Course Syllabus

How do I enroll?

What is this course about?

Three observations about the pandemic are foundational to the development of our course objectives:

The pandemic has disrupted the existing social order across various social groups (i.e., individuals, organizations, governments, and societies), causing widespread suffering within each of these social groups.
While each social group has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, the negative impact has not been uniform across members within each social group (i.e., some members have suffered more than others).
Within each social group, there are stories of resilience through the pandemic that create potential learning opportunities.

In this course, you will learn about and have an opportunity to reflect on:

WHAT the impact of the pandemic has been across the following social groups: individuals, organizations, governments, and societies.
WHY some members within each social group have been more negatively impacted than others.
HOW some members within each social group have productively adapted to the pandemic

Who is this course open to?

This course is open to students and alumni across ALL the degree programs (from BBA to Ph.D.) at the Schulich School of Business. Students have the option to take the course as an individual study (1.5 or 3.0) if they have a free elective in their program, or for a certificate if they do not. York University students will be able to register for the ‘Participant’ study option.

NOTE: There is no fee for the non-individual study options.

Why should you take this course?

You will have an opportunity to interact with ELEVEN of the BEST minds at the School.
You will have the opportunity to interact with students across programs at the School.
You will learn important personal, organizational, and societal leadership lessons.
You will have the opportunity to have your work showcased on the Schulich website, thereby creating important differentiators on your resume.

Do I need to take this as part of my regular course load for my degree?

No. But you may take it as an individual study (1.5 or 3.0) IF you have a free elective in your program.

You have the following five options:

Individual Study For Credit Option: This course may be taken as a 1.50 or 3.00 credit individual study that counts toward degree requirements. The course will appear on students’ transcripts (as a pass/fail grade) and can be included on students’ resumes. For this option, students receive both the certificate and the commendation, as well as a pass/fail grade for the course.

Other Non-Credit Study Options: Students may also take the course in a variety of other ways:

Certificate Option: Students will receive a physical certificate upon completion and can include the course in their resume. The course will not show up on students’ transcripts.
Certificate Plus Commendation Option: On top of the certificate students will receive a commendation in the form of their Individual/Team Assignment being showcased on the Schulich website. This can also be referenced on a resume.
Participant Option: Students can say they attended the course on their resume.

NOTE: Alumni will be enrolled in this option.

REQUIREMENTS	CERTIFICATE OPTION	CERTIFICATE + COMMENDATION OPTION	PARTICIPANT OPTION*	INDIVIDUAL STUDY FOR CREDIT OPTION (1.5 credits)	INDIVIDUAL STUDY FOR CREDIT OPTION (3.0 credits)
Downloaded all the asynchronous content	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Participation/downloaded all the synchronous content	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
5 Individual Hand-in Assignments	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Individual/Team Assignment	No	Yes	No	No	Yes

*Alumni will be enrolled in this option. This option is also available to Schulich students.

Access to the General Public: All the lectures will be made available via YouTube to the general public.

When does this course start?

Start date: Saturday, September 12, 2020

End date: Saturday, March 27th, 2021

Frequency: One Saturday, every 2 weeks between September 12, 2020 and April 10^th, 2021.

Time: Synchronous sessions will be approximately 90 minutes (they will also be recorded for later viewing).

NOTE: The session on September 12^th will be for 2 hours.

When do I have to register by?

We would like you to declare your options as soon as possible. Note that you will have the FLEXIBILITY to switch between options until March 15^th, 2021.

Tell me more about the 5 Individual Hand-in Assignments

For EACH of the five modules (see module details below), you will provide a 1 to 2-page written submission that identifies 3 points:

(i) What are your top 5 key takeaways from both in-class presentations and readings from this module as a whole?

(ii) What are two questions you have, or two topics you would like to know more about, arising from either the readings or the in-class sessions for this module?

(iii) Please identify your contribution to this module’s chat board.

DUE DATE: All 5 assignments have to be handed in by Saturday, April 3, 2021.

Tell me more about the individual/team project

Example 1: You (individual or team that you form) will be assigned 1 publicly traded company. You will be required to develop a presentation that covers three sections:

(i) DESCRIBE what the company did to manage the pandemic,

(ii) ASSESS the effectiveness of the company’ s actions, and

(iii) RECOMMEND best ideas to the company based on course reflections/readings.

Example 2: You (individual or team that you form) can develop a podcast that reflects on various aspects of the pandemic. The podcast may include interviews with people who shed insight into their life experiences through the pandemic.

