ILROB 3730

Culture, Leadership, and Change: Engaging Students in Campus Life and Beyond

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2015-2016 Catalog.

What does it mean to be a Cornellian and engaged in campus life and the world beyond? Culture defines who we are as a member of Cornell University and how we should act toward one another and in the wider world. This course will examine the concept of culture and apply it to our role as Cornellians. Values matter. They tell us what is important in our lives. Effective leaders use culture to strengthen members' commitment to the organization and keep members focused on the organization's goals. In that sense, culture is a powerful form of social control that can be utilized to encourage and discourage specific behaviors. As an institution, Cornell University espouses values that all Cornellians believe in. Academic excellence, collective and individual responsibility, philanthropy, and fairness are a few that come to mind. While such values are central to Cornell, powerful voices have characterized student culture by a variety of negative terms, including "binge drinking," "sexual violence," and "hazing." Cornellians do not condone such behaviors and most students act responsibly. Indeed, understanding the concept of culture and how student leaders use it to promote commitment can go a long way toward deterring these problems and managing the minority of students who engage in such unwanted behavior. This course will teach students;

Permission Note Enrollment limited to: second semester freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

When Offered Fall or spring.

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