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CSCS 801 / MHR 765: NONPROFIT BOARD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

FALL 2018 SYLLABUS

WEDNESDAYS, 6-8PM I GRAINGER HALL I ROOM 2335

"A good board is a victory, not a gift." - Cyril 0. Houle

COURSE TEAM

Dennis Johnson, MBA, is a Founder & Managing Partner at Sort Sol Group and a Certified

Governance Trainer with BoardSource. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the

corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors to his coaching and consulting work. Dennis

holds his Master's in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska's Gallup

Leadership Institute and received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin. He

currently serves as the Secretary for the International Coaching Federation - Wisconsin

Chapter.

Kathie Nichols, MBA, serves as Program Coordinator with Sort Sol Group. She brings more

than 23 years of nonprofit work experience, having served as the Business Administrator for a

1,000-member church in Madison from 1990 through 2013. Kathie also has a wealth of

nonprofit Boards of Directors experience, currently serving on two Madison-area nonprofit

boards.

Ben Williams, MPA, is a Founder and Managing Partner at Sort Sol Group. He provides one­

on-one advising, delivers nonprofit education on collaboration, strategy, finance, business

planning and capacity building topics. Ben received his Master's degree in Public Affairs from

the La Follette School of Public Affairs. He currently serves as Vice Chair for United Way of

Dane County's Nonprofit Board Training Committee.

CAMPUS ADVISORS

Mary Beth Collins, JD, has experience as a teacher, attorney, and nonprofit professional.

She has always been passionate about the strength and well-being of communities, families,

and mission-based enterprises. She uses the skills she has used in her career to assist the

SoHE Centers of Excellence in their strategic and operational goals and supports various

special initiatives on campus focusing on community engagement and campus climate. She is also a member of the advisory team that facilitates the Applied Master's program at SoHE,

and is the instructor of record for a series of one-credit courses that meet the Professional

Skills requirement of that master's degree program; these courses deliver community

wisdom to students and allow students opportunities to apply skills to their area of

substantive study and interest

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Sherry Wagner-Henry, MBA, is the director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration in the

Wisconsin School of Business, and geeks out over board leadership and development. She

started a course like this w hen teaching and leading the Arts and Cultural Leadership

Program at the Unive rsity of Minnesota, and decided it was the first class she wa nted to

create w hen she arrived at UW-Madison. Sherry currently serves on the boards of Forwa rd

Theater in Madison, USITT, and the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE), and

is now the Cha ir for board development for all three organizations!

CONTACT

Primary Contact:

Email:

Office hours:

Phone:

COURSE READING

Kathie Nichols, Program Coordinator, Sort Sol Group

kath ie@sortsolg rou p.org

Arranged by Appointment

608-695-6755

The Governance Series: the third edition of Board Source's groundbreaking series helps

board members, chief executives and senior staff understand the fundamental elements of

service common to most boards. (Purchased directly through Sort Sol Group at cost, which is $50 for a PDF set. Please bring a card or check payable to SSG in this amount on the first night of class, September 5.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

This service-learning course engages graduate students w ho seek an opportunity to

develop a commitment to community and civic engagement through volunteer

leadership of nonprofit organizations in Madison/Dane County.

Students w ill enroll for 3 credits over two semesters (2 credits in the Fall and 1 credit in

the Spring . They w ill serve on the boards of nonprofits (in a non-voting capacity) and

complete an independent governance project for their assigned nonprofit by the end of

the second semester.

Students w ill meet a total of thirteen (13) times in the fall semester on Wed nesday evenings

from 6-8pm. Deliverables, in addition to a final project, w ill include reflection, individual

participation, self and peer evaluation.

Outside of regular class time, students w ill meet w ith the Program Coordinator at least

once over the course of the semester to discuss the governance project development.

They w ill also have the opportunity for small group coaching on projects during some

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classes.

