Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

It is important for those involved with philanthropy and nonprofit enterprise to be able to critically analyse governance understandings and their dynamic interaction with society.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide a student with the basic knowledge and skills to reflect critically on philanthropy and nonprofit governance.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AoL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

Discipline Knowledge

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the available nonprofit governance theories that are widely used
2. Critically analyse these approaches and theories
3. Demonstrate an ability to apply such tools of analysis to common challenges facing nonprofit managers
The specific course learning goals that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

Module 1
Part A: Governance Overview

Part B: Place of Governance in Organisational Theories

Module 2
Governance Theories

Module 3
Governance, Legal Understandings and Fiduciary Duties

Module 4
Board Effectiveness

Module 5
Governance, Civil Society and Management

Module 6
Governance: Review and Summary

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The delivery of this unit is based around a blended delivery approach to teaching and learning, which involves a mix of online and face to face delivery of content, supported by the unit website.

The purpose of the unit is to introduce students to the concepts and theories of governance and to develop critical inquiry skills in relation to the governance issues and dilemmas facing the philanthropic and nonprofit sector. Both live and recorded sessions will be utilised to develop students' abilities to apply the concepts and theories to the management of organisations within the philanthropic and nonprofit sector.

The unit is supported by the QUT online learning system, Blackboard. In addition to basic information such as the unit outline, lecture outlines, assessment information and staff contact details, the Blackboard site contains links to journal articles, ebooks, cases, external websites, and various multimedia resources.

To access the GSN481 Blackboard site, simply bookmark the following URL: http://www.blackboard.qut.edu.au

Note: The GSN481 Blackboard site can only be accessed with the use of your QUT access username and password.

Assessment

The assessment for this unit aims to support your achievement of the learning objectives for both Discipline Knowledge and Other Graduate Capabilities. Assessment has been designed in order to allow you to both:

1. receive feedback on your learning as you progress towards the development of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes (formative assessmetn); and
2. demonstrate your learning in order to achieve a final grade (summative assessment).

Determining Final Grades

The Faculty Academic Board determines student grades. The Unit Coordinators provide the detailed assessment results to the Board, working through the relevant School. These results are advisory in nature and do not necessarily constitute the final grades awarded by the Board. In its decisions the Board compares results both within units and programs, using as a guide a set of standard distribution criteria. These criteria help the Board to ensure consistency in the marking and grading of students as applied across the faculty. THese guidelines are not applied in a prescriptive fashion.

Student Rules and Assessment Procedures

Students are responsible for both knowing and abiding by all rules relating to assessment, academic dishonesty, non-discriminatory language, conduct and performance as contained in the QUT Manual of Policies and Procedures and the Student Charter. Details of these rules and policies, how they will be applied in this and other units, guidelines to assist yo in understanding them, as well as penalties for non compliance, can be found via the Rules and Policies link on teh Blackboard Teaching Site for this Unit.Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

• Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation


• Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary


• Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation


• Indirect: to the whole class

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Proposal to investigate a governance issue
The purpose of this essay question is for students to identify and investigate a problem of interest and relevance for their professional governance practice.

This problem will need to be based on a current governance situation, issue or dilemma facing a nonprofit organisation. While the problem should be real, the organisation should not be identified. In other words the problem must be a real actual governance problem / issue experienced by a specific organisation, not just a theoretical problem. The topic is to be decided in consultation with the lecturer.

The essay will also need to identify a suitable governance theoretical framework from which the problem will be examined, particularly in order to identify the cause and effects of the problem.
Length/Duration: 1,000 words
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit Objectives: 1,2 and 3 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), KS (1.2), PC (3.1), SEU (5.1)
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 4


Assessment name: Essay
Description: The second piece of assessment takes the problem identified by the student in Assessment Item 1 and proposes a detailed and justified governance solution to the problem.

In particular, a proposal for how the situation, problem or dilemma might be responded to by the organisation should be articulated.

The essay will need to be firmly grounded in, and justified by relevant governance literature(s).
Length: 2,000 words
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit Objectives: 1,2 and 3 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), KS (1.2), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1), SEU (5.1)
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7


Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Helmut K. Anheier, (2005) Nonprofit Organisations - Theory, management, policy, London: Routledge.

Required References Nil

Additional Resources
Other resources will be made available via the Course Materials database on the GSN481 Blackboard site: http://www.blackboard.qut.edu.au

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Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to view the >Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 06-Feb-2013