Effective management and leadership in the nonprofit sector requires both an understanding of the basic principles of nonprofit organization and associated management challenges (covered in PAFF 551) and familiarity with current debates that are changing how they operate (PAFF 552).

The purpose of PAFF 552 is to introduce students to a range of challenges facing nonprofit organizations and to identify approaches that nonprofit practitioners and academics have proposed for addressing those challenges.

PAFF 552 is an “Issues” course, intended to introduce students to a range of topics. This year, as last year, I have organized the course to address the role philanthropy plays in the nonprofit sector.  The course has a central service-learning component, the distribution of grants to local nonprofit organizations, with funding from Campus Compact/Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, South Central New York Community Foundation and fundraising by students and alumni.

The course will involve close collaboration with the Social Work course, Advanced Social Work Practice with Communities, which also meets on Tuesday afternoons. The two classes will meet together periodically for discussions and presentations by outside speakers. One team assignment and organization site visits will involve members of both classes working together. In addition grantmaking decisions will be a shared process involving both classes.

Course Goals

1. To review the role of nonprofit organizations in the United States and the context within which they operate (theoretical explanations for nonprofit organizations, tax and legal setting, etc).
2. To introduce students to various forms of institutional philanthropy, how they operate and their strengths and limitations.
3. To review strategies and concerns related to grant making, including accountability, performance measurement, capacity building and relevant data analysis.
4. To introduce students to innovative approaches to nonprofit work, emphasizing marketization and social entrepreneurship.
5. To expose students to similarities and differences in the approach to nonprofit organizations in social work and public administration.

Course Knowledge & Skill Objectives

Upon successful completion of PAFF 552, students should be able to:

1. Discuss theories that explain the reason for a nonprofit sector and the implications of those theories for management;
2. Demonstrate critical thinking and writing skills;
3. Identify current and historic approaches to philanthropy, their strengths and weaknesses and their impact on nonprofit organizations.
4. Assess what information is useful in evaluating nonprofit organizations and requests for funding, with particular attention to accountability, capacity and data analysis.
5. Identify emerging debates in philanthropy and nonprofit management and relevant sources of information about them.
6. Identify and discuss differences in approaches to nonprofit organizations in social work and public administration.

I have organized the course content to cover this material in several blocks or units:

Week 1-2: Nonprofit Sector Role and Context and the Philanthropy Incubator

Weeks 2-6: Philanthropy, its Institutional Mechanisms, Strategy

Weeks 6-10: Management Issues in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations.

Weeks 11-14: Emerging Approaches to Philanthropy and Nonprofit Work

Course Timeline

The distribution of funds to local nonprofit organizations is central to this course. To complete the process of assessing organizations and making grants requires careful adherence to deadlines.  I have summarized below key course milestones:

Timeline for Key Philanthropy Incubator Milestones

Feb 16:  Focus Area Selected

Feb 23:  Draft RFP

March 2: Finalize and Distribute RFP

March 23: RFP Due, Final Proposal Evaluation Rubric Developed

April 6:  Initial Review of Applications

April 6-20: Site Visits

April 20: Funding Decisions

May 4: Awards Ceremony

Required Texts

I require two books for purchase:  Fleishman, J. (2007).  The Foundation, A Great American Secret: How Private Wealth is Changing the World (Paperback Ed.).  New York: Public Affairs; and Frumkin, P. (2006).  Strategic Philanthropy.  Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Other reading will be available through the BU library (e-journals), on electronic reserve, from websites (links provided) or handed out.

Method of Instruction

This course is organized as a seminar. Classes will involve a combination of presentation and discussion.  Students are expected to have read the material assigned for the day and be prepared to discuss it at that class.

Discussion expectations:

In pursuit of critical thinking, students are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following principles:

1. Recognize the difference between reason and emotion, thinking and feeling;
2. Build arguments with evidence, not feelings.
3. Realize that reason and critical thought are necessary inside and outside of the classroom.

Given these principles, the goal for this class is to emphasize civil discourse, establish fact-based viewpoints, and engage in focused discussions, rather than win arguments or engage in verbal altercations.

Determination of Grades

Grades will be determined based on four components, each of which (and its weighting) is listed below.  Assignments are outlined below; more detailed assignment information will be provided later in the semester.  Grades for each component will be by points.  The total points you receive during the semester will be the basis for your final grade.

Assignments

1) Class Participation (20 points)

Because students must work together in this class to accomplish a collective goal, class participation in this class is a more significant portion of your final grade than in other courses I teach. Participation is essential for creating an effective grants program.

Reading assigned material and participating in class discussion is central to success in this course. Readings are to be completed in preparation for class on the date listed. These are to be read by ALL students. The readings will serve as the starting point for lecture, discussion, the application of concepts, and the practice of essential skills. Readings and assignments have been selected to introduce students to issues in philanthropy that will make it possible for students to act as effective grantmakers. Students are expected to come to class having read the assigned readings and prepared to discuss those readings. Students may be called upon to lead discussions or explain sections of the readings without prior warning.

Class participation will be evaluated based on the contribution you make to class sessions and the work of the Philanthropy Incubator. I will assign participation grades at four points during the semester (after weeks 4, 8, 10 and at the end of the semester).

2)  Team Work (30 points total—15 team, 15 individual)

Students will work in teams across classes. The teams will be responsible for the major elements of the Philanthropy Incubator project: choosing a focus, designing an RFP, establishing criteria for evaluating proposals, conducting and reporting on site visits and analyzing proposals. Team members will receive both individual and team grades. Each team member will be responsible for one component of the team project; however, the full team will have responsibility for providing input and feedback to that team as he/she develops that element.

At each point in the semester when one of the components is due and the class must make a decision about its grantmaking process, three teams will present their recommendations (I expect there will be six to seven total teams). Teams that do not present will be asked to respond to the team presentations, adding any ideas that are substantially different from those presented. Each team will be responsible for two formal presentations over the course of the semester.

