FES 3285 advanced leadership issues in ems

Syllabus

Course: Advanced Leadership Issues in EMS

Course & Section: FES 3285

Credit Hours: 3

Session: Fall 2022

 Online

Faculty:

Adam A. Smith, MSFES, NREMT-P

Instructional Assistant Professor

Email: fyrewlker@ufl.edu 

Office Phone:  352-273-1149

Personal Cell Phone:  404-933-3676

Bio for Adam A. Smith

Adam Smith is a retired Lieutenant/Medic from Lumpkin County Emergency Services located an hour north of Atlanta in the North Georgia Mountains.  He began his career in emergency services in October of 1986 and retired July of 2020.  Adam has 34 years experience as a firefighter and paramedic.  He has been a Lecturer for the University of Florida since January of 2020 and holds national certifications as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Fire Officer, Various rescue designations, Public Safety Diver, Hazardous Materials Technician, and Instructor.  Adam has an Associates Degree in Fire Science Technology (Chattahoochee Technical College), Bachelors Degree in Fire and Emergency Services Management (University of Florida), and a Masters Degree in Fire and Emergency Services Management with a specialization in Disaster Management (University of Florida).

Office Hours:   My office hours are typically from 0800 am to 1200 pm, Monday through Friday.

Course Communications:   The best way to communicate with me is via email either through Canvas.  I will attempt to answer all emails in 24-48 hours.  If the need is urgent, I can be reached by text or phone call at 404-933-3676 between the hours of 0800 am and 0800 pm. 

Course Text: Leadership, Theory, Application, & Skill Development  (Seventh Edition) by Robert N. Lussier and Christopher F. Achua, Sage Publications (2022). ISBN: 9781071871324

Additional Resources (Not Required but Recommended):  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th Edition (2020): Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. ISBN 978-1-4338-3217-8

Course Description

Leadership is a three (3) credit course scheduled to meet each fall semester via distance education (online learning) via the Canvas Learning Management System platform. It is a graded course and there are no prerequisites to this course.

This course provides the key elements of:

• Traditional concepts and theories of leadership including the most recently developed leadership philosophies
• Application of leadership concepts through critical thinking
• Analysis and development of personal leadership skills

Through the exercises of “work application” the successful student should demonstrate a high level of concept application to their own work experience. The student will be expected to read assignments from the assigned textbook, examine additional documents or Internet links related to EMS leadership, and demonstrate knowledge of each session through participation of online discussions and to apply that knowledge to subsequent topics and session discussions.

Additionally the student will be required to complete “self-assessment” exercises to correctly identify where their skill sets lie within the leadership spectrum. This course demands a fundamental understanding of many of the principles presented in the textbook. Those principles are reemphasized in online discussions and weekly exercises that promote formative learning.

The goal of this course is to enable graduates to possess a more comprehensive knowledge of leadership in EMS systems and application of leadership principles along with the ability to analyze those processes.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this class, the student should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of leadership potential and the “leader vs. manager” difference
• Explain the essentials of leadership theory, the application of that theory, and leadership skill development
• Identify the ten managerial roles that leaders perform to accomplish organizational objectives
• Demonstrate an understanding of the informational roles and the link with interpersonal skills
• Rationalize the importance of decisional roles related specifically to the EMS discipline
• Analyze and demonstrate an understanding of the concept of leadership trait identification within the “Big Five Model of Personality
• Effectively communicate their understanding of the “Hierarchy of Needs Theory by appropriately inserting their work experience into that model
• Identify the leadership theory concepts within the case studies presented in the text
• Communicate the differences among the various team classifications, i.e., cross-functional team, and correctly identify their personal team work classifications
• Distinguish the differences between charismatic, transformational, and transactional leadership
• Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of embracing diversity and diversity leadership

Course goals

• How This Course Relates to the Student Learning Outcomes in the FIRE emergency services program: Illustrate knowledge and legal application of safety, health and environmental regulations at state and federal levels.

• Teaching Philosophy:  I am looking for students to demonstrate a working knowledge of the subject. You need to be creative when you complete your assignments but maintain a professional appearance of your work. Your work needs to be complete and in such a manner that someone can pick up your document and understand what you are trying to convey. And most of all your work needs to be supported with research and cited in properly in APA format. 

• Instructional Methods: The course is designed for individual and group interactivity. It is important to post and respond to discussion questions in the course within the time frame allotted. This provides a learning environment by networking with other students in the course. The assignments are individual base to give you the opportunity to do a variety of activities, in many cases, similar to what you will be doing in role as a leader in the emergency services profession. g

Course Policies

Attendance Policy:  The course is designed in module format. You should check the site at least once a week. You are required to complete the assignments including discussion questions within the time period designated on the module. There will be meetings set up throughout the course. Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online catalog at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx (Links to an external site.).

Quiz/Exam Policy:  There is a final project for this course. There is only a Syllabus/Announcement Acknowledgement Quiz.  

Assignment Policy:  All assignments have a due date.  Please be sure to check the date and time it is due in each module or discussion.

