Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action
Minor in Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action
Course Descriptions
Director
Professor Tim Tilton (Political Science)
Academic Advising and Program Coordinator
Joelene Bergonzi, (812) 856-1747, Woodburn Hall 316, Email: lesa@indiana.edu
Introduction
Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action (LESA) offers an undergraduate minor focused on the relationship of the individual to community and the understanding of this relationship, which is at the heart of leadership. This is done through service learning, which meets real needs of the community; through course work that will help students think about the concepts of leadership, service, and community; and through an individual project developed with community leaders and academic mentors. A basic assumption is that community service is one of the key responsibilities of a citizen in a democracy, and one of the experiences through which citizenship is learned. For this reason, this minor links the students’ service experiences to broader questions about the responsibilities of individuals to the communities of which they are a part. It is our goal to help students to see themselves as members of communities, and to help them develop the insights and skills so that they can strengthen those communities. Although the course work in the minor focuses on community, service, and ethics, the focus of the service-learning projects may be in any field and may be combined with any major.
Method
Community engagement contributes to all aspects of the university’s mission. As a pedagogical method, service learning furthers students’ critical thinking, improves their mastery of academic material, and examines the relationship between theory and practice. It also strengthens students’ sense of social and ethical responsibility, deepens their understanding of the context of social issues, and encourages them to participate in communities beyond campus. Service learning also can make faculty and student research more rigorous, as well as more responsive to public concerns. Finally, service learning reinvigorates the university’s commitment to using its resources for the public good. Reflection on the experience of community service is a crucial element of this pedagogy.
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Minor in Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action
Requirements
Students must complete the following (minimum of 15 credit hours):
- LESA L105 (3 cr.), an introductory service learning course.
- One course on ethics chosen from PHIL P140, POLS Y105, or REL R170.
- One course on social organization chosen from ANTH E105, ANTH E200, HIST A307, HIST A347, SOC S215, or SOC S217.
- Social action seminar, a group community-based project, will vary by semester and be based in different departments. Consult the LESA advisor for the latest offering.
- LESA L405 (3-6 cr.), the capstone project and seminar.
Substitutions for some of the above courses are available. Consult the LESA advisor for more information.
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Course Descriptions
L101 Supplementary Service Learning Component (1-3 cr.) This course permits an instructor to offer an optional, concurrent service learning component to supplement a course already taught. This component extends, reinforces, or applies the learning from the original course to meet a community need. May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours.
L105 Beyond the Sample Gates: Serve and Learn in Bloomington (3 cr.) S & H, TFR Examines the traditions of philanthropy and service in the U.S. and helps students identify their own philosophies of service and definitions of community. Students provide service to a local organization throughout the semester.
L205 Advocates for Community Engagement (1 cr.) P: Acceptance in the Advocates for Community Engagement program or consent of instructor. Designed for Advocates for Community Engagement (ACE) who serve as liaisons between Indiana University service-learners and local community-based organizations and schools. Participants read literature on poverty, homelessness, hunger, leadership, and the relationship between academia and advocacy.
L401 Independent Study in Service Learning (1-3 cr.) This course permits a student to design a service learning course within an interest or content area. The independent study may supplement a course in which student is concurrently enrolled. Independent studies in service learning comprise readings, reflective responses, and related community service. May be repeated for a total of 3 credit hours.
L405 LESA Capstone Seminar (3-6 cr.) P: Consent of LESA Program. Integration of learning from student’s major and LESA minor courses into the development of a useful, tangible product. Working with a member of the local community’s non-profit organizations, the student designs a project that meets a need as articulated by the community. With the help of a sponsoring faculty member, the student places the project within an intellectual framework that draws upon the accumulated course work to inform this service project. May be taken for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
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