At the end of the semester students will assess the contribution of their team members to the work of the group and determine the distribution of five points of the other team members’ grade.

Team work will involve the following components:

• Each member of the team will be responsible for making recommendations for one elements of the Philanthropy Incubator.  (15 points):
  • Focus Area Recommendation.  Develop a recommendation for the area on which the Philanthropy Incubator should focus.  Use data about community needs to make your recommendation.  (Due February 16^th)
  • Request for Proposal. Design an RFP for the Philanthropy Incubator; provide a rationale to accompany it that explains your choices. (Due February 23^rd)
  • Evaluation Tools. Develop a rubric for evaluating proposals.  Provide a rationale to accompany that explains your choices.  (Due March 23^rd)
  • Site Visit Report.  Provide an analytic report about what you learned on your visit(s) to grant applicants.  (Due April 20).

• Analyses of Final Proposals.  (10 points).  Each group will be assigned a set of final proposals to review and analyze.  (Due April 20^th)

• Team Participation (5 points)

3) Course Reflection Papers (50 points)

Every week, students will be responsible for a one-to-two page, single-spaced reflection on the reading for the week. Questions for the reflection will be posted the week before. Reflection papers will be due at the beginning of each class session.

To generate a dialogue about course issues, I have set up a course blog. The address for the blog is:  http://buphilanthropyincubator.blogspot.com. Students will be responsible for posting all or parts of their reflections on the course blog. This blog is private and only available to students in PAFF 552, SW525, CCPA faculty and administrators and selected stakeholders (such as project funders). I will enter your names as blog authors to allow you to post.

Students may post on the blog at ANY time; however, you must post to the blog at least three times during the semester. In addition, ALL students must comment on the blog at least once a week.  I will provide you with a posting schedule at the second week of class.  If you are scheduled to post on the blog, you must make your post by the Saturday before class to provide other students with the opportunity to respond to your post.

I intend the reflection papers to provide you with an opportunity to engage with the course reading material and reflect on how those concepts relate to the issues we discuss in class. Your primary sources for your reflection papers are course readings, discussions, presentations from outside speakers, and if appropriate other scholarly writing or current events related to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. I will evaluate reflection papers based on how well they address the reflection question, their engagement with the course reading, the use of evidence (based on experience, data or other reading) to support arguments and how well they demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical concepts to the practical work of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy.

Important Caveat About Assignments: I will review assignments with you mid-semester to assess workload.

Expectations Regarding Professional Communication

As a professional degree program, the MPA program demands that students demonstrate the level of professionalism that will be expected of them upon graduation. This applies to students’ communication in writing, as well as their conduct in and out of the classroom. I expect students to submit written assignments that meet professional standards in both content and style.  Professional content requires thorough research and the demonstrated ability to articulate logical and insightful arguments and to apply critical thinking skills. Professionalism in style requires that written assignments be professional in appearance, clearly written, and free of grammatical, spelling, and syntax errors.

Professional communication in class discussions begins with coming to class prepared and on time.  Students are expected to do all of the readings assigned for each class meeting and to be ready to discuss them.  As current or aspiring professionals in the field, students are also expected to be enthusiastic consumers of material related to their chosen profession.  Students should also read a national newspaper as well as a local paper to stay informed of current issues related to the nonprofit sector.   Similarly, the most committed students will also read nonprofit sector publications to monitor research within the discipline.  I encourage students to share news stories about the nonprofit sector; at times, I will begin class with discussions of relevant current events.

Class Schedule, Reading and Assignments

Date: Jan 26

Topic: Nonprofit Sector Overview, Philanthropy Incubator Overview, Public Administration/ Social Work Values and Ethics

Reading: Students4Giving Application, available under course materials on BlackBoard, Fidelity charitable gift fund website (www.charitablegift.org), “The Nonprofit Sector in Brief”  (www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411664_facts_and_figures.pdf), “The Looking Glass World of Nonprofit Money: Managing in For-Profits Shadow Universe,” Clara Miller (www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/docs/The%20Looking%20Glass%20World%20of%20Nonprofit%20Money.pdf), Fleishman, Chapter 2:  The Third Great Force:  America’s Civic Sector, Recommended (for students who have not had PAFF 551):  Salamon, Nonprofit Sector Overview (on e-reserve).

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker:  List of Eligible Grantees

Date: Feb 2

Topic: What is philanthropy?  Landscape of American Philanthropy

Reading: Frumkin, Introduction, Fleishman, Introduction and Preface, Video:  The Grantmakers Role (www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=608)

Date: Feb 9

Topic: Role of Philanthropy, Selecting a Focus Area

Reading:   Frumkin, Chapter 1, Fleishman, Chapters 1, 3, Shared Reading/Discussion:  Scanning the Landscape:  Finding Out What’s Going on.  Available at:  http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?pageId=627.  (Free registration required.)

Date: Feb 16

Topic: Institutional Philanthropy, Foundations, United Way

Reading: Complete foundation tutorial “Foundations today” available (with free registration) at the Foundation Center: http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/ft_tutorial/; Boris, E.  (1998).  Foundations.  In J. Shafritz (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Administration (pp. 928-935).  Boulder, CO: Westview; Frumkin, Chapters 2-3; Ostrower, F. Limited Life Foundations: Motivations, Experiences and Strategies:  http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411836_limitedlifefoundations.pdf

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Focus Area Selected

Date: Feb 23

Topic: Strategy and Effectiveness in Philanthropy

Reading: Fleishman, Chapters 4-6; Frumkin, Chapters 4-5; Center for Effective Philanthropy Beyond the Rhetoric:  Foundation Strategy, at http://strategy.effectivephilanthropy.org; Using Competitions & RFPs, available at:  http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?pageId=631 (registration required)

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Draft RFP

Date: March 2

Topic: Emerging Forms of  Philanthropy and Approaches to Strategy; Donor Advised Funds, Giving Circles

Reading: Frumkin, Chapters 6-8; Review “Giving Circles Network” website (www.givingcircles.org), particularly “About Us,” “Knowledge Center” and “Giving Circle Central”; “Donors Turn to Giving Circles as Economy Drops,” at www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104151828; Review Fidelity charitable gift fund website:  www.charitablegift.org; Kramer, M. (2009).  Catalytic Philanthropy.  Stanford Social Innovation Review, 7(4), 30-35

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: RFP Finalized and Distributed

Date: March 9

Topic: Accountability

Reading: Fleishman, Chapter 9; BBB/Wise Giving Alliance Standards (Review the assessment for two to three nonprofit organizations.  Select at least one that does not meet the standards.); Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Standards of Excellence; Recommended: Benjamin, L.  (2008).  How accountability requirements shape nonprofit practice.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37(2), 201-223.