Students will also attend individual board meetings, advisor/mentor meetings, public

events, and board committee meetings for their community partner organization. This is

where the majority of time is used in preparation for understanding the culture and needs

of the organization in order to develop an appropriate project.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of the course, each student should be able to:

1. Understand and articulate to colleagues the governance issues facing nonprofit

organizations.

2. Recognize and separate the differing roles and responsibilities of board members and

executive directors, as well as the challenges both encounter in working to support

the mission, vision and values of the organization together.

3. Extend their network and experience in forging relationships with a diverse set of

community members who come together over a shared passion for impact and

change.

COURSE TOPICS

Within this course, the following topics will be explored in the context of building higher

impact board governance: roles and responsibilities of board members, legal aspects of

nonprofits/advocacy, financial management, strategic planning/collaboration, fund

development, structures and the board/staff partnership.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

All students will serve on a nonprofit governance board as part of this course. Their

service will include involvement in working committees or a project with the board chair,

committee chair, executive director, or other staff member. By the end of the course,

students will be:

KNOWING

a. Explain the responsibilities of a non-profit governance board including the duties

of the board chair and board members.

b. Describe the key strategic and tactical issues being addressed by their

organization's board .

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c. Examine how to develop working committees with the needed roles and skills to

address an issue.

DOING

a. Demonstrate the processes and protocols used by a board to shepherd key issues

through decision-making and into action by the organization.

b. Work with a variety of board members and organizational staff to develop and

implement an approach that addresses an important challenge of the organization.

BEING

a. Identify how their knowledge, experiences and skills are most valuable in board

service.

b. Examine the value of boards and board membership to themselves and their

organization .

INSPIRING

a. Articulate the ways in which boards can motivate organizations to be successful.

b. Reflect on their own professional development strategy for improving their value

to future boards.

NETWORKING

a. Utilize effective team-based and interpersonal communication skills as a means to

build their professional network with board members and leaders.

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COURSE CALENDAR/SCHEDULE

The schedule, policies and assignments are subject to change in the event of extenuating

circumstances or by notification of the course team.

All class meetings in Grainger Hall Room 2335.

Guest Speakers: invited & subject to change

Date Topic Instructor/ Guest(s)

Module 1: Welcome, Induction, Sherry Wagner-Henry

Sept. 5 & Orientation Board Partner Organizations

Module 2: Roles & Sep. 12 Responsibilities Dennis Johnson

Nonprofit Board Leadership Dennis Johnson & Sherry Wagner-Henry Friday Workshop : Strategic Grainger Hall 1310 - Plenary Sept. 14 Recruitment of a Diverse Board 9am-4pm. Funded by P&G Sept. 19 NO CLASS

Module 3: Board Structures & Kathie Nichols

Sept. 26 Meetings Guest, TBA

Module 4: Strategy Development Ben Williams

Oct. 3 & Collaboration Guest, TBA

Module 5: Nonprofit Finance & Ben Williams

Oct. 10 Business Models Guest, TBA -

Module 6: Resource Kathie Nichols Oct. 17 Development Michelle Green, UW Foundation

Module 7: Legal, Advocacy & Dennis Johnson

Oct. 24 Community Engagement Cedric Johnson, MG&E

Oct. 31 Halloween - NO CLASS

Module 8: Trends in the Sector/ Dennis Johnson

Nov 7 Social Justice Guest, TBA Learning to Action Board Recruitment, Onboarding,

& Engagement Student Led - Team #1

Nov. 14 Board Structures & Meetings Student Led - Team #2

Nov. 21 Thanksgiving Recess - NO CLASS Nonprofit Finance & Business

Models Student Led - Team #3

Nov. 28 Resource Development Student Led - Team #4

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Strategy Development &

Collaboration

Trends in the Sector/ Social Student Led - Team #5

Dec. 5. Justice Student Led - Team #6

Dec. 12 Project Pitches (6-9p)

Dec. 19 Impact Project ldea(s) Due - NO CLASS

COURSE GRADES

Grades will be kept up to date, and at any time, you are welcome to discuss your progress in

the course.

