CAPSTONE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

As a capstone course, this course is intended to provide integration, cohesion, and summary to the entire course of study. We will revisit and reflect upon the foundational hopes of the program for student learning. Likewise, students will complete a culminating project that illustrates their interests, knowledge, and proficiencies within the field of higher education.

COLLEGE STUDENTS IN AMERICA

This course offers a comprehensive overview of American college students. More specifically, it provides a multifaceted profile of who is currently in college. The course also examines and critiques major human development theories that attempt to “explain” students’ development. In this context, the course considers the feasibility of a Christian theory of students’ development during the college years.

CRISIS RESPONSE AND MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This course will focus on the growing and complex nature of crisis management and crisis response in higher education. It will explore the challenges of mental health, Title IX, behavior intervention, and larger institutional crises. Students will learn how to approach crises from a missional Christian perspective and develop their own philosophy of responding to students in crisis across different functional areas. Students will also learn best practices for institutional approaches to crisis response and behavior intervention.

FOUNDATIONS OF CAMPUS DIVERSITY

This course will explore the complex issues facing university and college professionals when addressing diversity and multiculturalism. We will examine the development of dominant and dominated cultures in the United States and how an increased understanding in these regards might shape how higher education professionals do their work. A Christian perspective will ground and shape the dialogue with special attention to how Christians have attempted to address issues of diversity in the past. Distinctions will be made between individual and institutional diversity challenges, and specific policies in various areas of the academy will be examined. Specific attention will be given to dialogue on issues of gender, class, race and religious affiliation.

FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

This course is intended to provide an introduction to various research design and methodology skills that are relevant to educational research. We will also examine the nature of the research process as well as the roles of researcher. Our hope is that students will become both more proficient and more accustomed to understanding, valuing, and interpreting educational research as well as designing, conducting and presenting effective research.

FOUNDATIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

This course is designed to introduce students to what might be called the worldviews that shape and have shaped the academy. More specifically, students will uncover and analyze underlying assumptions, perspectives, and practices that are present in American higher education historically and presently. Students will also be introduced to a biblical worldview as a framework for examining other worldviews that are currently operating in the American academy.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN A DIGITAL AGE

This class prepares learners to navigate the murky waters of digital higher education. From conversations about teaching online to managing student social media interactions, the course helps higher education professionals conduct business in an ever-evolving environment. Students come away from the class prepared to engage in meaningful debates surrounding online course strategies and design, develop healthy online community, and move toward a redemptive perspective on higher education in the digital age.

HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

This course provides a general overview of the historical development of American colleges and universities, beginning with the colonial period and continuing through the current scene. The course will also explore the interplay of Christian faith with the historical development of American higher education.

LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE

This course examines literature and research on leadership planning and practice in American colleges and universities, particularly in the context of addressing macro (societal) and micro (organizational) change effectively. In so doing, the attempt will be made to evaluate ways in which a Christian perspective may provide understanding, critique and direction to academic leadership in response to changing landscapes.