Course Offerings

Purpose: Promoting Empowerment through Professional Relationships (SEM 121 FCA) (3 credits)
Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation; analytical and communication skills. Students demonstrate how they have established professional relationships in order to provide and/or improve services to one or more citizens. In their second semester, students will learn to analyze professional relationships within the context of the organization as a bureaucracy, and to identify and compare the diagnostic descriptions of the citizen provided by the citizen, by other participants in the service situation, and in the literature. All students are carry out a Constructive Action Project that confront the challenges involved in developing productive, professional relationships or an internal group project.

Values & Ethics: Critical Thinking and Writing Through the Study of Literature (ENG CC 110) (3 credits)
This course uses the framework of Purpose-Centered Education to help you develop critical thinking and writing skills. You will develop these skills by learning to critically analyze sentences, to construct effective paragraphs, to use narrative (story telling) and argumentation as styles of writing and by learning to apply the MCNY Dimensional Analysis to works of literature.

Self and Others: Social and Developmental Psychology I (PSY 121 SEL) (3 credits)
This course uses a lifespan approach to study the bio-psycho-social factors that affect human development and behavior at each lifecycle stage (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and aging) to understand the resultant behavior and development from an ecological, strengths perspective.

Systems: Social, Political and Economic Aspects of Service Delivery Systems (PSC 121 SYS) (3 credits)
Emphasis on the characteristics of bureaucracies in Human Services.

Skills: Math for Human Services II (MTH 124 SKI) (3 credits)
Application of Mathematics to life; the Human Service workplace; emphasizes cooperative learning in collaborative exercises; inclusion of real data; graphing technology.

Purpose: Promoting Empowerment Through Work in Groups (SEM 231 FCA) (3 credits)
Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation, analytical and communication skills. Students must identify a specific group to work with as human service practitioners. They will demonstrate the growing empowerment of individual members and of the group as a whole through their work together. In this semester, student/practitioners will learn concepts and skills that can be applied to work with families, learning groups in organizations, as well as service teams and other staff groups. They will study the ethical issues involved in group membership and non-membership, including issues of power, responsibility and integrity. They will study theory from sociology and social psychology relating to group behavior, concentrating on the role of family and other primary groups in the socialization process. At their field site and under supervision, students will be expected to lead a group, and to carry out a Constructive Action demonstrating growth of empowerment through the group.

Values and Ethics: Group Values, Norms and Morality (PSY 232 VAL) (3 credits)
The social context for the formation of values and norms; stages of attachment and independence in groups; illustrations from literature and the other humanities.

Self and Others: Social and Developmental Psychology II (PSY 231 SEL) (3 credits)
Interdisciplinary study of models of group interaction; comparison, evaluation and application of models; the influence of family and other primary groups; illustrations from literature and the other humanities.

Systems: The Sociology of Group Behavior (SOC 232 SYS) (3 credits)
Ethnic and racial relations from an American and global perspective, intergroup conflict, racism and discrimination.

Skills: Statistics for Group Analysis (MTH 232 SKI) (3 credits)
Introduction to statistical reasoning, collecting, analyzing and interpreting data related to groups, public health, distribution of income, and census studies.

Purpose: Promoting Empowerment Through Supervision (SEM 241 FCA) (3 credits)
Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation; analytical and communication skills. Students are expected to carry out a Constructive Action that focuses on promoting the empowerment of citizens through more effective supervision of coworkers. This semester introduces students to the theory and techniques that promote empowerment through effective supervision. In service organizations, supervision has the special meaning of assuming responsibility for enabling other employees, through teaching, counseling and administrative support, to make the best use of their abilities on behalf of the citizens they serve, and the organization in which they are employed. In their work or internship site, students will work under supervision and carry out a Constructive Action that provides supervisory support for coworkers involved in direct service.

Values and Ethics: Political & Economic Philosophy (PSC CC 140) (3 credits)
The ideas and values that serve as the foundation of our political system; how our system differs from others; the interrelationship between business and government; major political theories regarding the nature of authority, standards of justice, the ideal of liberty and its limitations, conceptions of a just and good society, and the best form of government.

Self and Others: Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations (MKT 241 SEL) (3 credits)
Communication, preparing press releases, news and feature articles, effective media strategies.

Systems: Managing Human Resources (SOC 241 SYS) (3 credits)
Issues of control and compliance, self-concept, motivation theory and selections from literature and the other humanities.

Skills: Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations (ACC 242 SKI) (3 credits)
Key financial concepts; preparation and presentation of budgets and financial statements; accounting and reporting guidelines; controlling the nonprofit organization; tax and compliance reporting requirements; bookkeeping.

Purpose: Promoting Empowerment Through Teaching and Communication (SEM 351 FCA) (3 credits)
Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation, analytical and communication skills. In each Constructive Action and documentation, the student must show that through teaching and communication, he/she has tried to increase empowerment for two or more citizens. When empowerment is the aim of human service delivery, teaching is an essential part of effective, professional performance. As a basic human service function, teaching plays a part in every work and organizational relationships. In their Project, each student will be expected to identify a situation where they can promote the empowerment by functioning as teacher and/or communicator.

Values and Ethics: Developmental and Comparative Study of Educational Philosophies (HIS 351 VAL) (3 credits)
Topics include the function of education, methods and special issues, examples from literature and the other humanities.

Self and Others: Theories of Learning and Cognitive Development (PHI 351 SEL) (3 credits)
Genetic, developmental and cultural factors that affect learning; comparison of traditional and nontraditional models; practical applications.

