The Communication Leadership graduate program has a robust selection of classes on offer this summer, and we would appreciate you sharing them with your graduate students who might be seeking a course outside of your department. In particular, students who are interested in leadership skills, management, and diverse teams would find our offerings particularly of interest. Please see below for course descriptions.
Students interested in registering should contact me at commlead@uw.edu with their name, SID, and the class they wish to take in order to be given permission in the PCE Registration system. Please note our program is fee-based, so registration takes place through PCE Registration Services and the cost is $671/credit.
COM 597 E: Leadership Approaches to Diversity Initiatives in Organizations (Sarah Ross)
Tuesdays, 6/20-8/15, excluding 7/4, 6:00-8:20pm | CMU 126
3 credits
How leaders facilitate an inclusive work culture directly impacts the effectiveness of workplace diversity efforts. Changing workforce demographics and global collaborations create opportunities for greater effectiveness, resilience, and innovation. Without intentional leadership, however, these benefits can be lost. This course examines how common diversity paradigms profoundly shape how organizations approach internal diversity work and why these expectations matter. Students will learn to identify and communicate their own preferred leadership approaches to diversity and inclusion and will practice ways to collaborate with others who may hold very different expectations. In future, whether asked in a corporate job interview or by a journalist profiling a small start-up, students who have taken this class will be better equipped to field questions about these critical aspects of leadership in the 21st Century.
COM 597 B: Crisis Communication Strategies in a Digital World (Melissa Schwartz)
Mondays, 6/26-8/14, 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 302
Please note this class will begin the second week of the quarter on June 26 and will add a class on Tuesday, June 27, 6:00-9:50pm in CMU 302.
5 credits
The 24-hour news cycle, social media, and online reporting fundamentally changed how institutional leaders, executives, celebrities, politicians, and organizations address crises big and small; internal and external; local, national, and international. Effectively managing a crisis means not just employing PR strategies, but developing a comprehensive communications plan that disseminates actionable content and engages all stakeholders with equal focus across multiple and diverse networks. This course will address how the tools of communication influence crisis communication strategies. In addition, it will identify the key issues that must be addressed during an organizational crisis (real or imagined) from a communications perspective. It will examine implementation strategies to engage traditional and social media; digital networks; federal, state and local lawmakers; external and internal stakeholders; and consumers or constituents. As important, it will deconstruct and reinforce the personal ethics and behavior required by professionals in a crisis situation. This class uses current events, interactive discussions, real-time exercises, and engaging guest lectures to provide practical insight about effective techniques and lessons learned.
COM 597 C: Strategic Communication for Responsible Leaders (Whitney Keyes)
Wednesdays, 6/21-8/16, 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 126
5 credits
Honesty, integrity and high moral standards top the list of qualities expected of a leader, whether they are running a country, inspiring a global team or launching a new product. The challenge comes in knowing how to harness these attributes to inform and fuel communication that’s authentic and effective. This course will examine the concept of leadership, explore a range of leadership styles and discuss the role strategic communication plays in creating and maintaining positions of power and influence. Concepts including cultural intelligence and personal branding will be applied to tools and techniques from executive speeches to social media channels. As a responsible leader, the art of storytelling is critical for everything from inspiring a vision to managing a reputation during a time of crisis to connecting with communities. This course uses real-world scenarios, current events, interactive discussions, in-class exercises, and a variety of guest lectures to provide practical insight, relevant theory and memorable learning.
COM 597 D: Mastering the Art and Science of Professional Communication (Molly McCarthy)
Thursdays, 6/22-8/17, 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 302
5 credits
Few careers are changing faster than that of the professional communicator. Communications and marketing leaders have made their way into the C-suite (as Chief Marketing Officers) across the nonprofit, private, and public sectors and influence everything from branding and sales strategies to organizational culture. This course will provide necessary background on the many disciplines in the communications and marketing mix, identify areas of convergence and divergence between these disciplines, and learn how to use these tools help an organization achieve its objectives or business goals. The course will will teach participants to anticipate the communications needs of a company or organization’s leadership and include a range of assignments that ask students to apply course teachings to real-world scenarios with strategic thinking, brand development, and compelling storytelling.
