Course Syllabus

 Course Details

  • Instructor: Scott Burgins   
  • Class Hours: M/W 12:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
  • Classroom: TV 226.
  • Office hours: Email me to schedule a time that works for you.

 Schedule  

 Check here for dates for the course schedule: 

Syllabus - V462 Fall 2026 - SCHEDULE-1.pdf

Course Description

The goal of V462 is to put into your eager hands the tools needed to understand community development, including how to design and manage projects to get things done.

Community development cuts across many fields, including economic development, public engagement, civil engineering, administration, planning and community empowerment. This class brings together those aspects to get a better understanding of the word “community” and how it can affect positive change.

The focus of this course also includes a variety of topics and arguments about housing, education, race and politics and other issues. The ability to understand and analyze connections among ideas and events is a core skill in a professional career and will serve you well in your life beyond IU. In short, the class will get you ready to take part in reviewing, understanding, designing and building community development projects.

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the semester V236 students should be able to:

  • Understand and apply basic community development terms and processes.
  • Analyze current and historical events through the lens of community development.
  • Review and analyze community development issues such as the economy, land use, housing and public health.
  • Write professional recommendations for community development projects including data-driven background information and implementation steps.
  • Present to a potential employer a completed recommendation for a community development project.

Textbooks & Readings

There is no textbook to order for this course. Instead, there will be readings before every class from news articles, professional journals and other supplemental material. They will be filed in Canvas. Keep up, because all the material is fair game for the exams.

How Much Work is Involved in the Course? 

As a standard 3-credit semester length class, you are expected to spend an average of 4-6 hours outside of class per week on reading, group work, assignments, etc. 

Instructor's Background 

Scott Burgins has managed more than 170 economic and community development projects across Indiana, working in most of the state’s 92 counties. His projects include comprehensive land use plans, downtown revitalizations, evaluation of not-for-profit programs, community needs assessments, strategic planning and countywide visioning.

Clients include local government, community foundations, United Ways, social service agencies, manufacturers and other businesses, city, county and state governments, housing organizations and chambers of commerce. He also served on The City of Bloomington Plan Commission for a very long 17 years.

Office Visits 

Let’s talk. The best way to reach me is via email at rburgins@iu.edu. You are welcome and encouraged to schedule meetings or e-mail me between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week to discuss class issues or whatever is on your mind. I am often in my office at SPEA 535 and you can also just drop by.

Grades

Any letter grade you receive is not an assessment of your intelligence, abilities or value as a person. Rather, the grade reflects what you demonstrated that you learned in the course.

There is a good deal of choice on how hard you want to work to demonstrate that learning. You might choose that passing the course with a C is sufficient; a perfectly appropriate choice for your circumstances. If you strive to get an A, you should know that you are taking on that work and challenging yourself.

There is no exam during finals week in this class. The following items will account for you grade:

Main Course Assignments 

  • Participation                       15%
  • Daily Check-Ins                  15%
  • Exam I                                    15%
  • Exam II                                   15%
  • Exam III                                  15%    
  • Team Project                       20%
  • Group Presentation             5%

                                                  100%

Late Work Policy

Assignments turned within 24 hours of the posted deadline will be docked 10 points. After 24 hours, students can still turn in missing assignments for up to a week but will receive no more than 50% of the grade.

Make-Up Exams

Exams can be taken only during the time and date posted on the syllabus schedule. Plan accordingly.

Requesting a Little Bump

 The instructor will respond with a somewhat courteous “no,” to any requests to move someone to a higher grade at the end of the semester because you are “really, really close” to that higher grade. Changes like these compromise the integrity of everyone’s grade, and force the instructor to draw inconsistent, unfair, and sometimes arbitrary lines about what is “good enough.” The requirements for each grade are spelled out clearly for you below. Expect that they will be followed strictly.

