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Class Descriptions

Planning for Organizational and Community Change

SW651

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: SW 560/permission of instructor
Faculty Approval Date: 09/03/2014

Course Description

This course examines planning as a systematic process for community change that promotes social justice and empowerment. The course critically analyzes the sociopolitical and organizational contexts in which planning occurs, as well as major models and methods of planning practice. It presents practical tools for engaging community members, assessing community strengths and needs, setting goals and developing action plans, fostering support and partnerships for implementation, and evaluating and monitoring results. Emphasis is placed on participatory planning processes with marginalized and oppressed groups (including ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation).

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Distinguish among major approaches to planning for community change and empowerment among diverse constituencies. (Practice Behaviors 3.CO, 3.MHS, 4.CO, 4.MHS)
2. Demonstrate knowledge of analytical and interactional skills to assess community conditions, formulate and implement action plans, and build constituency support for implementation. (Practice Behaviors 6.CO, 6.MHS, 9.CO, 9.MHS, 10.a.CO, 10.a.MHS, 10.b.CO, 10.b.MHS)
3. Conduct an assessment and formulate a plan at the organizational or community level, drawing on empirical studies to inform planned interventions. (Practice Behaviors 3.CO, 3.MHS, 6.CO, 6.MHS, 10.b.CO, 10.b.MHS, 10.c.CO, 10.c.MHS)
4. Identify issues of ethics and values arising in the field, especially those related to empowerment and how to foster responsive change. Develop an evaluation plan for creating, expanding, or improving a service program that is shared with or dependent on a number of institutions at the community level. (Practice Behaviors 1.CO, 1.MHS, 2.CO, 2.MHS, 5.CO, 5.MHS)
5. Develop an evaluation plan for creating, expanding, or improving a service program that is shared with or dependent on a number of institutions at the community level. (Practice Behaviors 9.CO, 9.MHS, 10.d.CO, 10.d.MHS)

Design

To achieve the course objectives, learning activities include readings, group discussion, experiential activities, and written assignments. Community resource persons may be invited to participate in ways that complement curricular content.

Students are expected to be reflective, critical thinkers, actively engaged in classroom activities and responsive to constructive criticism. Students will have opportunities to work on planning projects aimed at impacting target communities, applying knowledge learned in the classroom.

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