Examples of Module Overview Text

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT |  INSTRUCTOR: COLETTE HOPTION


Overview

In our Ethical Decision-Making module, we are going to take a look at how ethical decisions are made and from that knowledge, be able to evaluate and improve how we currently make ethical decisions.  I believe this is a topic that will be of extreme importance to you no matter what field you're in or what major you declare.  Making tough decisions is by definition, difficult and that is why having a framework for thinking about and evaluating those tough decisions is not only useful for your own decision-making, but also our/managerial influence over others' decision-making. 

In this module, in addition to a textbook chapter, you have been assigned an article written by Robert Cialdini entitled, "Harnessing the Science of Persuasion" published in Harvard Business Review.  Cialdini's article outlines six strategies to gain influence in organizations.  In my debriefing video, you'll hear about some of the gray areas in his strategies and you'll be challenged to think about how to use that information in your own practice.  After our Ethical Decision-Making module, you'll learn about Rational Decision-Making. I have purposefully planned for you to tackle these topics consecutively so that you can see and leverage their similarities.

 

GRANTWRITING  |  INSTRUCTOR: MAUREEN FEIT


Overview

This week, we will consider the most effective ways to make your case to funders. We will consider why and how to build relationships with funders. We will explore the essential elements of a strong case, and identify the importance of evidence-based and storytelling to strong grant proposals. You will learn and practice strategies for using different kinds of evidence to support your case, and consider the limits and alternatives to jargon. You will also have a chance to assess your own writing strengths and challenges, and you will join a group of your peers to set writing goals.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
You will gain a better understanding of:
• Questions and concerns to address before you start writing
• Reasons for emphasizing storytelling in grantwriting
• Strategies for using evidence to support your case.
• The limits and alternatives to jargon.

 

PEOPLE, POWER, & POLITICS |  INSTRUCTOR: PATRICK SCHOETTMER


Overview

This week we will be thinking more about why people do what it is they do. We will be exploring ideas about what social capital is, where it comes from, and how it relates to our understanding of community. The idea that, "we are all in this together," is one that underlies a lot of human moral and social thought. What we will explore this week is the logic that drives this intuition of ours.

We will begin by spending some time defining and describing what exactly social capital is. We will find that social capital fits into a broader understanding of types of capital, or resources, that we use to build communities. We will also come to understand the roots of social capital lie in the innate need for human connection that humans feel. Because of that, we will also spend some time talking about the social ties between us and how this invisible web of connections -- the building blocks

 

PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING |  INSTRUCTOR: GABE SAUCEDO


Overview

In this module, we cover the last 3 steps (i.e., steps 5-7) of the accounting cycle. Completing the accounting cycle requires preparation of adjusting journal entries (and posting them to the general ledger), preparing the financial statements from the final adjusted accounts, and recording the closing journal entries to prepare for the next accounting period.

Following key elements of accrual accounting, including the time-period assumption, revenue recognition, and expense recognition (see Chapter 2, GAAP Conceptual Framework), we record adjusting entries at the end an accounting period because timing differences exist between when a revenue or expense is recognized and cash is received or paid. Otherwise said, we need to true-up or "fix" certain accounts so the financial statements are comparable in accordance with GAAP. We then record closing entries because certain accounts must be closed, or zeroed out, to begin the next accounting cycle.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS MODULE ARE TO:

  1. Explain the difference between cash-basis and accrual-basis accounting.
  2. Identify the kinds of transactions that may require Adjustments at the end of an accounting period, and prepare the related adjusting journal entries for accruals and deferrals.
  3. Explain why and how companies prepare closing entries.

 

SURVEY OF THE UNITED STATES HISTORY |  INSTRUCTOR: HENRY KAMERLING


Overview

This module examines the era of the American Revolution, from origins to aftermath, covering the time period roughly from 1763 (the close of the French and Indian War) to 1800 (the election of Thomas Jefferson). In our first Module we explored a series of possible "birth stories" or origin tales for America. With the coming of the American Revolution and the creation of the United States we will encounter another set of birth/origin stories.

Building on our course opening, the central challenge of this module will be to examine the political and cultural battles over the nature and boundaries of American identity. In particular, we will look at how different groups of people in during the Revolutionary War and its aftermath generated competing definitions of what it meant to be an American. Central to our project will be an exploration of both the formal expressions of nationalism generated in documents like the Declaration of Independence and 1787 Constitution as well as an examination of the contest around national identity that took place in the broader, cultural arena.

We will conclude this module comparing popular cultural expressions from the era of the new nation with those of presented by Walt Whitman and the American transcendentalist authors of the 1830s and 1840s.

 

STRESS, HEALTH, & FLOURISHING |  INSTRUCTOR: KATHERINE RACHLE


Overview

By now you have a foundational understanding of the field of Health Psychology and the Biopsychosocial Model of health.  This week we will take a closer look at the psychosocial determinants of health and how these factors fit in to the Biopsychosocial Model.  This week we will also start our weekly critical thinking exercises. 

Keep in mind that we will be moving from the "health" topic of the course to one of the other main topics of "stress", starting next week.  Again, these first two weeks are designed to solidify your understanding, and application, of the BPS model.  The BPS model will ultimately inform how you exam stress.