Date: March 16

Topic: Organizational Data Analysis and Grant Making

Reading: Review Charity Navigator website and article “Six Questions to ask Charities Before Donating,” at: www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=28; Charity Navigator:  Methodology (all navigation bar elements), at:  www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=33; Tuckman, H. & Chang, C.  (1991).  A methodology for measuring the financial vulnerability of charitable nonprofit organizations.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 20, 445-460; Greenlee, J. & Trussel, J. (2000).  Predicting the financial vulnerability of charitable organizations.  Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 11(2), 199-210; Lammers, J. (2003).  Know your ratios?  Everyone ELSE does. Nonprofit Quarterly, 10 (1), 34-39; “Five Questions for Tom Pollak” at:  www.urban.org/toolkit/fivequestions/TPollak.cfm

Date: March 23

Topic: Performance Measurement and Effectiveness in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

Reading: Frumkin, Chapter 10; Fleishman, Chapter 15; Herman, R. & Renz, D. (2008).  Advancing nonprofit organizational effectiveness research and theory: Nine theses.  Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 18(4), 399-415; Easterling, D.  (2000).  Using outcome evaluation to guide grant making:  Theory, reality and possibilities.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29, 482-486; Carson, E.  (2000).  On foundations and outcome evaluation.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29, 479-481; Campbell, D. “Provider Perceptions of Feedback Practices in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations.”  (On Blackboard).

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Proposals Due; Criteria for Evaluation Presented and Discussed

Date: March 30

No Class:  Spring Break

Date: April 6

Topic: Making Site Visits; Collaborative Decision Making

Reading: “Developing a Site Visit Program,” at www.cof.org/templates/311.cfm?itemNumber=16027 ; “Why We’re Sold on Site Visits,” at:  www.cof.org/files/Documents/Family_Foundations/Site%20Visit%20Companion/Why_We’re_Sold_on_Site_Visits.pdf ; “The Truth About Site Visits,” MN Council on Foundations, at:  www.mcf.org/Mcf/forum/1999/sitevisit.htm; Site Visit Worksheet, at:  www.cof.org/files/Documents/WebNotebook/July2003/Grants/Sample_Site_Visit_Worksheet.pdf; Sample Site Visit Evaluation, at  www.cof.org/templates/311.cfm?ItemNumber=16518; Sample Site Visit Checklist, at:  http://www.cof.org/templates/311.cfm?ItemNumber=16517

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Initial Evaluation of Proposals; Proposed sample site visit evaluation forms; Site Visits Assigned

Date: April 13

Topic: Social Enterprise and Innovation in the Nonprofit Sector

Reading: Eikenberry, A. (2009).  Refusing the Market: A Democratic Discourse for Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 38(4), 564-581; Phills, J., Deiglmeier, K., & Miller, D. (2008).  Rediscovering Social Innovation.  Stanford Social Innovation Review, at:  www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/rediscovering_social_innovation; review the Rockefeller Foundation’s Initiative: Advancing Innovation Processes to Solve Social Problems, at:  www.rockefellerfoundation.org/what-we-do/current-work/advancing-innovation-processes-solve; Select and listen to two Social Innovation Podcasts; “Scaling a Social Enterprise through Crowdsourcing” at:  sic.conversationsnetwork.org/series/socialEntrepreneurship.html; “Patient Capital and the Solution to Poverty” at:  sic.conversationsnetwork.org/series/philanthropy.html

Date: April 20

Topic: Site Visit Reports and Analyses; Collaborative Decision Making

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Award Decisions Completed

Date: April 27

Topic: Debates and Discourse in Philanthropy

Reading: White House Social Innovation Fund, review draft “Notice of Funding Availability,” on reserve; Philanthropy Blog Analysis — select two of the blogs listed earlier in the syllabus and read through the posts from January 1 through this class day.  Come prepared to discuss:  a) What are the primary concerns of this blogger over the recent four months and how have readers responded; b) How does that content related to the issues we’ve discussed in this class; c) How do you evaluate the arguments made by the blogger and his/her respondents?

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Standards for evaluating blog content

Date: May 4

Topic: Dinner and Reflection

P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment, Possible Speaker: Awards Ceremony

Students should have completed one or more of the following courses: Introduction to Anthropology, Political Science. Psychology, Sociology, Economics, and/or related subject matter. In addition, students should be able to read at an intermediate to advanced level in English and Spanish. Much of the subject matter will require a high level of bilingual transferability and shifting back and forth between sources, literature, and research written in both languages. Students will also be asked to access Internet and web based sites in the United States and through resources within the European Union and European Council.

Youth Development and Youth Policy have become popular topics and emerging fields of study worldwide. In order to access the growing sources of information, students will be asked to research common youth-related topics on the Internet and in work groups. For example, many of the European Union and European Council reports and documents on youth are accessible via Internet and prepared in multiple languages. Partnering across disciplines, languages, and international experience will be an important component of this academic experience.

Course Summary:

This course is designed to prepare students in all majors, but those especially in Education and other public service disciplines, to a set of emerging global trends associated with framing youth issues in developmental terms and strategizing about how to support youth through state level youth policies. The idea that youth experience developmental stages is as old as the field of psychology but recent researchers, policy makers, and youth service practitioners in Europe and America have begun to emphasize the connection between positive youth development and federal, state and local policies to support. youth.