Grading for the Fall 2018 Semester will be based on the following:

Attendance & In-class Participation (See Appendix A)

Engagement w ith Community Partner (See Appendix B)

SWOT Analysis, 2-3 Biggest Challenges and Project Proposal

Student Led Discussion (See Appendix C)

15%

40%

30%

15%

P for PROGRESS GRADE IN FALL: Because the class and grade is the accumulation of both

Fall and Spring semester learning and evaluation, students will be assigned a "P" for Progress

at the end of the Fall term. Grades from the fall will move over to Spring semester w here they

wi ll be integrated into the fall grade, given at the end of Spring semester.

Grading for the Spring 2019 Semester wil l be based on the following :

Attendance & In-class Participation (See Appendix A)

Engagement w ith Community Partner (See Appendix B)

Case Studies &/or Reflection Papers

Impact Project Presentation (See Appendix C)

Using the above figures, grades will be issued using these averages:

A: 93-100%, AB: 88-92%, B: 83-87%, BC: 78-82%, C: 70-77%, D: 60-69% and F: <60%

ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION

15%

40%

15%

30%

ATTENDANCE: Blended learning is a collaborative process. Sharing experiences, life

lessons and personal opinions in class discussion w ill help us make releva nt connections w ith

real world experience, allowing us to apply the knowledge we glean from the texts and other

sources.

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EMERGENCY POLICY: Emergencies arise, and the late policy can be waived at the

instructor's discretion in case of an emergency. Emergencies are defined as events that are

serious and unexpected. Emergencies cannot be written on the calendar in advance.

UW MADISON ACADEMIC POLICIES

Source: http:/ /www.mcburney.wisc.edu/information/documentation/general.php

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: If you are a student w ith a documented disability and are

interested in accommodations for this course, contact the UW McBurney Disability Resource

Center. Each student shall be expected to make timely and appropriate disclosure and

requests to effectively set up services. All requests for services and disabilities documentation

are confidential. If you have questions about services, accommodations, or documentation

requirements email: mcburney@studentlife.wisc.edu .

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (http ://students .wisc.edu/doso/acadintegrity.html):

All work submitted should be your own

Be sure to properly cite all sources used

Paraphrase correctly and accurately

Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It

PRIVACY OF STUDENT RECORDS - FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and

Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment, provides that students

have the right to see their records (accessibility) and to determine w ho w ill see their records

(confidentiality). Detailed information :

http:/ /registrar.wisc.edu/ferpa guidelines faculty staff.htm.

APPENDIX A: CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION RUBRIC

Exemplary Proficient Developing Unacceptable

Attendance 5 po ints/c lass (unexcused absences w ill result in 0 po ints)

Student initiates Student initiates

Student initiates Student does not

Frequency o f contributions more contribution once in

contribution at least initiate contribution &

Parti c ipation than once in each each rec itation

in half o f the needs instructo r to

recitation recitations solic it input

10 po ints 6 po ints 4 po ints 0 po ints

Comments always Comments mostly Comments are

insightful & insightful & sometimes

constructive; uses constructive; mostly constructive, w ith Comments are

appropriate uses appropriate occasional signs o f uninfo rmative,

Quality o f termino logy; termino logy; insight; student does lacking in appropriate

Comments balanced between occasionally not use appropriate termino logy; heavy

general impressions, comments are too termino logy; reliance on opinio n &

opinions & spec ific, general o r not comments not personal taste

thoughtful c riti c isms relevant to the always relevant to

o r contributions discussion the discussion

10 po ints 6 po ints 4 po ints 0 po ints

Student listens Student is mostly

attentively w hen attentive w hen Does not listen to

others present ideas, o thers; regularly talks o thers present

materials, as Student is o ften w hile o thers spea k o r materials,

perspectives, as indica ted by inattentive and needs does not pay

comments that reminder o f foc us o f attention w hile

Listening Skills indicated by

reflect & build on c lass; occasionally others spea k; comments that build

on o thers' remarks, others' remarks; makes disruptive detracts fro m

i e , student hears occasionally needs comments w hile discussion;

w hat o thers say & encouragement o r o thers are speaking inappropriate use o f

contributes to the reminder from techno logy during

dialogue instructo r o f focus o f c lass

comment

10 po ints 6 po ints 4 po ints 0 po ints

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APPENDIX B: ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITY PARTNER RUBRIC

