Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 - O’Neill/SPEA, V100, Section #5956 - Civic Leadership Development - Syllabus

 

Contact Information

 

Instructor: Paul Helmke, Professor of Practice and Director of Civic Leaders Center

 

Office: Civic Leaders Center Office - Briscoe A (Gucker) #122A (or SPEA 433)

 

Student hours: By Appointment. Best times are a few minutes before class on Mondays/Wednesdays for quick questions, on Mondays or Wednesdays between 12:30-2PM, or Tuesdays/Thursdays after 11AM, or stop in if my door is open.

Response time: I check messages regularly and will try to respond within 24 hours unless a quicker response is requested.

 

Email: phelmke@indiana.edu

Office Phone: 812-855-2275 / Cell Phone: 260-466-5066

 

Zoom: https://iu.zoom.us/my/phelmke

X (formerly Twitter): @PaulHelmke

Instagram: @paulhelmke

Facebook: Paul Helmke

Linked In: linkedin.com/in/paulhelmke

 

Co-Instructor: Rebecca Rosen - Associate Director of the Civic Leaders Center

Office: Civic Leaders Center Office – Briscoe A (Gucker) #122

Hours: Typically in Office: Mondays and Wednesdays: 10:00am-7:00pm; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 9am-5pm – “If I am ever not in the office and you need my assistance of have a question, do not hesitate to reach out!”

 

Email: rosenre@iu.edu

Office Phone: 812-855-2242 / Cell Phone: 703-975-47

 

About the Course

 

Class meeting days and times: Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30PM

 

Class location: Briscoe (BQ) -Center Building – Student Activity Room - C105 (carpeted side) or C110 (tile side) -or alternate sites announced for individual programs.

 

Course prerequisites and co-requisites: Acceptance in the Civic Leaders Living-Learning Center (more commonly known as the "Civic Leaders Center" / "CLC").

 

Credits: 1 (while we meet two hours per week, there is a lot less out-of-class preparation time required than there would normally be for a 1 credit hour class).

 

How much time should you be spending on this class: In a standard 1-credit semester length class, you would be expected to spend an average of 2 or more hours outside of class per week on reading, studying, assignments, etc. Instead, we spend 2 hours a week in class and not more than 1 hour a week on reading, studying, assignments, etc.     

 

Required texts and materials: There are no required texts but there may be occasional readings assigned to prepare for upcoming programs. In these situations, the materials will be distributed beforehand and/or posted on Canvas.

 

Course description:

This course is required as a part of the Civic Leaders Living-Learning Center (“Civic Leaders Center” /"CLC”) program. Students will hear from speakers in different fields with the intent to bring students up to date on various leadership and policy challenges, as well as learn about paths to leadership positions in various fields, and how to develop and/or sharpen some of the skills needed for successful leadership and civic engagement. In addition, some class sessions will be used to plan and/or participate in group philanthropic, team building, and skill-building activities. Some of these activities may take place on different days and times at different places.

 

The instructor will draw on his experiences and contacts as a student activist and leader in the 1960s as well as 21 years of active legal practice, 12 years as mayor, and 5 years as head of a national advocacy group, to schedule interesting and challenging speakers and participatory activities to help the class better understand the challenges of and skills needed to become a leader in different fields.

 

Course goal:

By the end of the semester, students should be able to understand and explain the different challenges faced by, and skills needed by, leaders in numerous fields and be better prepared to take on leadership roles in their areas of interest.

 

Learning outcomes:

To achieve the goal of this class section, students should finish the semester being able to learn from different leadership examples and exercise basic leadership skills.

 

 

How We’ll Learn:

This course is divided into 15 Weeks. Each week includes:

1. possible material for you to read, watch, and explore connected to the speakers/programs for the week.

2. possible activities related to participation in the CLC, and
3. a graded assignment evaluating the speakers/programs/activities for the week (this is something that generally happens after each class session).

 

Grading Policy

 

Attendance and Evaluations - 50%

 

a. Because of the nature of a seminar course, to meet the learning objectives, and to help build a sense of community in the CLC, attendance is required and expected to pass this course. Students are expected to be at seminar, ready to participate on time.

b. All students are allowed 4 unexcused absences (the equivalent of 2 weeks of class) each semester. Students are not required to make up these classes in any way or alert the instructors before missing the class period.

c. Students may also be granted an excused absence for documented reasons prior to a missed class. Students should talk with the Associate Director regarding any excused absences as soon as possible.