Systems: American Government (GOV CC 150) (3 credits)
An analysis of current political systems with emphasis on the U.S., including decision-making under different ideologies, and how individual interests become positive or negative forces for group decisions, at local, national and international levels. This course explores the structure and dynamics of American national government, providing a broad-based introduction to the ideas and institutions that shape politics in the contemporary U.S.

Skills: Public Speaking and the Art of Persuasion (SPE CC 160) (3 credits)
Students are introduced to the tradition of public speaking and persuasion techniques. Through readings and other activities, students improve public speaking and critical thinking skills. This course emphasizes analysis, reasoning, organization and presentation of evidence.

Purpose: Promoting Empowerment Through Counseling (SEM 361 FCA) (3 credits)
Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation; analytical and communication skills. For their Constructive Actions and documentations, students must identify a specific client to work with as human services practitioners. They will demonstrate the growing empowerment of the individual by helping him/her to achieve greater self-direction and freedom of choice. Topics will include various theoretical definitions and cultural interpretations of the basic human needs, conditions that frustrate these needs, ways of coping with frustration and deprivation, comparative study of major descriptions and etiological explanations of normal and abnormal behavior, the associated helping techniques, and the underlying assumptions about human nature. At their field site and under supervision, students will be expected to lead a group and to carry out a Constructive Action demonstrating the growth of empowerment of the individual.

Values and Ethics: Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling (LAW 361 VAL) (3 credits)
Legal and ethical issues involved in counseling; i.e., confidentiality, malpractice, etc.; professional codes of ethics.

Self and Others: Models of Counseling (PSY 361 SEL) (3 credits)
An overview of major theories of counseling, including psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral and existential models. Illustrations from the humanities and literature.

Systems: Counseling Systems—Economic, Political and Technological Perspectives PSC 362 SYS) (3 credits)
Macro- and microsystems inherent in the contemporary counseling process.

Skills: Professional Skills for Counseling (PSY 361 SKI) (3 credits)
Interviewing styles; assessment methods; interpretation of data; stages of the counseling relationship.

Purpose: Promoting Empowerment Through Community Liaison (SEM 471 FCA) (3 credits)
This semester introduces the student to working with communities as an indispensable area of professional activity. The community is considered both as the constituency seeking service and as a source of service for its members. Students examine the role of communities as political, economic, social and cultural forces in various societies and the implications for the rights and duties of citizens. Communities as a formative influence on human growth and development are emphasized. Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation; analytical and communication skills. Students will be expected to carry out a Constructive Action in which they serve as a bridge between the needs and concerns of one or more communities and the diverse resources provided by organizations. In this way, they will help individuals and/or groups to become more empowered as members of a community. A community survey is an integral part of the semester’s work. In their Project, students will be expected to act as liaison between a community and one or more organizations, or between agencies serving the same community, and carry out a related Constructive Action to achieve the Purpose.

Values and Ethics: Comparative Philosophies of Communities (PSC 471 VAL) (3 credits)
Comparative political, social, legal and economic philosophies, including differing views on mutual obligations of individuals and their political and economic sources; the ethic of individualism versus the ethic of community; community issues in human services practice; selections from literature and the other humanities.

Self and Others: Community Psychology (SOC 471 SEL) (3 credits)
Problems and issues in community relations; psychological bases of community; approaches to understanding the characteristics of community members; selections from literature and the other humanities.

Systems: Social, Political and Economic Dynamics of Communities (PSC 471 SYS) (3 credits)
Communities as social systems; the impact of federal, state and local politics; economic and cultural differences; how consensus is achieved.

Skills: Data Analysis (MTH 471 SKI) (3 credits)
This course focuses on three main topics: methods of data collection and analysis, usage of socio-economic data sets, and the implications of data to human services program planning and evaluation.

Purpose 8: Promoting Empowerment Through Change Management (SEM 481 FCS) (3 credits)
While all previous Purposes have carried the implication of change, this Purpose focuses on the specific issues, practical problems and methodologies involved in a concentrated effort to bring about constructive change that would improve services. Integration of theory from other Dimension seminars into the Constructive Action and its documentation; analytical and communication skills. In their final Constructive Action, students will research, design and attempt to put into action a significant service change. This includes identifying the support systems and resources needed to plan, gain approval for, and implement the change. Students will be expected to draw from prior semesters to plan and activate, through their supervised organizational work and Constructive Actions, a service change. They must demonstrate that this service change is expected to make a significant and lasting contribution to organizational improvement and citizen empowerment.

Values and Ethics: Philosophies of Change and Their Impact on Social Policy (PSC 482 VAL) (3 credits)
Concepts of freedom and determinism, an historical perspective; economic development as an aspect of change; public policy as a strategy for social and economic change; selections from literature and the other humanities.

Self and Others: The Individual, the Organization and Social Change (SOC 482 SEL) (3 credits)
Strategies for evaluating the impact of change on individuals and groups; theories of risk taking; predicting the results of specific response to change; selections from literature and the other humanities.

Systems: Social Policy and Planned Change—Processes and Strategies (MGT 483 SYS) (3 credits)
Political views of change and their relation to class and power; links between political, economic and social change at macro and micro levels.

Skills: Empowerment Through the Arts (ART CC 170) (3 credits)
Mass media, information channels, media culture, values inherent in the structure and content of new technologies, and the influence of information systems on organizational, social and private behavior; how these factors must be considered when undertaking new business projects and ventures.