The course seeks to: 1) make students more aware of the basic conceptual and theoretical underpinnings associated with what youth development and positive youth development, in particular, means in the literature and current discussions among researchers and people in the field of youth work; 2) study, analyze and critique how youth development is emerging as a public policy agenda and philosophy; 3) compare youth policy frameworks in the United States with what is emerging in Europe and elsewhere; 4) investigate proposed model youth policy approaches advocated by national and international intermediary organizations; 5) research, discuss and write about approaches to youth development and youth policy in Spain, Andalusia and Granada, as practice areas for focused inquiry, research and ongoing study.

This course encourages active discussion, reading, reflection, writing and research on current problems and issues impacting young people worldwide, using the United States, Spain and Andalusia as the context for that process. Students will work independently and in small work groups to study special interest topics (youth problems, impact of popular culture, youth research, youth programming, state and local youth policy, youth as assets, youth participation strategies. public financing of youth programming, and other identified concerns). Working groups will be organized on the basis of federal, state, local, and community level issue analysis. This is done so students experience macro and micro levels of analysis about theory, application and practice. Research will also be done on Granada as a province and a community with specific youth issues, youth challenges, needs and opportunities investigated and mapped. Students will meet with regional and university researchers, community leaders, and youth program staff and advocates. These meetings will take place both on campus and in the community.

Course Readings:

There will be an extensive packet of articles and chapters to be purchased at the COE Publications Center. In addition, you will need to buy the following book(s), available by online orders or at a bookstore announced on the first day of class:

• Lerner, Richard (J995). America’s Youth in Crisis: Challenges and Options for Programs and Policies. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0-8039-7069-2.
• Servicio Civico y Voluntario (2004). Published by the Global Service Institute. Free through the Internet at http://www.service-enquiry.org.za/

Due to the web-based research and study emphasis of this course, students will also need to continuously access the following web sites to review literature and constantly update their knowledge of current developments, reports and publications. Many of the listed online resources are posted in English, Spanish, and other languages. Publications and resources can also be downloaded free from most foundations, NGO’s and intermediaries. Internet sites to monitor include:

• Harvard Graduate School of Education.www.gse.harvard.edu
• The Center for Community Partnerships. University of Pennsylvania. www.upenn.edu/ccp
• Out of School Time Research. www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/issuebrief5.html
• Council of Europe. Education for Democratic Citizenship. www.coe.int/edc
• William T Grant Foundation Youth Initiatives. www.wtgrantfoundation.org/
• Youth Action Net. www.youthactionnet.org/
• Ashoka Worldwide Social Entrepreneurs Network. www.ashoka.org
• Inciativia para la movilizaeion de Recursos. www.moviliza.org
• Spanish Youth Council. www.cje.org
• European Youth Forum. www.youthforum.org
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation. www.wkk.org/
• Annie E. Casey Foundation Policy Magazine. www.aegf.org/
• Forum for Youth Investment. Leading Youth Policy Intermediary in U.S.
• www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/
• Soros Foundation Network Open Society Institute. Youth Initiatives. www.soros.org/initiatives/youth/
• Academy for Educational Development. Center for Youth Development and Policy Research. www.aed.org/Youth
• Ministry of Universities, Research and Information Society (Spain and International). Gencat. www.gencat.net
• European Commission Statistical Data. www.europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
• International Network of Observatories in Cultural Policies.
• www.unesco.org/culture/development/observatories/
• International Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research. www.childwatch.uio.no
• Columbia University Clearinghouse on International Development in Child, Youth and Family Policies. Focus on Spain. www.childpolicyint.org/countries/spain01.htm
• European Children Network. www.childrensnet.org/
• British Youth Council. www.byc.org.uk/
• lnternational NGO Youth Networks. www.infoyouth.org/
• Global Youth Action Network. www.takingitglobal.org/
• International Council on National Youth Policy. www.icnyp.net/
• Spanish Institute of Youth (INJUVE). Database and extensive publications. www.mtas.es/injuve/
• Institute for Social Studies of Andalusia. Spanish Council for Scientific Research. www.iesaa.csis.es/
• International Centre for Youth Policy. Netherlands. www.youthpolicy.ni/smartsite/
• European Youth Observatory . www.diba.cs/cyo
• Barcelona Youth Council. www.cjb.org/
• International Youth Foundation. www.iyfnet.org/

Students will be expected to weekly review their cluster web resources, note and download important developments, and share their discoveries and findings with the class as a whole. This is one means for working groups to function as a research team and the class a whole to become a learning community. Instructions will be provided on how to share resources, Jinks, publications and referrals with each other online and in class. The class will also co-construct a web analysis form to use for individual and team assessment of web site utility.

Course Requirements:

Your grade will be based on the following:

1. A take home essay of your initial assessment of what youth development and youth policy means to you, what the central assumptions are underlying a youth development approach, and your initial thoughts on how these concepts do or ought to actually connect to youth policy. Specific questions for the essay will be distributed the first week of class, February 21-23, 2006 and the essay will be due the following week, February 22, 2005. This submission will be worth 5% of your final grade.

2. Instead of a final exam, each class participant will be responsible for preparing or contributing significantly to two submissions – a case study summary on a critical youth development or youth policy of interest to them or a working group of classmates, including a brief explanation of the issue, major relevant literature and references, core elements and/or findings underlying the concern, programs and projects designed to address it, and organizational and web-based resources to follow-up with or contact for information. These youth development/youth policy briefings should be concise, to the point, factual, thorough, tightly written and not longer than 4-6 typed pages. The final briefing should be prepared in PDF format and on CD for final submission. The second submission relates to community/site observations, interviews, and service participation with a local youth serving organization, city project, and/or NGO. The format fur this submission remains virtually the same: brief explanation of the organization/site, program and/or projects main purpose; the key focus of their activities with and for youth; summary listing of major themes from your interviews with youth or staff, what you learned about youth participation from your observations and involvement with this group and the youth it serves. Again, this should not be longer that 4-6 typed pages, prepared in POI’ format and ready to load on a web site, submitted on a CD. The quality of these assignments will represent 50% of your final grade. Each submission will be worth 25%.