These excused absences could include: illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class (to be determined by the on-campus Health Center or an off-campus physician if at all possible); participation in university-sanctioned curricularand extracurricular activities; observance of religious holidays (students missing class for a religious observance can find the officially approved accommodation form by going to the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs webpage for religious accommodations -this form must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the anticipated absence); participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require your presence; required participation in military duty; death or major illness in a student's immediate family. If you ever have any questions or concerns, reach out to the Associate Director as soon as possible.

d. All students must attend the final class period of the semester during the last week of

classes (unless prior approval has been given).

e. Being able to evaluate the stories, styles, and substance of the seminar speakers' leadership lessons is a core part of this course. We rely on your feedback to determine future speakers for the program. To receive credit for attending seminar, students must complete the paper “speaker evaluation form” available at the staff table and turn it in at the end of the class session. Up to two points will be awarded for each class, one for attending and one for the evaluation.

f. Students can miss a maximum of four evaluations (out of the normal 29) for the four days of permitted unexcused absences with no impact on their course grade.

g. We also request periodic evaluations of additional CLC programs, such as our annual orientation/welcome week activities, Washington DC trip, fall semester review, and end-of-year review. Your timely completion of these evaluations is expected.

 

Participation - 30%

a. Active participation is a very important piece of the learning process in this seminar and overall in the CLC program and takes on many different forms. We expect all students to be active, engaged members of our community.

b. Active participation can include (but is not limited to):

1. Participating in at least one service project hosted by the Civic Leaders Center per semester (required).

2. Completing at least one 30-minute individual meeting with the Associate Director of the CLC each semester (optional but encouraged).

3. Introducing a seminar speaker
4. Helping to interview a seminar speaker
5. Asking questions at seminar
6. Joining and being an active member of a CLC committee
7. Attending CLC activities (hosted by the CLC staff, mentors, RAs, Community Educators, or fellow students)

8. Writing a blog post for the CLC blog
9. Being featured on the “Faces of the CLC” social media project
10. Assisting with various other CLC tasks
11. Overall making positive contributions to our community and the CLC program
12. Completing the end-of-year semester evaluation (required)
13. Attending three CLC “events” (what doe and does not count will be shown on Canvas” during the semester

 

c. Engaging in certain behaviors can negatively impact your participation grade. This includes:

1. Talking or being distracting during seminar speakers
2. Arriving late to or leaving early from seminar
3. Using electronic devices (phones, laptops, etc.) at seminar
4. Overall being disrespectful to CLC staff, fellow students, speakers, or other visitors to the CLC

 

Memos/Reflections - 20%

At least once during the semester, students will be asked to complete a short memo on "leadership lessons" learned from CLC or other campus or community activities, or some other project related to civic engagement. An end-of-semester "reflection" project will also be required.

 

Syllabus Disclaimer

This Syllabus is subject to limited change in the event of extenuating circumstances. Whenever a change is made, students will be notified as early as possible during class and/or via Canvas about the change(s).

 

Class Schedule

The schedule of speakers and programs will be posted on the Canvas site for this class and will also be publicized in the closed social media group pages for the Civic Leaders 2026-2027 Cohort (IU Class of 2030). The schedule may be revised as needed to accommodate our guest speakers, technical problems, or other unanticipated changes. We are still in the process of scheduling speakers and programs for the semester –your suggestions are welcome!

 

O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs Student Honor Code 

 

Introduction -The O’Neill School takes matters of honesty and integrity seriously.  We expect O’Neill students will, at all times, maintain academic integrity and civil and professional standards of conduct. 

 

Scope - O’Neill’s Student Honor Code applies to all courses and programs offered by O’Neill, and to all students who participate in O’Neill classes and programs, regardless of whether students are admitted to O’Neill. Students studying at O’Neill are expected to continue their commitment to ethical behavior in all their endeavors, including, but not limited to, coursework inside and outside of O’Neill, internships, community service, and overseas study. 

 

O’Neill’s Student Honor Code incorporates IU’s Code of Student Right, Responsibilities, & Conduct and extends to matters of civility and professional conduct, including, expectations about class attendance, punctuality, participation in class, and decorum in class and at other school functions.

 

Academic Conduct Requirements  

All students enrolled in O’Neill courses are subject to the academic misconduct provisions found in the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct.  

Academic misconduct is defined as any activity that tends to undermine the academic integrity of the institution.

The IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct lists and defines many types of academic misconduct, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules, and facilitating academic dishonesty.   

Academic misconduct includes the use of any technology or assistance, including AI, that is not permitted by the instructor. 

 

Civility and Professional Conduct Requirements

 

O’Neill requires that all students treat others with mutual respect and behave professionally in the classroom and during all academic and non-academic activities.