Attendance & Exemplary Proficient Developing Unacceptable Participation 4 points each 3 points each 2 points each 1 points each

Attendance and Full attendance,

Less than full

participation in board significant Full attendance, Full attendance,

attendance and/or contributions active participation limited participation

meetings through participation

limited participation

Attendance and Full attendance,

Less than full

participation in significant Full attendance, Full attendance,

attendance and/or

committee meetings contributions active participation limited participation

limited participation through participation

Attendance and Full attendance,

participation in other significant Full attendance, Full attendance,

Less than full

events (ie , retreats, attendance and/or

fund raisers, contributions active participation limited participation

limited participation

programming, etc) through participation

Exceeded Above Expectations Met expectations Below expectations

Engagement Expectations 4 points each

3 points each 2 points each 1 points each

The student Student was

Student made efforts

demonstrated a proactive, engag ing

to connect w ith staff Student was active in Student was passive,

w illingness to engage staff and board with

and board to attending missed opportun ities

w ith staff and/or meaningful

become c lose to organ ization for greater

board. conversation about

organization meetings connection

organ ization

Student invested Student lacks The student invested

considerable time to Student reached high Student reached time, interest and

understand level of basic level of reasonable

energy in our organ ization and the understanding of understanding for

understanding of

organ ization's issues key issues and organ ization organ ization

organ ization goa ls

and priorities. priorities

and priorities

The quality of the Impact project w ill be Impact project w ill

Impact project may Uncertainty, lack of

student's impact implemented, likely be

be implemented, c larity, or other

project/final antic ipate implemented,

further study or barriers may prevent

deliverables met my considerable benefits antic ipate some

revisions may be impact project from benefit to

expectation. to organ ization organization

necessary being implemented

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APPENDIX C : STUDENT LED DISCUSSION/ PROJECT PRESENTATION RUBRIC

Exemplary Proficient Developing Unacceptable 4 points each 3 points each 2 points each 0 points each

Presentation

Holds attention of Consistent use of Displayed minimal eye No eye contact w ith

entire audience with

Eye Contact the use of direct eye direct eye contact with contact with audience, audience, as entire

contact, seldom aud ience, but still wh ile reading mostly report is read from

looking at notes returns to notes from the notes notes

Movements seem fluid Made movements or No movement or

& help the audience gestures that enhances Very little movement or descriptive gestures

Body Language visualize articu lation descriptive gestures

Tension & nervousness

and Confidence Student displays Makes minor mistakes, Displays mild tension;

is obvious; has trouble relaxed, self-confident but qu ick ly recovers has trouble recovering

recovering from nature about self, with from them; displays from mistakes

mistakes no mistakes little or no tension

Demonstrates a strong, Occasiona lly shows Shows absolutely no

Enthusiasm positive feeling about

positive feelings about Shows some negativity

interest in topic topic during entire

topic toward topic presented

presented presentation

Content

Student demonstrates Student is Student does not have

full knowledge by Student is at ease w ith uncomfortable w ith grasp of information;

Subject answering all c lass expected answer to all in formation & is able to student cannot answer

Knowledge questions w ith questions, w ithout answer on ly questions about

explanations & elaboration

elaboration rudimentary questions subject

Student presents Student presents Aud ience has difficulty

Audience cannot

information in log ical, understand

Organ ization interesting sequence information in log ica l fo llowing presentation

presentation because

wh ich audience can sequence wh ich because student jumps

there is no sequence

follow aud ience can fo llow around

of information

Presentation has no Presentation has no

Presentation has three Student's presentation

Mechanics misspellings or more than two

misspellings &/or has four or more

misspellings &/or spelling &/or grammatica l errors

grammatica l errors grammatical errors

grammatical errors

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