Community Development (CDEV)

Description: Seminar will serve as an orientation to on-line learning and communities of practice to provide students with the foundations to community development as an academic discipline; a science-based profession; and a skills and knowledge-based practice.

Description: Community and Natural Resource Management -- Introduction to factors involved in community resource management. Included in the course are theoretical frameworks, methodological investigation and applied practices to enhance the ability of community development professionals to work with their communities to plan, develop, and monitor the conversation and development of natural resources with multiple functions. Course is taught by faculty from South Dakota State University or Iowa State, and will be offered fall semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Analyzes principles and practices of community change and development, beginning with definitions of community role of communities in social and economic change. Using case studies and the students' communities of reference, the course will relate Community Development approaches to conceptual models from diverse disciplines. Conceptual models include conflict, neo-classical economic growth, participatory democracy, and others. Students will be exposed to professional practice principles and will leave the course having constructed their personal framework for the practice of community development. Course will be taught by North Dakota State and Iowa and will be offered fall semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: This course will examine the role of civil society in community planning efforts and offer students a comparative approach to planning theories and approaches. It will also focus on change within communities and the roles of government, planners, and citizens in reacting to or shaping change. Students will have an opportunity to explore current issues related to planning and dealing with change by examining controversial practices such as covenants and land trusts, as well as by studying various community responses to change. Students will understand how citizens, firms and governments act to improve their community and region; the structure and implications of power; the relation between social relationships and economic activity, coalition building, concepts of inclusiveness (class, gender, ethnicity, geography), voice and conflict and its management in communities and regions. The course will cover dimensions of social capital and the context of change. Students will learn to use this knowledge to promote equitable change at the community and regional level. They will study the implications of economic and demographic shifts on strategies and tactics for change and explore various resources for supporting these efforts. Course will be taught by Iowa State and will be offered summer semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: A firm grounding in the reality of the local economy is necessary for successful programs in community economic development and for designing successful state and local policy and programs in economic development. The course introduces concepts of communities and regions, theories of economic growth, drivers of economic growth, the economic base of a community sources of growth or decline in the community, roles of local government and institutions, analytical tools, and strategies for local economic development. Course will be taught by Nebraska and will be offered fall semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Provides an introduction to research methods relevant to community development. Course topics include how to formulate and begin a research effort, methods of data collection and how conceptual frameworks are used to develop the questions and analyze data. Also included are strategies for reporting findings and applying findings in community action. The course will also look at methods of evaluating the entire research process. Significant attention is paid to issues of research ethics and inclusiveness throughout the course. Course will be taught by South Dakota State and will be offered spring semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: A practical introduction to county and rural community government in Nebraska. Topics include state law and local governments; local government functions; land use regulation and zoning; drinking water and wastewater regulation; and local government taxes and spending.

Description: A broad overview of how local government is financed in Nebraska, specifically the role of property taxes in financing K-12 education, and school finance options lessening the reliance upon property taxes. CDEV 816 recommended.

Description: A foundational knowledge of community engagement. This will include understanding a community's readiness to change; strategies to engage community's members and strategies to determine goals and indicators to achieve change. Participants will review and critique various community engagement and readiness processes, gaining an understanding of approaches advantages and limitations. Through case studies, experiential learning and discussions, participants will develop a skillset for community engagement processes that lead to long term change.

Description: A foundational understanding of community action planning. Participants will review and critique various community action planning processes, gaining an understanding of process advantages and limitations. Through case studies and discussions, participants will develop a skillset for community planning that clarifies what will be done and resources needed to accomplish the goals for long-term impacts.

Description: Course will cover the most widely used strategies and programs for economic development within an action planning process. Retention and expansion of business and industry, retail development and downtown revitalization, incubating new firm creation, industrial attraction, and tourism development all will be covered. These are both strategies and programs that utilize all forms of capital from all sources, the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Students will study the organized efforts to plan, build, and manage each program. Course will be taught by Iowa and will be offered fall semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Substantive grounding in the theories and practice of measuring community economic dynamics; build solid foundation skills for applied community economic analysis. Course will be taught by Iowa and will be offered Summer semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Non-western approaches to helping Native communities build their capacity. Students will learn to take a participatory, culture-centered, and strength-based approach to development. Course will be taught by South Dakota State and will be offered spring semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Review and evaluation of historical and current housing issues, production, and financial systems, including consideration of racial, ethnic, income, and gender issues as they relate to the role of housing developments and programs in community development. Course will be taught by South Dakota State or Kansas State and will be offered spring semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Assess the relation between tourism development initiatives and their contribution to community sustainability and development. Students will learn a variety of tourism models, apply these models in their local context, critically assess the viability of tourism in their area, and compose a proposal for tourism development and policy. Course will be taught by South Dakota State and will be offered fall semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Overview of the connections between communities and their local systems and how they work together in affecting long-term community and economic development. Through course assignments, participants will be introduced to the complex issues facing local communities, from human capital and environmental concerns to infrastructure and economic development. Tools and strategies for addressing these issues will be a focus of the course lectures and readings.

Description: Basic overview of business development skills for professionals who manage economic development organizations and provide initial business analysis for consideration of community investments. Through assigned case studies and course assignments, participants will be able to analyze key performance statements and ratios to help determine viability of business enterprises within their community. The course will engage participants through the use of group discussions based on readings, case studies and course assignments.