These civility and professional conduct requirements foster an appropriate atmosphere inside and outside the classroom: 

• Students must act in accordance with the O’Neill School mission and values. 
• Students must regularly attend and be fully prepared for class, including completing readings. 
• Students must not behave in a way that interrupts or distracts from teaching or learning.  For example, students must be punctual in their arrival to class and be present and attentive for the duration of the class. They must not sleep, do work for another class, or wander in and out of the classroom, pack up, or leave class early (unless an emergency exists).
• Students must abide by the course policy regarding use of electronic devices in the classroom, including a requirement that no electronics are allowed or that students are not permitted to use devices for non-class related purposes.
• Students must responsibly participate in class activities and during team meetings for course assignments. 
• Students must attend scheduled meetings with faculty or staff, events for which they have RSVPed, interviews with prospective employers, and student organization meetings.  
• Students must address faculty members, other students, and others appropriately and with respect,  whether in person, in writing, or in electronic communications.
• Students must show tolerance and respect for others. 
• Students must practice respect and responsible stewardship of the physical resources of the school, refraining from destroying or defacing school property, integrating practices of sustainability, and contributing to a clean and orderly physical environment in all buildings, classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces.   
• Students must comply with the personal misconduct responsibilitieswithin the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct. 

 

Reporting 

Students must abide by the O’Neill Student Honor Code themselves and hold their peers to the same standards. Students should report suspected instances of academic, civility, or professional misconduct to the instructor of the course. Students should report suspected instances of personal misconduct to the IU Office of Student Conduct.  

 

Use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT) in this class.  Using AI to assist in completing assignments in this class is prohibited.  If you do use AI, you will be committing plagiarism* and will be subject to penalties in this class and sanctions by Indiana University.  You are permitted to use the free version of Grammarly and Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar tool.   

WARNING: Submitting any questions, assignments, notes, slides, or other instructor-produced course materials into Generative AI without permission is a violation of the faculty member’s exclusive rights and will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct.  

*Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged, unless the information is common knowledge. https://studentcode.iu.edu/responsibilities/academic-misconduct.html. (emphasis added).

In addition, you should not use significant portions of work you have prepared and written for other classes or projects without my advance approval and some indication in the paper or memo that such material had been previously submitted elsewhere.

 

Course Materials – Instructor’s Exclusive Rights: 

The faculty member teaching this course holds the exclusive right to distribute, modify, post, and reproduce course materials, including all written materials, study guides, lectures, assignments, exercises, and exams. While you are permitted to take notes on the online materials and lectures posted for this course for your personal use, you are not permitted to re-post in another forum, upload to AI, distribute, reproduce content from this course, or sell the instructor’s course materials (including notes and study guides) without the express written permission of the faculty member. 

Violations of this policy will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct (violation of course rules). Sanctions for academic misconduct may include a failing grade on the assignment for which the notes/study guides are being sold, a reduction in your final course grade, or a failing grade in the course, among other possibilities.  

Additionally, you should know that selling a faculty member’s course using IU email, or via Canvas may also constitute a violation of IU information technology and IU intellectual property policies; additional consequences may result. 

 

Course Withdrawals:

The auto-W deadline is October 25, 2026 (Sunday). This is the last day to Withdraw with an Automatic W. After the auto-W deadline, withdrawal will be significantly limited, and you will need permission to withdraw and must meet requirements established by O’Neill.

Students who stop attending class without properly withdrawing from the class may receive a grade of F. It is important to withdraw from a course within specified timeframe. Poor performance in a course is not grounds for a late withdrawal.

 

Counseling and Psychological Services 

 

For information about services offered to students by CAPS:  http://healthcenter.indiana.edu/counseling/index.shtml 

 

TimelyCare

 

Indiana students have free, 24/7 access to virtual mental health care services with TimelyCare. Students do not need insurance to access TimelyCare services. https://www.iu.edu/mental-health/find-resources/timely-care.html#0

 

Religious Accommodation Requests

 

The "Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances" form must be submitted by the student to the professor no later than two weeks prior to the anticipated absence.  A separate form must be submitted for each absence and for each course. Faculty do not have to consider accommodations for the purpose of allowing students to travel away from Bloomington for religious observance.  Information about the policy is found here: https://vpfaa.indiana.edu/resources/religious-observances-information.html. 

 

Accessible Educational Services (formerly Disability Services for Students) 

 

Securing accommodations for a student with disabilities is a responsibility shared by the student, the instructor, and the AES Office. For information about support services or accommodations available to students with disabilities, and for the procedures to be followed by students and instructors: https://studentlife.indiana.edu/care-advocacy/iub-aes/index.html  

 

Sexual Harassment  

As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. Title IX and our own Sexual Misconduct policy prohibit sexual misconduct.  If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. 

 

If you are seeking help and would like to talk to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with:

• The Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS) at 812-855-8900
• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 812-855-5711
• Confidential Victim Advocates (CVA) at 812-856-2469
• IU Health Center at 812-855-4011

 

For more information about available resources:  http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/help/index.html

 

IU Culture Centers: https://studentlife.indiana.edu/communities/culture-centers/index.html