of organizational management.

In the twenty-first century, businesses are increasingly becoming globalized in a number of ways, including providing goods and services in international markets, relying on supplies from other countries, and outsourcing work. It is critical for leaders and managers to understand the global context of business, become familiar with cultures and societies with a variety of customs and expectations, and understand the economic interdependence of nations. This course introduces major factors (economic, sociocultural, transnational management, strategic planning, human resources, marketing, finance and technological) in the global environment and examines the effects on organizational and managerial practices.

Organizational Behavior and Leadership The individual and employee-management relations are examined so the student can develop an understanding of interpersonal interactions and behavior within entrepreneurial businesses. Both theory and practical perspectives are used. Topics include: motivating and inspiring employees, leadership development, group and team dynamics, human resources systems, decision-making, conflict management, negotiation strategy, intercultural relations, communication in the workplace, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, and managing change. Learning is reinforced through case studies and experiential exercises.

This course gives students an understanding of planning, budgeting, and finance within an organization or business. Managers are responsible for helping an organization understand its financial status, develop strategies to meet goals, and to help earn a profit. This course introduces the language of accounting and finance, how to create an effective budget, how to analyze financial statements to ensure that an organization’s goals are being achieved, and how to make ethical decisions to maintain the financial health of an organization.

The Small Business Management course addresses issues unique to managing a small business. Using a hands-on approach to learning, students will apply both accounting and business principles to small business management. Students will navigate basic features in Quickbooks in order to develop a customer base, monitor sales and complete operational transactions via QuickBooks accounting software. As students monitor the financial status of a small business, they will be able to connect business decisions to financial information and outcomes.

This course introduces critical aspects of leadership including power, accountability, and ethics. Theories of ethical reasoning (such as deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics) are examined and applied in various situations. Students examine the legal and moral implications of decisions related to human resources, finances, operations and organizational development. An emphasis is placed on diverse human relationships and ethical dimensions of issues. Students will think critically about ethical systems and leadership theories and apply lessons learned to develop their own philosophy and practices.

Prerequisite: A grade of ‘C’ or higher in LOS 350

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Thinking This course focuses on introducing the concepts of entrepreneurial thinking, innovation and diversity in the entrepreneurial experience. Entrepreneurial diversity is addressed from two perspectives, the types of entrepreneurial ventures and the demographic distinctions of people engaged in this experience. Demographic characteristics of age, gender, ethnic background, and disability are considered in terms of the potential for entrepreneurial and innovative approaches to employment and creative ventures. Topics such as entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, and incubation of entrepreneurial ventures will also be discussed. The course also serves as the foundation for the MBA program dealing with a variety of subjects including business and academic writing, effective team work, and exploration of personal entrepreneurial opportunities.

The goal of operations strategy in any organization is to achieve consistent delivery of products and services to meet customer needs and the business’s overall plans. The course explains the relationship between operations and other leadership functions and how business processes can be better managed and enhanced for greater efficiency. Topics include strategic and tactical decision-making, quantitative and qualitative analysis, project management, and the role of technology in leading and managing organizations. Students will consider services operations, process analysis, and quality management to translate conceptual learning to real-world situations.

Those leading today’s business and not-for-profit organizations face unprecedented economic uncertainty, technical advances, speed of communication, and flexibility of human capital. These factors result in the need to manage change in order to prevent organizations from losing their organizational capacity and progress. This course is designed to help students understand frameworks for planning organizational change and the processes, tools and techniques to manage the people side of change to achieve a required business outcome. The course incorporates methods to identify, collect, assess, and deploy data to make decisions to effect change as well as manage potential resistance. Students will become proficient in evaluating various types of data and will learn some of the ways qualitative and quantitative data can be used to inform decision-making.

Organizational Development and Change provides students with the opportunity to learn critical theory and application in the field of Organizational Behavior and Change and how to use that knowledge to improve organizational development to adapt quickly and effectively to change. Students apply proven methods to help organizations achieve goals and build capabilities to meet future challenges.

Prerequisite: BUS 235

This course focuses on the planning, design, and implementation of a project in partnership with a community agency. Students will engage in research pertaining to leadership (learn), and practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills while learning about theory, community, and leadership (connect and practice). In this course, students advance their leadership skills to move from responsiveness to responsibility with the goal of social change. Through a team-based, service learning project, students will learn about and practice creative and strategic decision-making skills as well as develop organization and systems thinking skills. Trips to local sites and interaction with those in the community are integral components of WEL 400. This blended-learning course serves as the capstone for the WELL program, and requires students to complete the e-Portfolio.

This interdisciplinary capstone course is designed to give senior-level students an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership, communications and technology skills through active engagement in a self-directed change project. Building on assignments completed in previous courses, students are responsible for designing, implementing and evaluating an experiential learning project that draws on their talents, interests, strengths and skills to facilitate change in a personal, family, organizational and/or community setting.