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Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006: Courses

Human Services

HMS2050 Contemporary Issues in Human Services (4 semester hours)
Overview and historical perspective on issues and practice in the human services profession. Focuses both on the individual professional in the field (knowledge, skills, and values essential to success), and on the various organizational contexts of human services delivery: missions, strategies, funding, and community connection. Explores the interplay of managerial, fiscal, political, organizational, and practice issues in the design, delivery, management, and evaluation of human services.
No prerequisites
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B

HMS2100 Software and Technology for Nonprofits (3 semester hours)
The course provides an introduction to the fundamental microcomputer operations and the basic skills students need to have to operate and use microcomputers and popular software in their professional lives. Emphasis is on the basic concepts and usage of the Internet: how to access information from the World Wide Web, use of electronic mail (sending and receiving) and attachments (attaching, opening and saving). Students will have hands-on experience with an integrated software package.
No prerequisites


HMS2200 GroupWork (3 semester hours)
Principles and methods, tools, settings, and resources for the development and delivery of successful programming in-group settings. The theory and dynamics of groups: formation, process, roles, leadership, communication, non-verbal behavior, the individual and the group, and issues in values and ethics. Explores successful group work and programming in the organizational contexts of various contemporary human services agencies.
No prerequisites


HMS2400 Youth Development (3 semester hours)
The many aspects of the development of young people through the teen years: physical, cognitive, social, psychomotor, and the complex interaction of the individual and the environment. Issues of health and wellness in the younger years are covered. Emphasizes the relationship of developmental issues to the planning, development, and delivery of appropriate youth services in the context of the family, the community, and the larger society.
Prerequisites: HMS2200 or permission of the Human Services Program Committee.


HMS2600 Activities for Youth Development (3 semester hours)
Selection, development, adaptation, delivery, and evaluation of age-and developmentally- appropriate activities for youth. Strategic use of activities to promote social, cognitive, affective, and psychomotor youth development. Supervision, risk management, and adaptation to special needs. Assists students to develop a diverse repertoire of purposeful activities based on principles of youth development.
Prerequisites: HMS2200 and HMS2400 or permission of the Human Services Program Committee.


HMS2750 Human Service Leadership Practicum (1 semester hour)
The Human Service Leadership Practicum provides the student with a supervised, professional experience to gain first hand knowledge and understanding of a human services agency. Must be taken in the sophomore year in combination with HMS3750 in the junior year.
Prerequisites: Students with less than 5 years of human service work experience. Arranged with approval of the Human Services Program Director.


HMS3300 Mediation and Conflict Resolution (3 semester hours)
Provides instructions and basic techniques needed to manage conflict and effectively facilitate group decision-making. Participants will explore the process of conflict resolution, balancing power for successful problem solving, various communication techniques, and moving beyond impasse for successful outcomes.
No prerequisites


HMS3350 Development and Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofits (3 semester hours)
Overview of the development and fund raising strategies for the non-profit human services sector. The course is designed for anyone who is directly or indirectly involved in fund development, marketing, and special events for nonprofit organizations. The major components of the nature of giving will be outlined as well as the various dynamics that impact the ability to raise money beyond the proposal and letter of request.
No prerequisites


HMS3400 Organization and Managerial Communication (3 semester hours)
Developing professional skills and strategies for effective written, interpersonal, and presentational communication, both within the organization and with external audiences. Communication as a managerial tool. Designing and developing effective outreach materials and employee communications; use of print and electronic media and adaptation to emerging digital technology. Grant preparation and other strategic communication with external audiences. Identifying and developing individual communication style and strategies for effective supervision and community relations.
No prerequisites

HMS3500 Legal Issues and Advocacy for Nonprofits 3 semester hours
Legal, risk management, and legislative issues that impact the development and growth of nonprofit organizations. This course provides instructions in how to create the federal exempt tax structure for the nonprofit organization, the legislative and legal aspects of nonprofits at the local, state and federal levels with emphasis on human resources and risk management.
No prerequisites