3. Preparation of a student journal covering thoughtful reflections on the class, readings, presentations, research and working group activities, field observations, and voluntary service experiences that captures your intellectual, group interactions, and personal insights on the entire course experience from start to finish. This document should record your private observations and lessons being learned throughout the entire academic experience. It should be typed with daily/weekly entries noted, given themes and titles to comments and observations, and thorough in terms of the range of learning activities engaged in (class, reading, observation, service). The Youth Development Youth Policy Journal will be collected at four intervals over the course of the semester as noted on the class schedule. Lateness and non-submissions will impact your final grade. 25% of your total class grade will be impacted by this reflection and self-learning tool. See syllabus for submission dates. Again, this can be submitted through the Internet as an email attachment, in a notebook, or as a diskette and/or CD.

4. Class participation, project activities, team involvement, actual engagement in service will all be important contributing factors for this course’s success. Students are expected to show up, be involved, give of their time and talents. Voluntary youth participation is a primary goal for the entire experience. Items 2 and 3 above are ways to submit products that demonstrate this involvement. However, actual participation — going to class, attending work group meetings, conducting youth research and preparing briefings, attending community sessions, spending time at youth field sites, volunteering your time to youth organizations (documented and verified) — represents 20% of the final class grade. Sign in sheets will be provided for all sessions to indicate your attendance. Actual attendance is but one way to measure participation. How you use your voice, raise questions and concerns (orally or in writing), and your willingness to help and serve the group as a whole, and/or the youth you volunteer with, are other indicators.

Class Activities and Assigned Readings

WEEK ONE:
Course Overview – Assignments, Requirements, Internet Cluster and Working Group Projects, Journals and Final Products. All Equal High Expectations!
Session Focus: Personal Explorations into Youth Development and Youth Policy
Reading Assignments
Secure Reading Packet and Books, Explore Web Sites, Identify Language Preference in Sites, Bookmark Favorites, Select Personal lnterest(s), Survey Youth Development and Youth Policy Issues – Come to Class Ready to Discuss What You Discovered and What You Want to Know More About

WEEK TWO:
Youth Development and Youth Policy from Student Perspectives – Class Small Group Exercise, with Follow-up Strategies for Students and Instructors
Continue to Research On-line Cluster Web Sites Assigned to You or Your Working Group and Be Prepared to Share What Relevant Information You Found. .

Framing Youth Development – American Perspectives
Reading Assignments
Lerner (1995). “The Contemporary Crisis of America’s Children and Adolescents,” and “Developmental Contextualism,” pp. 1-32 in primary text.
Pittman and Zedlin (1995). “Premises, Principles and Practices: Defining the Why, What, and How on Promoting Youth Development Through Organizational Practice,” pp. 1-30, in your reading packet.

WEEK THREE:
Session Three: Integrating Perspectives, Towards Framing Core Concepts – Ist Mapping Exercise
Reading Assignments
Lerner (1995). “Integrative Vision of Human Development Research and Outreach,” pp. 33·60, in primary text.
Juan Sebastian Fernandez Prados. (2002). La categoria social devoluntariado y su realidad Espana, pp. 181-198 in your reading Packet.
Servicio Civico y Voluntario (2004). Read the entire text over the next three class sessions.

WEEK FOUR:
Youth Development Examined in Multiple Contexts — Family, Community, Institutions, and Government – Small Group Class Exercise with Reports
Reading Assignment
Search Web Sites For References, Publications, Reports on Issues Related to Youth Development and/or Youth Policy That Address Family, Community, Institutions and/or Government Topics.
Background Readings:
Goran Therborn (1993). Los Derechos de los ninos desede la constitutcion del concepto moderno de menor: Un estudio comparado de los pates occidentales, pp. 77- 143 in the reading packet. Though this article deals specifically with children’s issues and child and family policy, it has great relevance as an overview on how youth as a subject, field of study, and subsequent policies emerged in modem Spanish society over the last 25-50 years. This is a major article for you to review and refer throughout this entire course.
Francisco Fernandez Palomares. (1992) “Sociologia y cambio educativo, escuela contexto, una experiencal en el poligono de cartuja de granda,” in the reading packet. Report by the current Dean of the College of Education at UGR on a community learning project dealing with school and community context in a barrio next to the UGR campus, the Cartuga neighborhood.
Columbia University (2001). Spain Report. Secure on line from the Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies website,
www.childpolicyintl.org/countries/spain01.htm
Check Update report, March 2003, same site.

WEEK FIVE:
Youth Development in Practice – Role of Research, Intermediaries and NGO’s
Reading Assignments
Zedlin (1995). “Opportunities and Supports for Youth Development: Lessons From Research and Implications for Community Leaders and Scholars,” in the reading packet, published by the Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, pp. 1-21, plus Appendix, in the reading packet. This is a thorough review of the field to the mid-1990′s. Not available on line, at this point.
Lerner (1995). “Designing Successful Prevention Programs,” pp. 61-76 in the main textbook.

Additional Reading Assignments
Hugh Frazer (2002). La accion voluntaria y los programas contra la pobreza, pp. 165-196, in the reading packet.
This is an introductory reading on the challenges of dealing with poverty through voluntary action, focusing on Ireland and Spain mostly, with some reference to Portugal as well. It clearly lays out the challenges associated with trying to solve large societal problems by dealing with local volunteer actions. It addresses the value of these strategies, only if they are tied to national level public policies.
Joaquin Susino Arbucias (2002). La sociedad urbana en andalucia. In La Sociedad Andaluza 2000, pp. 307-331, in the reading packet.
Manuel Fernandez Esquinas y Morcnte Mejias (2002). La juventud andaluza,” in Sociedad Andaluza 2000, pp. 497-521, in the reading packet.