Example 3: You do a photo exhibit that records visual images from the pandemic

NOTE: Outstanding projects will be showcased by the School and will receive commendation.

DUE DATE: Saturday, April 3, 2021

Tell me more about the 5 modules and the faculty who will be teaching

NOTE:

The times mentioned are for the SYNCHRONOUS components only.
The ASYNCHRONOUS components will entail readings/viewings.

MODULE ONE: Learning from the PAST and Understanding the PRESENT

DATE (9am to 10.30am – Toronto Time) -SYNCHRONOUS

TOPIC

PROFESSOR

September 12, 2020

NOTE: This session will be 9am to 11am (Toronto time)

Previous pandemics and their lasting impact: From individuals to geopolitics

Professor Matthias Kipping: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/matthias-kipping/

September 26, 2020

Consumers, Businesses, the Economy and the Environment after COVID-19

Professor Russ Belk: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/russell-w-belk/

MODULE TWO: Insights for Individuals

DATE (9am to 10.30am, Toronto Time) -SYNCHRONOUS	TOPIC	PROFESSOR
October 24, 2020	What are the implications for employees?	Professor Brent Lyons: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/brent-lyons/)
November 7, 2020	Understanding the Consumer Behavior Effects of COVID-19	Professor Russ Belk: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/russell-w-belk/
November 21, 2020	What are the implications for Leadership?	Professor Winny Shen: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/winny-shen/)

MODULE THREE: Insights for Organizations

DATE (9am to 10.30am – Toronto Time) -SYNCHRONOUS	TOPIC	PROFESSOR
December 5, 2020	Strategically Navigating Ultra-Dynamic Change	Professor Ellen Auster: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/ellen-r-auster/
January 16, 2021	Creating Trustworthy Supply Chains Post Pandemic	Professor David Johnston: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/david-johnston/
January 30, 2021	Constructive Responses to Covid-19 for Entrepreneurial Organizations	Professor Eileen Fischer: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/eileen-fischer/

MODULE FOUR: Insights for Governments and Economy

DATE (9am to 10.30am, Toronto Time) -SYNCHRONOUS	TOPIC	PROFESSOR
February 13, 2021	What are the implications for government?	Professor Amin Mawani: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/amin-mawani/
February 27, 2021	What are the implications on the economy and the natural environment?	Professor Irene Henriques: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/irene-henriques/

MODULE FIVE: Insights for Organizations and Society

DATE (9am to 10.30am, Toronto Time) -SYNCHRONOUS	TOPIC	PROFESSOR
March 13, 2021	What are the implications for the organization of cities?	Professor Jim Clayton: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/jim-clayton/
March 27, 2021	What are the implications for the role of organizations in society?	Professor Dirk Matten: https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/dirk-matten/

FAQ - Students

1. How do I join the course?

To sign-up for the course go to the course syllabus. Choose the appropriate link:

Schulich Students click the [ + Current Schulich Students ] button
Schulich Alumni click the [ + Schulich Alumni ] button
York Students & Employees click the [ + York Students or Employees] button

2. How long will it take to enroll me?

Enrollment time depends on the type of student:

Schulich students will be enrolled automatically
Alumni & York students will be added according to the schedule below

Due to the number of participants in the course, please be patient with the enrollment process.

Be sure to check your Other / Junk folders for your course invitation (“Welcome to Leading Through the Pandemic”)

Account Weekly Creation Schedule

Monday 11:00AM AND Friday 1:00PM

3. How do I sign-in to the course?

Please choose the appropriate link:

Schulich Students, YorkU Students & Employees: https://schulich.instructure.com/
Schulich Alumni: https://schulich.instructure.com/login/canvas

The login / password depend on the type of student:

Schulich Students, YorkU Students & Employees: Passport York username / password
Schulich Alumni: Custom username / password found in the Welcome email

4. Where can I find help on technical issues?

Schulich Students: Please file a ticket at https://itmedic.schulich.yorku.ca
Schulich Alumni, YorkU Students & Employees: Please email itmedic@schulich.yorku.ca

5. How do I drop the course?

There are different methods to drop the course depending on the type of student:

Schulich Students: Go to the course home and click the “Drop Course” button in the right hand menu.
Schulich Alumni & York Students: Please email your request to itmedic@schulich.yorku.ca.

6. How do I declare or change my study option?

To declare your study option, go to the Modules tab. In the Getting Started Module select Click Submission Form Select Your Desired Completion Path and follow the instructions. If you’d like to change your study option, please re-do the quiz.