HMS3600 Diversity and Special Populations (3 semester hours)
Understanding the many dimensions of diversity and special needs in communities, and developing strategies for appropriate design and delivery of human services in response to this diversity. Legal and ethical issues in serving special populations. Issues in program design and development; innovative program design; evaluation of program effectiveness. Working with families and communities to celebrate diversity and meet special needs in human services.
No prerequisites


HMS3750 Human Services Professional Development Practicum (2 semester hours)
The junior level practicum provides the student with a supervised, professional experience to gain more first hand knowledge and understanding of human services agency management. They should receive an understanding of program leadership and personnel variables regarding the economic, environmental and societal influences that impact the operation of the agency.
Prerequisites: HMS2750. Must be taken in the junior year following HMS 2750. Arranged with approval of human services program faculty.


HMS3800 Effective Nonprofit Management (3 semester hours)
Practical applications of effective management principles in the setting of nonprofit organizations: understanding and developing one's individual management and communication styles and skills; fostering cooperative effort and effective teams within the organization; translating the organizational mission into effective practice; planning; managing change; grant preparation and other issues related to external funding; personnel and supervision issues; evaluating organizational success.
No prerequisites


HMS3900 Assessment of Human Services Work Experience (3 semester hours)
Students with 5 or more years of professional youth work and/or human services agency experience must submit a professional portfolio for three semester hours of academic credit. Portfolios must address the following criteria: description of professional positions held in youth work and/or human services agencies; verifiable documentation from agency supervisors of work performance; successful completion of continuing education workshops and/or certifications related to their agency work; and a summary of their professional development and how they have used it in their work.
Prerequisites: Students who have completed 5 or more years as a human services professional/volunteer.


HMS4000 Financial and Quantitative Basis of Management (3 semester hours)
Integration of accounting principles and applications, financial management in not-for-profit organizations, budgeting, and financial controls in the organizational setting. Economic issues in fundraising and the government funding of human services; community economic issues relevant to the field of human services agencies. Statistical applications and use of internal and external quantitative data for planning, projecting, and evaluating human services agency management.
Prerequisites: College-level math skills as demonstrated by placement/proficiency exam, coursework, or standardized test.


HMS4200 The Community Environment (3 semester hours)
The social environment of the community and its relation to human service issues, needs, and programming: social structures and processes, social change, social control, and social stratification; socialization through community organizations and institutions. The role of human services in the community; interrelations with other institutions and with the family structure and individual development.
No prerequisites


HMS4300 Programming, Supervision, and Evaluation (3 semester hours)
Organizing, planning, managing, delivering, and evaluating recreation/activity programs for human services agencies. Assessing needs; assuring adequate supervision; safety risk management; setting program goals and designing activities to meet them. Managerial issues related to the delivery of youth recreation/activity programming in the agency setting.
No prerequisites


HMS4750 Senior Project Practicum in Human Services (3 semester hours)
Senior project practicum arranged with the approval of a human services program faculty member. The student will gain exposure to unique features of the organization and be assigned to a specialized project designed to impact the effectiveness of a human services agency. Projects can focus on public relations, marketing and promotions, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation. The student will have an opportunity to attend various meetings such as department meetings, inter-disciplinary staffing, board meetings, community meetings, and professional meetings. The importance of networking with individuals inside and outside of the profession will be stressed.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor


HMS4990 Professional Human Services Practice Seminar Capstone (3 semester hours)
The required capstone course for all students in the Bachelor of Science in Human Services program. Students are challenged to synthesize their learning from the program, and to begin to develop an individualized, ethical, and effective style of leadership in human services management. Includes developing resources for applied scholarship in the field to provide a foundation for continued professional growth and development. Students prepare a graduation portfolio for presentation to a review committee of faculty and practitioner/consultants. As part of the requirements of HMS 4990, the student's professional graduation portfolio must demonstrate knowledge of the domains of General Education at Aurora University in the context of their major coursework and in relation to their personal and professional goals.
Prerequisites: Consent of Instructor

Posted 31 December 2003
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