WEEK SIX
Asset Mapping – What Really Needs To Be In Place To Support Young People
Reading Assignments
Barcelona Youth Council. Youth Participation: “Conference on Zones and Facilities for Young People–Tools for Debate,” on www.cjb.org web site. Download documents and relevant resources. Check links.
Search Institute (1998). J 50 Maneras de Mostrat a los Ninos su Interes por Ellos. Handout.

WEEK SEVEN
Impacting Public Agendas – TIle New Mexico Story
THIRD YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/YOUTH POLICY JOURNAL SUBMISSION
Morris (2001). Reframing New Mexico’s Assets: Toward A Sustainable Statewide Youth Initiative. In your reading packet.

Session Focus: Impacting Public Agendas – European Union and European Council
Reading Assignments
Research and Review the European Union Youth Program through the European Commission at www.europa.eu.int/comm/youth/program/
Also download the Commission of the European Communities (2001) White Paper – A New Impetus for European Youth. Pay particular attention to how the idea of youth as a field of work and services was framed, and the role education are to play in young people’s development.

WEEK NINE
The Universities as Sites — for Youth Work and Civic Engagement (CE)
Reading Assignment
Council of Europe (2002). Executive Summary Report on Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) 1nitiative. www.coe.int/TE/Culture_Co_coperation/education/Higher_education/Activities/Universities_as_sites_of_citizenship/Executive-Summary.asp
Among the main ideas this report raises is the fact that universities should be sites where young people learn civic engagement skills and volunteer, work and serve at the grassroots level of society as a way of building social capital and to develop citizenship skills and civic experiences.
Carey and Forrester (1999). Sites of Citizenship: Empowerment, participation and partnerships. A special report on all the pilot projects that were part of the first round of the Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) project. Council of Europe, Cultural Co-operation Documents and Publication section.

Session Focus; Initiatives From EO and Federal and Regional Government: Education for Democratic Citizenship – What Does CE Mean in Practice?
Additional Reading Assignments
Commission of the European Communities (2004). Making Citizenship Work: Fostering Culture and Diversity Through Programmes for Youth, Culture, Audiovisual and Civic Participation. This documents proposes a series of initiatives and special projects to develop a “European citizenship” based on a set of principles and supporting activities.
Audigier (2002). Basic Concepts and core competences for education for democratic citizenship. Another Council of Europe publication about what the core learning and practice are associated with education for democratic citizenship. Also in the document section of the www.coe.int web site.

WEEK TEN
Youth Mapping Preliminary Reports- Themes and Topics
FOURTH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/YOUTH POLICY JOURNAL SUBMISSION
No Reading Assignments
Lessons Learned from Civic Engagement and Youth Participation – Insights from Observations, Reflection, Immersion and Service

Internet access or a copy of the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations most recent edition.

Summary: An introduction to the federal income tax structure as it applies to the individual taxpayer. Themajor focus of this course will be upon the conceptual and legal underpinnings of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).

Course Objectives and Student Responsibilities

To learn and refine methods of reasoning and analysis, and apply these to problems arising in an individual’s situation, using the following steps:

a) Applying the rules of law (IRC) to specific facts, either real-life or hypothetical;

b) Discerning the range of possible outcomes or results;

c) Recommending appropriate courses of actions for individual taxpayers in similar situations; and

d) Identifying general rules or policies that might be established from the IRC and the facts.

Study methods of statutory analysis and interpretation (of the IRC) and apply them to individual problems.

Understand the basic principles of the IRC that relate to taxable and nontaxable transactions, and learn how to apply these principles to problems that arise in the context of the individual taxpayer’s personal and business transactions.

Learn the nature of the IRC, how tax laws are made, and the complex interactions between tax law and social, political, and economic forces.

To explain tax jargon in simple, plain, and yet accurate English so that such terms will be of use to you as a future accountant or business manager.

To develop an increased awareness of legal, governmental, and ethical restraints facing tax planners and business managers.

To raise and discuss issues in regard to actions which may be legal but not ethical or moral.

To increase skills in making decisions which have tax and legal ramifications.

To increase your awareness of when a CPA or legal counsel is necessary or appropriate and how to seek such counsel.

Course Competencies: Upon satisfactory completion of the course the student should be able to:

General: Demonstrate a broad understanding of the Internal Revenue Code–its evolvement and procedures.

Recognize broad principles of tax law relating to how an individual can plan to legally minimize the taxes that they must currently account for and pay.

To achieve the above objectives and competencies, students are expected to attend all classes; complete all written and reading assignments as advance class preparation; take an active part in class discussions; organize and participate in a study group (optional); and write out the answers for all assigned problems.

Grades: Class Curve (The typical curve has been “A” 86% “B” 72% “C” 60% “D” 50%). There will be three (3) essay style problem-solving examinations [one midterm and one final, this is truly where your letter grade is determined] given throughout the semester. These exams will be cumulative. This comprehensive nature is to assist the student in discerning the interrelationships among the various tax and legal concepts in the course. Your grade for this course will be determined by the weighted average of these examinations, the following constitute 25% of your grade on a pass/fail basis; the term paper or service-learning project, class participation and group case write-ups, and the individual tax return problem. Since the required assignments are varied and extensive, they are sufficient to determine your mastery of the course materials (basically if you do this part you will get the grade you earn on the tests. If you do not do this part then take the grade you would have gotten based on your test results and then reduce it by two full letter grades. This is the reason that I have stated that the highest grade you can get without the paper or service-learning project is a ?C?). (If there is any student in this class who has need for special accommodations for test-taking or note-taking, please feel free to discuss this with me.)

THE POLICY AND REGULATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED IN THIS COURSE.

