CJ 810 Proseminar Course - Trends: The Catalysts for Change in Shaping the Future of an Organization

Course Description:  This course focuses on global and national trends and critically assesses their potential impact on the administration of the judicial branch now and into the future.  It also explores previous trends and critically analyzes how the courts responded to those trends and the long-term affect the responses had on the evolution of court administration.

Students will engage with each other and the subject matter through a variety of learning opportunities: readings, the print media, critical thinking, assessment and analysis and individual and group writing assignments.

Course Objectives: As a result of this course, students will: (1) understand the key elements in the strategic planning process and the critical role the discipline of trend analysis plays in it; (2) be able to assess the relevance and significance of past trends on current approaches to judicial administration; (3) be able to apply the discipline of trend analysis to their respective organization and identify the strategic issues that emerge from them; (4) understand the technique of scenario development (i.e., the convergence of trends) and be able to create an informed set of scenarios for their own organization; and, (5) will understand the barriers to applying the discipline of trend and analysis in the judicial administration environment and apply this analysis to their current organization.  

Instructor:  R. Dale Lefever, Ph.D., Emeritus Faculty, University of Michigan

Student Eligibility:  CJ 810 is a required course for both the Judicial Administration credit-bearing certificate and master’s degree specialization.  Thus, both the certificate and graduate program students are eligible to enroll in this class.

Course Dates:  Classes begin January 7, 2007 and end April 25, 2007.

Tuition:  $1,560

Registration Information:  Dr. Sharon George georges@msu.edu will enroll students in the course.  Registration begins immediately.  Students can enroll up to the date the class begins; however, early enrollment is encouraged. Students that are interested in enrolling, but cannot do so until late in the fall, should contact Dr. George expressing their intentions.