This course considers current theory and research on leadership and organizational change in schools, colleges, and universities. Course content offers a solid scholarly foundation for solving practical problems and leading change initiatives in educational environments. Content includes legal and ethical issues as they apply specifically to leadership challenges in education. Upon completion of the course, student will demonstrate mastery in the following areas: Leadership Theory and Scholarship, Organizational Environments and Change, Multicultural Perspectives, Legal and Ethical Perspectives, Theory to Practice, and Reflection and Philosophy.

This course considers current theory and research on leadership and organizational change in schools, colleges, and universities. Course content offers a solid scholarly foundation for solving practical problems and leading change initiatives in educational environments. Content includes legal and ethical issues as they apply specifically to leadership challenges in education. Upon completion of the course, student will demonstrate mastery in the following areas: Leadership Theory and Scholarship, Organizational Environments and Change, Multicultural Perspectives, Legal and Ethical Perspectives, Theory to Practice, and Reflection and Philosophy.

Leadership is often described as the ability to influence the actions of others, whether by virtue of the position one holds in an organization, the charisma with which one generates interest and enthusiasm towards common goals, or the ability to bring resources to bear on a common problem. Leadership is practiced in the social relations of the organization and the context of the moment. This class will explore the what, the how and the who of leadership. What is leadership? How is leadership practiced? And, who are leaders? Students will examine their own leadership practice, as well as observe the practices of other leaders, in addition to reading and discussing literature on leadership drawn from a cross-section of organizational contexts. This class is designed to enable students to accomplish the following three major goals: 1) to gain an understanding of their own leadership practice and capacity for exercising leadership within an organization, 2) to examine the practice of leadership through the completion of a case study of leadership within an organizational context, and 3) to develop a deep understanding of the current thinking about the role of leadership in organizational change.

The central objective of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of college student and adult development and learning theory, with a particular focus on research traditions and practical application. Students will be challenged to analyze the underlying philosophical assumptions of a diverse body of literature and to develop a more advanced understanding of theory building. Although many of the developmental theories pertaining to college students have been based on traditional views of the college-going population, more recent research has focused on the diversity of contemporary students and the multiplicity of today’s collegiate experience. Thus, an essential component of this course is to offer an exploration of traditional views complemented with extensive exposure to emerging theoretical understandings. Mastery of the course and its contents should enable students to employ an eclectic approach to understanding and interpreting student behavior and development that requires the practical application of many theoretical perspectives simultaneously. In addition, the emphasis on research associated with college student development, college impact and adult learning and development will enable students to design appropriate research questions and plan research to meet diverse objectives.

his course offers a broad comprehensive view of language planning and policy with specific reference to local and international educational contexts. The course begins with a brief overview of linguistics, language use in educational settings, institutional discourse, and language acquisition. Then, historical, social and theoretical perspectives on language planning are addressed. Finally, specific case studies of language planning, practice, and policy are examined, in particular as they relate to students’ research interests and dissertation topics. Students are expected to take an active role in the discussions and to study a single case of language planning and policy in a community, country, or region.

This is the second in a series of a two doctoral seminars offered by the combined CSU/UC Joint Ed.D. degree program involving California State University, Pomona and UC Irvine. The course is suited for students in the initial stages of identifying areas for advanced, independent doctoral research and serves as a forum for collegial support. Students continue exploring the foundations, assumptions, methods, techniques and ethics of field research and extend their knowledge of field methods beyond gaining access to the field and collecting data through participant observation, interviewing and gathering research documents. The course focuses on data management, coding, data analysis, interpretation, making meaning, and writing up the research report enabling students to complete the field research pilot studies initiated in Field Research Methods I.