Mobilizing Community and Engaging Volunteers – Fall 2023 Course Description
Instructor: Dr. Patrick Bixler
Purpose
This course is designed to survey the fields of community engagement and volunteer management through a theoretical and case study-based approach. We will learn best practices from readings and discussion but also from practitioners in the field.
Course Description
“It’s not boots on the ground, it is toes in the grass” says one community health practitioner in Austin. For many nonprofits and public agencies, community engagement has gone from a tokenistic gesture to a core activity. Getting your “toes in the grass” is more than simply showing up to inform or listen after a decision has been made but rather centering community in the policy or program development process. This course is designed to teach the elements of planning and management of community engagement and volunteer administration. We will draw on material from the fields of sociology, nonprofit studies, volunteer management, and public administration. Case studies and ongoing research conducted at the RGK Center is woven through the curriculum along with guest lectures from practitioners in the field. Specifically, the course will provide insight into:
- An awareness of basic policy issues facing the field of community engagement and volunteerism.
- Critically assessing the term “community” and contemporary strategies of “engaging” community.
- Exposure to strategies of the practice of community engagement, such as stakeholder analysis and community asset mapping.
- Strategies and skills of volunteer management, such as carving out and creating meaningful roles, writing appropriate job descriptions, training, and supervision.
Additional Specifications:
- The course satisfies the Nonprofit Portfolio course requirement with a core RGK Center faculty member.