Service-learning general information:

SERVICE LEARNING is a method by which students learn through active participation in thoughtfully organized service conducted in and meeting the needs of the community. Service learning is integrated into and enhances the curriculum. It includes structured time for reflection and helps to foster civic and corporate responsibility. As pedagogy, service learning emerges from experiential learning theory and encourages active student involvement in the learning process.

CRITERIA FOR A SERVICE-LEARNING COURSE:

1. NEEDED SERVICE: Students provide a needed service.
2. SERVICE-SUBJECT MATTER RELATION: Through the process students gain first-hand exposure to critical tax concepts.
3. CLASS CONTEMPLATES LEARNING THROUGH SERVICE: Throughout the course, class sessions are set-aside as “Workshops” for reflecting on the service experience.
4. CREDIT/ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING FROM SERVICE: Students are evaluated on the quality and accurateness of the services they provide.
5. SERVICE RECIPIENTS EVALUATE SERVICE: The completed output will be evaluated by the clients, supervising CPAs and attorneys and by your instructor.
6. SERVICE DEVELOPS CIVIC EDUCATION: To provide the service, students must learn about the tax system and its specific effects on those of low income in our society and how the agencies they are assisting serve the community.
7. KNOWLEDGE ENHANCES SERVICE: Students acquire both functional knowledge of the tax system and civic knowledge of disadvantaged populations within the community. The course is intended to raise the consciousness of students in applying their business and accounting knowledge to social problems.
8. LEARNING FROM OTHER CLASS MEMBERS: The highly interactive setting provides substantive and frequent opportunities for learning from collaborative experience.

Service-learning project information.

I. Overview of the Service-Learning Project

The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) has been in existence for many years as a means of assisting lower income taxpayers with answers to their tax questions and assistance in preparing their income tax returns. I have been recognized by the IRS for having provided over twenty years of service through the VITA program. Come on now, you would not think that your instructors would ask you to do stuff they themselves are not doing, would you? The VITA program will provide the basic tax training for the participants in this service-learning project.

The program is expected to provide the following benefits to participating students:

• Provides a review of the basic tax rules learned in AC306, as well as supplementing that learning with various technical aspects of tax preparation and compliance.
• Provides instruction and practice in the preparation of Hawaii income tax returns
• Increases your communication skills through experience of interviewing clients and keeping a journal of your experiences. You will have to do 4 additional reflection papers and share some of your thoughts and insights in class.
• Provides exposure to a broad cross-section of the population. Students will gain knowledge about the general population’s understanding of the tax laws and the problems they face in complying with its provisions. 

The program is also a service to the community. This may be our client’s first one-on-one encounter with Chaminade students and with all the things that are being said about the need for private universities – try to represent your campus well and give the community one more reason why Chaminade is good for the state!

II. CLASS REQUIREMENTS

• Students must receive a passing grade on a federal tax returns test to be completed (individually!) by the beginning of class on Tuesday, January 29th (subject to change) see below for further details. There is no test for doing Hawaii tax returns.Note: You have four chances to pass the federal (IRS) test, you may take the “Retest? up to three times. A fail on the fourth grading will cause you to be disqualified from the VITA program and the service-learning option for this class. As such the term paper will be your only remaining option.
• Students must perform publicity activities.
• Help with bringing in clients by preparing the returns for at least 6 people you have personally contacted about VITA. Two of these 6 people (or their information) must be brought in during the first two weeks of the program.
• Work at least 16 hours (or four shifts) in the VITA centers during the tax season.
• Maintain an activity time log that confirms your activities and 6 taxpayers.
• Keep a folder with your time log, a record of your coordinating or publicity activities and a daily journal of your experiences at the VITA sites.

Based on the journal, you will submit a typewritten reflection papers on your experiences (2-5 typewritten pages) pursuant to the schedule that will be established by your instructor. This log and reflection paper are meant to be not just a summary of the number of people you assisted (we have to keep separate records on that) but comments and thoughts on new things learned, problems encountered, things you would do differently in retrospect, mistakes you realized you may have made, insights about people’s knowledge of, respect for the tax laws & the IRS. You will receive further guidance on the form and substance of the papers as they are assigned. ?You will also be required to spend approximately 4 hours learning and using tax preparation software. This will be covered outside of class in the tax law training sessions on January 26, 2008 at Chaminade.

As mentioned in the email that I sent out in December (I will be using the Chaminade email address assigned to every student for all class correspondence so please check it before every class session) ?The service learning option will require each student to participate in my tax clinics for the homeless project or with the Hawaii Asset Building Coalition?s sites. My clinics involve doing tax returns for welfare to work clients at homeless transition shelters, domestic abuse shelters and low-income housing projects and other volunteer sites around the island of Oahu. Before being allowed to provide assistance all students must pass at least the basic test given by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You may prepare and test online at http://www.irs.gov/app/vita/index.jsp (or go to www.irs.gov and search for “link and learn” if the link that I gave you does not open up to the link and learn site), but you still must attend the 1/26 (at Chaminade) session as there is no online substitute for that part of the training. On 1/26 we will be learning about Hawaii State taxes and the IRS approved software that we will be using for e-filing of federal tax returns. You must pass the tests for the BASIC module before being certified to go out and prepare returns for clients. You will need to submit to the IRS/site coordinator and for my files a printed copy of the passing test scores for at least the BASIC module. You may do the other modules if you wish, but they are not required for this project.

You can get more information about this project at the following website as well: http://www.cic.edu/projects_services/epe/chaminade.asp. If this does not work go to the Chaminade homepage at www.chaminade.edu then go to academics and faculty profiles, click on my profile (Tanna, Wayne) and then click on the Click here for CIC’s report on the Chaminade project.