Ground Rules (Big Deals)

I. Attendance   

  1. There are no ‘excused’ or ‘unexcused’ absences, there are only absences.
  2. Missing more than 5 classes for any reason will result in failing the course.
  3. You have available three PTO (paid time off) days to use, with limited conditions*.
  4. After using your 3 PTOs, you final Participation score will be reduced by one letter grade on your fourth absence, and another letter grade after your fifth absence.
  5. After missing more than 5 classes, you will fail the entire course.

*Here are the limited conditions for PTOs: To qualify for one, you must notify me and the TA BEFORE the class that you won’t be attending (no excuses or doctor’s note needed). You will then be granted a PTO, meaning you’ll get full participation points for the day. However, you will still use up 1 out of the 3 unpenalized absences.

If you don’t email before class, you will use 1 out of the 3 your unpenalized absences and your participation score for that day will be 0.

“What happens if I use my PTOs, but then I get really sick and can’t come to class?” In all cases, PTOs or not, students who miss more than 5 classes cannot pass the course.

II. Participation  

I’m interested in what you have to say, so please take part in class discussions. Participation points will be noted daily and periodically updated on Canvas.

  • To minimize distractions, please turn off your cell phones and put away laptops during class. Notes can be handwritten (in fact, it’s required).
  • As a show of my confidence in you, every student will start the semester with 50% of the 100% available participation already earned! You have the whole semester to take part in discussions and earn the remaining points.
  • If for some reason you cannot bring yourself to take part in class discussions, please make an appointment to see me right away. We can discuss strategies.

III. Classroom Discussions

The class is a lot more interesting when you join in the discussions, no matter what your opinions are. All views are welcome.

I only ask that you keep your comments civil, respectful and focused on the ideas, not the people who raised them.

Also, keep it brief. Once you’ve made you point, turn the floor back over to someone else.

When you disagree – even strongly – listen with curiosity, not hostility. Try it! You can throw your hand up, but don’t interrupt. 

IV. Use of AI

Using AI to assist in completing assignments is severely limited in this course. Do not use it in any assignment unless it has been cleared with me. Otherwise, you will be guilty of Academic Misconduct and open to all of its brutalizing penalties. We will discuss in class when ChatGPT will be part of an assignment. All other use of AI is prohibited.

You are permitted to use the free version of Grammarly and Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar tool. 

If you use AI in an unauthorized manner, you will be committing plagiarism* and will be subject to penalties in this class and sanctions by Indiana University. 

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.  

O'Neill 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. 

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 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 responsibilities within 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.

Course Withdrawal

For full-term classes, the late W deadline is Sunday, Oct 25. 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.

Getting Help

Some of you, for whatever reasons, may find yourselves facing more than you can easily handle during the semester. It may be something wonderful, or it may be something terrible, but it will make it difficult or impossible for you to focus, work, think, or otherwise deal normally with the semester.

Whatever may have happened, please remember that the Health Services folks have people whose primary job is helping students survive such problems, and your professors are aware that these things can happen. It’s easier to help if we know something is going on. Please try to be in touch as soon as you can - it makes it easier for all of us in the long run, even if it is difficult in the short run to bring yourself to talk about it. You don’t owe us the details – just a message that life has become difficult or complex and some idea of what kind of timeframe you think might be involved will help us to help you best.

It’s easier to help if we know something is going on. Please try to be in touch as soon as you can - it makes it easier for all of us in the long run, even if it is difficult in the short run to bring yourself to talk about it. You don’t owe us the details – just a message that life has become difficult or complex and some idea of what kind of timeframe you think might be involved will help us to help you best.

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/student-support/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:

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

For more information about available resources:  http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/help/index.html. It is also important to know that federal regulations and University policy require me to promptly convey any information about potential sexual misconduct known to me to our campus’ Deputy Title IX Coordinator or IU’s Title IX Coordinator.  In that event, they will work with a small number of others on campus to ensure that appropriate measures are taken and resources are made available to the student who may have been harmed.  Protecting a student’s privacy is of utmost concern, and all involved will only share information with those that need to know to ensure the University can respond and assist.  I encourage you to visit http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/help/index.html to learn more.

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

Technical Support

For additional help with technical issues, consult: