Hi, I'm Professor Yvonne Harrison, now at the University at Buffalo, welcoming you to the first course in a series of courses on developing leadership, and improving governance of non-profit organizations. In this video, I will review Course 1, Introduction to the Non-profit sector, Leadership and Governance. I'll begin with the learning outcomes, and the leadership competencies emphasized in the course, and the learning activities that you'll engage in each week. I'll conclude with the assessment of learning that will take place in the fourth, and fifth week. By the end of this course, you will have developed knowledge and awareness of the incredible size, and scope of the non-profit sector, and the organizations that comprise it. You will have worked with a real board of directors, or with information from a board of directors to identify issues, situations, and events that challenge the board's effectiveness. Finally, you'll have developed skills associated with highly effective non-profit leaders. This course is designed to introduce you to the leadership competencies required by academic programs that are accredited by NASPAA. NASPAA is the Network of Schools of Public Affairs in North America. This course emphasizes three NASPAA leadership competencies; to articulate and apply a public service perspective, to identify governance effectiveness challenges, to communicate and interact productively with and for others. It should be noted that this course was developed with North American requirements in mind, and we do appreciate that the non-profit sector, non-profit organizations, leadership, and governance may not be the same in other parts of the world. It is our intention, however, that the course content will be of value to others, and that cultural differences will provide a rich forum for discussion. Now I'll turn to the topics and questions addressed in this course. The topic of week 1 is the nonprofit sector and non-profit organizations. Some of the questions we will explore this week are: what is the non-profit sector, and why does it exist? How is it different from the public, and private sectors? What are the unique characteristics of non-profit organizations? What issues and trends face organizations in the non-profit sector? The topic of week 2 is non-profit leadership, governance, and boards of directors. The key questions you will explore this week are: what is leadership at the governance level, and how is it different from management? What is good governance and why does it matter? What is a board of directors and how is the role of boards of directors changing? Week 3 addresses the legal role and authority of board members, and responsibilities of boards of directors in organizational governance. The key questions you will explore this week are: what roles do board members play in non-profit organizations? What are boards responsible for? What are the different models of organizational governance, and which model is right for the board? Finally, what issues challenge the role, and responsibilities of boards in non-profit organizations? Within the platform, you'll find weekly lectures, videos, readings, and links to external resources that point you to important content. Once you've reviewed the content, you're ready to engage in the learning activities. Take a practice quiz. Based on the required content, the quiz is a chance to test your knowledge and further develop it. Because it is a practice assessment, your scores will not be counted into the final course grade. Post a commentary. Commentaries can be based on an insight from the readings that helped you understand a situation, or event that you have experienced. Anything from the reading that you found confusing, or unclear could also be posted. Remember, the basic goal is to help you connect the dots by linking your ideas, and questions on the topic, drawing on what you've learned from the readings, and applying it to your own experience. Analyze a non-profit case. A case is based on a real-world situation. Like the real world, there is usually no single correct answer to the issues they raise. The cases assigned in this course are intended to provide you with a chance to reflect, and apply concepts from the course, as well as enable you to understand, and resolve practical problems in governance. Work on the course project. The course project is an academic service learning experience that provides you with an opportunity to apply the course content, and your learning to help a real board develop leadership, and improve governance effectiveness. Whether you gather information from a real board, or you use the information that we gathered, we'll upload instructions, and information that you need to complete the work associated with the course project. The end of course assessment of learning will take place in the fourth, and fifth week. The first assessment of learning strategy comes from Michelson's method of teaching and learning, known as Team-Based Learning. TBL is used to test mastery of course concepts using readiness assurance tests and application exercises. In the fourth week, we'll open two multiple choice Readiness Assurance Tests, or RATs, as we will humorously refer to throughout the course for you to complete. One RAT will assess knowledge based on reading comprehension, and the other will test knowledge application based on a case. In the fifth week, we will encourage you to discuss the RATs in the forums, and to take them again should you wish to change any of your answers based on the information exchanged. We chose this method of assessment, because it is associated with student learning including concept comprehension, student motivation, communication, accountability, problem-solving, and superior academic performance. The second assessment of learning is the Board Effectiveness Assessment Reflection, which we will humorously refer to as the BEAR. In a nutshell, the board is a short written reflection on the non-profit board and organization you are working with. You will be asked to analyze the organization and board addressing the following questions: what type of non-profit organization is it? Where is it located, and what type of approach to board governance does it follow? What are the opportunities, and threats in the internal, and external environment facing the organization? It should include a description of the accountability environment, and any regulatory challenges. For example, in New York State, boards are required to have a conflict of interest policy. Does your board have one? Be sure to include an introduction to the reflection, and a description of how it's organized. In the fifth week, you'll be asked to peer review BEAR assignments. To receive a course grade, you must complete peer reviews. In this video, we've reviewed Course 1, Introduction to the Non-profit Sector, Leadership, and Governance, we've reviewed the learning outcomes, the leadership competencies, the topic,and questions, and the learning activities that you'll engage in each week. We've also discussed the end of course assessment of learning that will take place in the fourth, and fifth week. For more information, please refer to the course content.
