PSA 499: Leadership in PSA Capstone

Course Description

This is the capstone course for the Public Safety Administration concentration and should be taken in the student's last semester. The student can have no more than 6 credits remaining in their concentration to complete in their degree program prior to enrolling in this course. The goal of the course is for students to integrate the knowledge gained in the Public Safety Administration concentration courses. The course must be taken at Charter Oak State College. (3 credits)

Prerequisites

  • ENG 101: English Composition 1
  • ENG 102: English Composition 2

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  1. Examine leadership from a public safety perspective
  2. Understand their own personal leadership traits and learn how to apply those traits to best advantage within their own organizations.
  3. Examine and actively work with the skills needed to understand, build and disseminate leadership and learn the role of leadership within a broader societal environment.
  4. Build their own personal leadership development plan within the context of the knowledge areas and disciplines which they have been exposed to within the over-all Public Safety Administration concentration.

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsWeight

Weekly Discussion

30%

Quizzes (2)

20%

Midterm Exam

20%

Research Paper

30%

Total

100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak's online bookstore

  • Anderson, Terry. Every Officer is a Leader: Transforming Leadership in Police, Justice, and Public Safety. 2nd ed. Trafford Publishing, 2006. ISBN-10: 1-4120-2529-X or ISBN-13: 978-1-4120-2529-4

Additional Required Materials

(Not available through bookstore)

Additional Resources

  • Scholarly articles and technical material posted to the class web site each week. The class site will also feature several Power Point presentations, streaming media and hyperlinks to other sources of information about leadership as well as a glossary.

Course Schedule

Note: All weeks run Monday - Sunday

WeekSLOsReadings and ExercisesAssignment(s)

1

1-4

Topics: Leadership Inventory and Leaders and the Leadership Process

  • This week we will get to know our fellow classmates and spend time exploring and becoming comfortable with the class website. Textbook reading assignments and discussion also begin.

  • Readings:
    • Anderson, pgs 1-79. Complete all LSI exercises.
  • Assessment:
    • Personal Leadership Skills Inventory
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Read assigned material
  • Complete Quiz 1 by Midnight Sunday (covers pages 1-79)

2

1-4

Topics: The Skills of Interpersonal Communications and Conflict Management

  • This week’s class will begin to examine the skill set of leadership and discuss the personal factors that constitute leadership, the personal trait theory, the great man theory and undesirable leadership attributes.

  • Readings:
    • Anderson, pgs 81-175
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Read assigned material

3

1-4

Topic: The Skills of Versatility: Style, Role and Skill Shifting

  • On this week we will continue with the skills that define the paradigm of leadership. First we examine Organizational development and then move to versatility in style, skill and role of the leader. In addition we will discuss environmental factors of leadership and myths of leadership.

  • Readings:
    • Anderson, pgs 207-262
  • Read assigned material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Complete Midterm Exam by Midnight Sunday

4

1-4

Topic: Building the personal leadership plan & Leader Power

  • Readings:
    • Anderson, pgs 297-338, complete all development plan exercises
  • Read assigned material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Complete Quiz 2 by Midnight Sunday

5

1-4

Topic: Deep structure strategic planning, competence in using leadership skills and RCMP/FLETC leadership competencies plus Interpersonal factors of leadership

  • Readings:
    • Anderson, pgs 341-375
  • Read assigned material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit Research Paper
  • Complete Course Evaluation

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.