III. DETERMINATION OF GRADE for the SERVICE-LEARNING OPTION (Pass/Fail)

• IRS test
• Publicity & 6 clients
• Tax preparation, including your attitude & quality of your work
• Log & Reflection papers
• Supervisor’s evaluation

IV. HOURS WORKED (Hey a standard workweek used to be 40 hours so we will make this a 40 hour project.

You will be given credit for hours spent learning the tax laws, worked at the sites, doing publicity, coordinating activities, learning & doing computer tax preparation, a maximum of 20 hours will be given for the training sessions that are listed below (this includes time to take the VITA certification test). Because of these varied possibilities it is your responsibility to keep track of your hours worked and have them verified after each activity by an authorized person (each site will have a site-coordinator and one or more professions [CPAs and/or Tax attorneys). You are responsible for fulfilling all your commitments. Last, but not least, you are going to have FUN. I guarantee it!

Two VITA tax Law Training Courses will all be held this semester. I will be doing one at Chaminade University, Kieffer Hall Room 9. I will be teaching the federal parts and representatives from the Hawaii Department of Taxation and the IRS will be teaching the state and tax software parts. The schedule will be as follows (lunch provided by Aloha United Way):

Saturday 1/12/2007 8:30am ? 4:30pm Federal Part I

Saturday 1/19/2007 8:30am ? 4:30pm Federal Part II

Saturday 1/26/2007 8:30am ? 4:30pm State taxes and TaxWise software

My Theme – AORTA (could not work out the acronym for HEART) this works for all careers that deal with serving clients or patients (as well as others in the community).

Acquire information
Organize the information and determine what is needed and what is not
Record the essential information in a formal fashion
Transmit the information to the required parties
Assess the process to continually improve the process

SERVICE LEARNING
ASSIGNMENT ONE

Your first service learning assignment will require you to investigate possible placements, choose one that you will be willing to stay with for the duration of the semester or the project’s required time commitment (whichever is longer) and to make your first visit or orientation meeting.

1. You may get assistance from others on campus to locate an agency to serve with. However, please remember that I must approve both the agency and the kind of work that is to be done at that agency.

 

2. Investigate each of the possible projects that interest you with respect to:
   • Practical issues–can you get there and back at the times the agency requires your time and service (do you have transportation, does the time fit into your schedule)?
   • issues–will you be working with a population or in a situation that is comfortable for you? Can you work there effectively or will this whole situation get you stressed out?
   • Course related issues–is the agency and the service to be performed the type of activity that relates to this course or generally to law or accounting; will the project meet with my approval?

   You may be able to talk with other students that have volunteered with the agency you are thinking about working with. You may want to interview the volunteer coordinator at the site you are thinking about working at. You may also try to talk with other instructors or administrators at our school that are involved with service learning in order to find out more about possible opportunities that may work for you

3. Set up your first visit and plan a regular schedule when you are ready to proceed with you service learning project.

Your first written report (1-2 typed pages) is DUE: January 31, 2008 (with the passing certification test results) and should include:

• A discussion of the place you have selected and your rationale for choosing the one you did. How does this fit in with the subject you are studying?
• A discussion of the things you did to check out the agency that you are thinking about working with.

Dear Student,

Teaching classes in business administration and law is my vocation. Both business administration and my students are important to me. I work hard at teaching and expect my students to work hard at learning. I am a parent, a professor, an attorney, an accountant, a tax and business consultant, an author, a non profit manager and a cancer survivor (I will be moving slower and may not be as understanding this semester).

My office phone number is 739-4606 (Chaminade). Please use this number or Email me at wtanna {at} chaminade(.)edu if you wish to reach me or if you have problems with the homework. I read email daily, I do not respond to them daily but I do return phone calls unless I am away. No cell phone use in class.

It is your responsibility to learn the material. It is my responsibility to make the learning process as productive as possible. If you miss a class, check the course outline to determine what you must do, read the material in the text, do the homework, and call if you need help.

Tests are like job interviews scheduled weeks in advance: treat them as such. Do not miss a test. If you do miss a test, be sure that I know about it as soon as you do or I will have to assume that you are no longer interested in passing this class.

Being a student is not an easy job. It is work. Plan time to attend class, as well as time to work on the material outside of class. If I can be of help, call me or see me in my office or just after class. Additionally, please keep in mind that knowledge of the law is cumulative. Do not fall behind in your reading. Work all assignments. And while you are in class please set all of your cell phones and pagers to a non-audible mode. I will penalize students who disrupt class (especially during exams, you can get an F for that test) with their pagers and cell phones.

I have one additional thought for you as we start this semester: If you have something to do, in the words of Nike “JUST DO IT”, if not, relax and have some fun. HAVE A GOOD SEMESTER.

Very truly yours,

Wayne M. Tanna

Wayne, your instructor

P.S. I have a teaching assistant that usually accompanies me to class. His name is R.P. Orange, the Reasonably Prudent (a term of great legal significance) Orangutan. You may have previously seem or heard of him. In reality, he is a stuffed animal. However, it is what he stands for that is important. There are three things that he is in class to promote: First, there is more to life than what is in any single class or classroom (priorities); Second, grades are not everything (it is what you learn or the knowledge that is gained that really matters); and Third, if you need a hug or something to make you take yourself (instructor included) less seriously, R.P. Orange is there for you.

Now, write a letter to me, Wayne, your instructor, telling me who you are. Tell me of your strengths, weaknesses, fears, and goals. Discuss your world and how your roles in this world might affect your performance in this class. Speak of your business background. Discuss how this class might play a role in your future.

Tell me what I might do to help you achieve your goals for this class. Include in your letter a statement that you have read and understood the grading for this class and the academic dishonesty policy of the university. This letter must be typed. Due Tuesday, January 29, 2008 (this will count for your first two weeks of attendance).

American University

Professor Katharine Kravetz

Office Phone: (202) 895-4931

Home Phone: (202) 686-0247

E-mail: kkravet {at} american(.)edu

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES SEMINAR SYLLABUS

GOVT-417-001T and 418-001T or JLS-464-001T and 465-001T

All human existence throughout history, from ancient Eastern and Western societies up through the present day, has strived toward community, toward coming together.