Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 715: Organizational Theory & Strategic Planning – Spring A 2025

Credits - 3

Description

This course will include: an overview of organizational theories and systems; the inclusion of organizational theory in the educational change process; the functions, objectives, development, and assessment of strategic plans; and the relationship between strategic planning and budget development.

Materials

Required Reading

Senge, P., McCabe, N.C., Lucas, T., Kleiner, A., Dutton, J., & Smith, B. (2012). Schools that Learn: A fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who cares about education (Revised Ed.) Crown Publishing Group. ISBN: 978-0385518222. E- text: 978-0385521864

Supplementary Text

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). ISBN: 978-1433832154. E-text: 978-1433832185

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the systems approach as applied to human and organizational behavior including educational organizations; PSEL 2, 7, 9
Students will explore and expand on the systems thinking and visioning processes; PSEL 2, 6, 7, 9
Students will deepen their understanding of the connections between organizations and their challenges as well as review their own educational setting; PSEL 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Students will deepen understanding of the Senge principles about organizations; PSEL 6, 7, 9. 10
Students will use skills to analyze and improve school structures that will result in a forum of an effective system; PSEL 9, 10
Students will begin the design of an effective strategic plan based on schools issues; PSEL 9, 10
Students will apply Senge’s theory to a practical situation; PSEL 10
Students will reflect on their work and share what they have learned about strategic planning and other elements of the course; PSEL 9, 10

Assignments

Discussion Forums

Post a response to a question or problem presented in the weekly whole class or small group threaded discussion forum. This initial post must be completed by the end of the day on Wednesday. The initial post must include at least one in-text citation and reference in APA format. Replies must be submitted by the end of the day on Sundays of each week.

Strategic Plan with Issues Analysis

Too often people tend to describe the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself. For Part I of the Strategic Plan, students will identify a problem that is real to their classrooms, schools and/or districts. Students will present evidence (data) of the existence of the problem, and will analyze the problem using at least three of the five disciplines presented in the class text.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis is an organized list of an organization’s greatest strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T). Doing a SWOT analysis can enable an organization to develop effective strategies to resolve problems and, at the same time, recognize the strengths inherent to the organization as well. For this assignment, students will complete a SWOT analysis related to the problem identified in their Strategic Plan with Issues Analysis assignment.

SMART Goals

SMART, most commonly defined as Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, is an acronym that defines criteria for goal-setting. It is a useful tool that individuals or organizations can use to create realistic and achievable goals. Using the SMART criteria, students will develop three goals in order to address the problem that they identified in their Strategic Plan.

Estimated Cost Worksheet

For this assignment, students will create an “Estimated Cost Worksheet” that addresses each of their stated SMART goals and the anticipated initiatives that support each goal. The items, resources, and expenditures needed for each initiative will be listed and an estimated cost for each will be included on the worksheet.

Strategic Plan

This final assignment is a compilation of the work completed in Weeks 3, 6 and 7, resulting in a comprehensive “Strategic Plan.” Students will include their Issues Analysis, SWOT analysis, SMART goals and their Estimated Cost Worksheet.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignments	100 Total Points
8 Discussions	22 points
Strategic Plan with Issues Analysis	24 points
SWOT Analysis	15 points
SMART Goals and Cost Worksheet	24 points
Strategic Plan	15 points

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00

Schedule

Course Weeks

Week 1: Jan 15 – Jan 19
Week 2: Jan 20 – Jan 26
Week 3: Jan 27 – Feb 2
Week 4: Feb 3 – Feb 9
Week 5: Feb 10 – Feb 16
Week 6: Feb 17 – Feb 23
Week 7: Feb 24 – Mar 2
Week 8: Mar 3 – Mar 9

This is only a tentative schedule and is meant to give you a bird’s eye view. The activities and assignments may change at the discretion of the instructor.

Week	Topic	Activities & Assignments	Dates
1	What Is a Learning Organization?	Learning materials; Discussion post	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
2	Systems Thinking for a Better World	Learning materials; Small Group Discussion posts	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday *Note: Initial discussion responses should be posted weekly by WEDNESDAY night unless otherwise specified
3	Leading Learning Organizations	Learning materials; Small Group Discussion posts; Strategic Plan with Issues Analysis	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
4	Creating a Shared Vision	Learning materials; Discussion posts	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
5	Personal Mastery and Team Learning	Learning materials; Small Group Discussion posts	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
6	Designing an Effective Strategic Plan	Learning materials; SWOT Analysis; Discussion posts	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
7	Developing SMART Goals	Learning materials; Discussion posts; SMART Goals and Estimated Cost Worksheet	Due: 11:59 PM ET on Sunday
8	The Strategic Plan	Learning materials; Discussion post; Strategic Plan	Submit your Strategic Plan by 11:59 PM ET on Thursday Complete all Discussion work by 11:59 PM ET on Friday

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Education page

UNE Libraries:

Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
Education Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/education/
Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

UNE Student Academic Success Center

The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

AI Use

The Graduate Programs in Education holds the position that Grammarly and other AI writing and generative technology should not be used when completing course assignments, unless explicitly permitted by course faculty and assignment instructions. These tools do not support a student’s personal and direct capacity to develop and hone skills in creativity, logic, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, theorization, and writing, which are central to graduate-level rigor, assessment, and research. Use of these tools when not explicitly permitted may result in an academic integrity infraction.

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools the University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.