Governance (GOVN) 500

Overview

Governance 500: Governance and Leadership is a graduate course in leadership and governance in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. The course provides an experiential overview and  theoretical introduction to the elements that shape and define leadership in the twenty-first century.  This course deals with a paradigm shift in our knowledge and thinking about leadership, approaching it from the perspective of the individual, defining core values, competencies, behaviours, and methods of leadership development.

Key themes and topics include:

• leadership in the twenty-first century; the commonality of roles, vision, and values
• different types and styles of leadership
• personal leadership development
• governance structures and how they shape the role and expectations of leadership
• how to lead the change from the old control based model of leadership to ones that are values and influence-based
• the new and emerging challenges of leadership
• the intersectionality of leadership across the various sectors
• the forces that shape leaders
• the preparation of leaders to anticipate and lead change
• the role of leadership in shaping public policy and the implications across all sectors

Objectives

When they have completed this course students should be able to:

• understand and critically analyze the new and emerging paradigm of leadership and practice
• discuss the role of key external forces, sectors and institutions that shape the development of leaders and leadership in the twenty-first century
• reflect and articulate your own personal leadership development
• understand the concept of governance and analyze the shifting paradigm
• analyze the influence of individuals and groups of citizens as leaders across the various sectors through interest groups and social movements
• analyze and evaluate how leadership across the various governance models influence and inform relationships, communications, and interactions
• analyze the implications, challenges, and opportunities for leadership in view of the changing external factors

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course, students must participate in the online activities, successfully complete the assignments, and achieve a final mark of at least 60 per cent. Students should be familiar with the Master of Arts—Interdisciplinary Studies grading system. Please note that it is the student's responsibility to maintain their program status. Any student who receives a grade of "F" in one course, or a grade of "C" in more than one course, may be required to withdraw from the program.

The following table summarizes the evaluation activities and the credit weights associated with them:

Materials

The course is taught with a combination of online resources and academic support. All material is found online or in the course itself.

Important links

• Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Focus Areas
• Courses
• Fees and Funding