Description: The course is designed to expand the student's awareness and knowledge of current workforce issues and trends and then apply the new knowledge to a real-life community situation. The course project, which will be identified by the participant, is a way to add meaning, to problem-solve and also reflect on the new learning in an integrated manner. The course will engage participants through the use of group online discussions and invited speakers.

Description: This course will focus on the intricacies of grantsmanship. Topics covered will include identification of funding sources, procedure for proposal preparation, composition of grants, and the affects of organizational and personal linkages. Assignments include proposal preparation, grant application based upon a RFP or a continuous funding sources, addendum or market analysis, and an on-line presentation. Course will be taught by Kansas State and will be offered summer semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: This course provides an overview of non-profit management with a consideration of the appropriate role of non-profit organizations as agents of community development in addressing various social problems. It focuses on the growth of the nonprofit sector as a major part of economy of the U.S. and the impact of the sector on the community as a source of citizen empowerment. This course will focus on the structure of the non-profit sector, its tax status, fundraising, volunteer and Board management, the relationship with government and private counterparts, and issues and challenges in nonprofit management. Course will be taught by one of the participating institutions. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: This course will explore the various approaches to leadership and leadership development, evaluation of leadership projects, and the relationship of leadership to community capacity building. Topics include defining leadership, challenges and opportunities related to leadership, designing and development leadership, impact of leadership training on community development, and evaluation of leadership development programs.

Description: Introduction to philosophy, techniques, and methodologies of organizational and program evaluation. Topics covered include overview of program evaluation and theory, techniques to evaluate program processes and performance, evaluation designs, assessing program efficiency, models to diagnose organizations, and methods to assess organizational performance. Course will be taught by South Dakota State and will be offered spring semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Designed to help students add to their knowledge base and build their confidence in community engagement so that dialogue and deliberations leading to public decision making can be more productive and positive for everyone involved.

Description: Introduction to classical and contemporary concepts of federalism, public administration, public policy, and politics with an emphasis on their bearing on community development activities and outcomes.

Description: Base knowledge course for students currently working within or in partnership with Native communities or considering working in this area. Students will develop a basic understanding within the context of community development of the diversity of tribal structures and cultures and the unique history and jurisdictional considerations of these nations. Course topics will include: working with tribes, Federal and Indian relations, and governance and cultural issues. Students taking this course will complete a holistic analysis and conceptual mapping of a tribe. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission. This course is required before students may take other courses in this track.

Description: Course work will address the considerable demand across the region for such a course from individuals working in communities with new immigrant populations. Many areas in the US experience an increasing immigrant population who represent an important economic engine, but may also be a source of concerns about community continuity and change. This course will be available to practitioners who are facing these issues in their communities and want to frame positive community action. Populations are aging in all of the OECD countries, especially in rural areas. Lower fertility and out-migration of young people is off-set in many counties are off-set by new immigrants. While welcomed by the economic interests, they are seen a putting pressure on social services, of questionable legal status, and of being different. The course will take a comparative approach to how different countries and different communities have responded to new immigrants, based on literature from Australia, Europe, Canada, and the U.S., with reference to Japan and New Zealand. Class members will carry out case studies of the inclusion of immigrants in their own community and an action plan for increasing inclusion to contribute to the economic vitality of that place. Course will be taught by Iowa and will be offered spring semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Explore foundational knowledge of team and group dynamics theory and its relationship to the practice of leadership in organizations and communities. Development of leadership, followership, and teamwork skills in small groups and teams. Focus on team and group decision making, problem solving, and creativity, peer assessment, and evaluation using real-world situations and contexts. Critically apply team and group dynamic theories and research to leadership in organizations and communities.

Description: A synthesis across the notion of "utility" as represented in traditional environmental and natural resource economics, "ecology" in ecological economics, and "community" in behavioral economics. Ideas from thermodynamics with a focus on renewable resources. Development, organization, and enhancement of eco-business, eco-industry, eco-government and eco-communities.

Description: Historical and contemporary issues related to natural resource management on Native American Lands. Students will study a variety of ecological settings across naïve American lands, and analyze tribal sovereignty as it relates to land tenure and water rights. Federal, State and Tribal policies concerning agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, parks and wilderness co-management, water supply and quality, emerging zoonotic diseases, and agri-security will be debated. Philosophical and economic arguments concerning natural resource conservation, preservation and extraction will be explored. Course will be taught by South Dakota State and will be offered spring semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Links the management of natural capital to other community-based actions around resource allocation and the impacts on quality of life. The literature on community-based natural resource management will be examined and alternative ways of valuing natural capital will be assessed. Contrasting theories of the role of natural capital in communities and human society will be linked to their implications for community sustainability in terms of economic vitality, social well-being, and ecosystem health. Course will be taught by Iowa and will be offered fall semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: Focuses on coastal zone management policy issues. Students learn more about the fragile coastal environment and what they can do to protect it. Course will be taught by Iowa and will be offered summer semester. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.

Description: The Community Development On-line Master's Program has a research element in addition to the required number of credit hours. Because of the variety of career and academic opportunities that may result from this degree program, students have considerable leeway in choosing projects that suit their programs of study and also fit their future professional or academic goals. Some universities allow Master's candidates to choose either the creative component or the thesis. To enroll, students must be enrolled in the Community Development Master's Degree program or obtain permission.