Topics Courses

Tuesdays 9:05 AM – 10:45 AM, in-person
March 16, 2026 to May 3, 2026
Instructor Mitchell Walstad
2 credits
Schedule Builder

This special topics course will explore the intersection of leadership, love, and collective liberation. While discussing conceptions of romantic love will be present throughout the class, the course will focus on leading with a love ethic, or a guiding principle that incorporates component parts of love into daily interactions and, as a result, the emergence of leadership. How do I live and lead while centering love in my life? Which additional perspectives exist on what love is? How can I use love as a place to ground my leadership and advocate for a more just world? This course will begin these conversations as a place for further inquiry.

Tuesdays 11:15 AM – 12:55 PM, on Zoom
March 16, 2026 to May 3, 2026
Instructor Iman Mohamoud
2 credits
Schedule Builder

In this course, students will explore how leadership shapes educational spaces, relationships, and experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. Using leadership theory, culturally sustaining frameworks, and contemporary issues in education, students will examine how identity, culture, language, power, and belonging influence the ways schools and learning communities operate. Throughout the course, students will critically reflect on what it means to lead ethically and responsibly in increasingly diverse educational spaces. Students will engage with readings, discussions, case studies, and reflective practice to better understand the role educators and school leaders play in creating inclusive and affirming learning environments. Particular attention will be given to the experiences of multilingual, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and historically marginalized students and communities. The course invites students to imagine leadership not simply as authority or position, but as a practice rooted in community, care, reflection, and educational justice.

Wednesdays 3:00 PM – 4:40 PM, on Zoom
March 16, 2026 to May 3, 2026
Instructor Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton
2 credits
Schedule Builder

Leadership today is shaped by sustained pressure, uncertainty, and rapid decision-making, yet most development models overlook how leaders internally respond in these moments. Fear often unacknowledged drives behaviors such as avoidance, over-control, and delayed decisions, directly impacting performance and organizational outcomes. Traditional “fearless leadership” narratives are increasingly misaligned with the realities leaders face. This course is relevant because it equips leaders with a fear-informed approach to improve self-awareness, decision-making, and effectiveness under pressure where leadership impact matters most. This course introduces a differentiated leadership approach that addresses a critical gap in traditional leadership education—the ability to lead effectively under pressure while fear is present. The content is grounded in executive practice, informed by applied research, and drawn from a body of work developed through executive coaching, keynote engagements, and authorship, with immediate relevance across industries. Participants will gain practical tools to improve decision-making, performance, and leadership effectiveness.

Tuesdays 3:00 PM – 4:40 PM, in-person
October 27, 2026 to December 16, 2026
Instructor Matt Ladhoff
2 credits
Schedule Builder

Over the course of seven weeks in this 2-credit course, students will move beyond the theory of leadership to explore the intersection of aspirational mission and operational realities, helping to transform personal passion into civic leadership competencies. Through the lens of Professional Community Leadership Programs, students will first identify their core values before "mapping" the complex systems—public, private, and nonprofit—that govern our communities. By engaging directly with community leaders and analyzing the financial and political constraints of real-world organizations, students will learn how to navigate the "gap" between what is desired and what is possible. Students will emerge with a sophisticated mental map of their community and the pragmatic leadership skills required to build sustainable, long-term impact in any field.

Wednesdays, 2:30 PM – 4:10 PM
March 17, 2026 to May 4, 2026, in-person
Instructor JoJamba Matthews
2 credits
Schedule Builder

In this 2-credit course, students will practice using Leadership Theory as a lens through which we can examine issues/situations seemingly “unrelated” to Leadership (demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of Leadership). To do this, students will read Devon Price’s 2021 book, Laziness Does Not Exist: A Defense of the Exhausted, Exploited, and Overworked, and use Emergent Strategy to explore the ways in which Western socialized understanding of “productivity” provides both leadership challenges and potential opportunities for leaders to imagine new ways of being. For this course, we will be exploring potential issues related to productivity within the community of undergraduate students at the U, and imagine potential solutions/approaches that leaders could take to address some of these challenges.

This is a low-tech course, where students will be challenged to practice some of the concepts we will explore in their actual engagement with the course (of course, we will gladly work with the DRC to make equitable accommodations where necessary).

Practice research and analysis skills useful for future work, school, and future projects in LEAD 4994: Directed Research!

In LEAD 4994, you'll develop and execute a leadership-related research project with guidance from a Leadership Minor instructor. You decide the scope of your project as LEAD 4994 can be taken for 1-4 credits and can be repeated for up to 12 credits (Directed Research Policy). LEAD 4994 also counts as a Leadership Minor elective.

You are eligible to take this class after completing LEAD 1961W. To get the instructor permission needed, search for classes to find the current LEAD 4994 instructor and complete the Directed Research Contract with the LEAD 4994 instructor information added. Allow 3 business days between submitting your draft contract and receiving a permission number. In general, LEAD 4944 is only offered in spring semesters.

Contact [email protected] with additional questions.