Make-up Policy:  Make-up assignments will only be accepted due to technical issues, illness, and other extenuating circumstances. You must contact your instructor before the assignment's due date for special accommodations.

Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from the UF Computing Help Desk when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST message your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Late Assignments and Discussions Policy:

• Assignments 48 hours late from the due date will receive a 10% deduction in their grade.
• Assignments more than 48 hours but less than 30 days late from the due date will receive a 20% deduction in their grade.
• Assignments more than 30 days late from the due date but submitted during the semester will receive a 50% deduction in their grade.
• All outstanding work must be submitted two weeks prior to the end of the semester.  No outstanding work will be accepted after this time.

Please note that any student that has less than 75% of their work complete for the semester cannot earn an “I” contract. If you have 75% of the work complete, you can propose an “I” contract to the instructor.

It is your responsibility to keep your instructor informed at all times. The instructor does have the right under extenuating circumstances with proper notification to assist the student by extending the above time requirements.

Course Technology:  The course resides in the web-based Canvas learning management system, requiring access to the internet. Class meetings will require a web camera and mic/audio. If you are not able to use a web camera you will need to at least provide audio/mic, you can call in on a phone also.

Technical support: If you experience difficulties with accessing components of the site, including lectures, quizzes or tests, contact the UF help desk immediately. (352) 392-HELP (4357) | helpdesk@ufl.edu

If they are not able to resolve your problem, contact your instructor with your help desk ticket number and a description of the problem and steps taken to resolve it. Extensions for due dates will be granted for documented technical problems, as needed.

Canvas Information & Technology

For issues with technical difficulties for E-learning in Sakai, please contact the UF Help Desk at:

• Learning-support@ufl.edu
• (352) 392-HELP - select option 2
• https://elearning.ufl.edu/student-help-faqs/

** Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from LSS when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST e-mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Other resources are available at https://distance.ufl.edu/getting-help/ 

• Counseling and Wellness resources
• Disability resources
• Resources for handling student concerns and complaints
• Library Help Desk support

Should you have any complaints with your experience in this course please visit http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to submit a complaint.

UF Honor Code

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code.  On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions.  Furthermore, you are obliged to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor of in this class.

Plagiarism:  All work submitted during this course has to be your own, original (for this class) work.  Understand that there are various types of plagiarism such as submitting a paper written by another person, resubmitting original work created for another class, or copying information from another source and claiming it as your own original work.  The ramifications will be severe for anyone caught plagiarising.

UF Policies

University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Students requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Dean of Students Office at https://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. You must submit this documentation prior to submitting assignments or taking the quizzes or exams. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the office as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations.

University Policy on Academic Misconduct: Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code at https://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/process/student-honor-code/. 

Netiquette: Communication Courtesy: All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats. Refer to the following link for proper communication:  http://teach.ufl.edu/docs/NetiquetteGuideforOnlineCourses.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Getting Help

For issues with technical difficulties for E-learning in Canvas, please contact the UF Help Desk. here are additional resources:

• Learning-support@ufl.edu
• (352) 392-HELP - select option 2
• https://elearning.ufl.edu/ 

Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from LSS when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST e-mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Other resources are available at:  http://distance.ufl.edu/getting-help/ 

• Counseling and Wellness resources
• Disability resources
• Resources for handling student concerns and complaints
• Library Help Desk support

Should you have any complaints with your experience in this course please visit http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to submit a complaint.

Grading scale

Grading Scale

A   = 94.0 to 100%     C   = 74.0 to 76.9
A-  = 90.0 to 93.9       C-  = 70.0 to 73.9
B+ = 87.0 to 89.9       D+ = 67.0 to 69.9
B   = 84.0 to 86.9       D   = 64.0 to 66.9
B-  = 80.0 to 83.9       D-  = 60.0 to 63.9
C+ = 77.0 to 79.9       F   = below 60  

Course Grades

Summative and formative evaluations will be conducted via Canvas through weekly discussions and self-assessments. In addition, a summative cognitive determination of the principles in the course will be assessed through a comprehensive, cumulative final project. This project will be progressive throughout the course and will incorporate all of the essential learning objectives of leadership theory.

As noted above, participation through online discussions and compliance with timelines of weekly exercise and assignments will be assessed for a portion of the overall grade. In order to maintain expected progression in meeting the learning objectives of this course, each student must adhere to the reading assignment schedule, participate fully in the online discussions, submit written assignments as required, and regularly contribute toward the development of the course project.

All evaluations of academic performance will be issued as a percentage score (of a 100% total) and evaluated on an individual basis (no class performance adjustments are allowed). Each evaluative percentage will contribute to the course overall grade based on the weight of the evaluative process as described above. Weighted percentages are subject to change due to collective class performance adjustments at the sole discretion of the instructor.

Course Schedule

Evaluation Process

Student Evaluations:

“Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.”

Additionally, the link below is Honor Code for UF....... (PLEASE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF)

https://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/resources-by-audience/faculty-and-staff/honor-code-process/