Bachelor of Arts in Labor Education

The Labor Education program is specifically designed for labor and community educators, trainers and activists who teach, design, implement and administer educational programs invested in key areas, including leadership, organizing, health and safety, and apprenticeships. The labor education program empowers trainers, educators and activists by giving them the tools they need to deliver exceptional educational experiences.

Students completing this program should be able to:

• Design, develop, and implement programs and curricula based on a systematic approach
• Apply adult learning principles and methodology as appropriate in all phases of instructional design
• Craft measurable goals and objectives at the student and program level
• Use appropriate instruments to evaluate and assess learning and program outcomes
• Facilitate effective instruction in a variety of face-to-face, hybrid, and distance learning situations
• Utilize techniques to increase student motivation, interaction, participation, and engagement.

Six courses are required in addition to the SLS core -

Course Descriptions

What is a residency?

A residency is an opportunity for students to meet face-to-face with professors, school professionals, and other students during an intensive four-day gathering scheduled over a long weekend. The first required residency is part of the course Living Labor History and must be taken in the first or second semester of study. This residency will include tours, meetings and class sessions during which students will learn how working people use history to build a powerful labor movement. The final residency will take place as students complete their programs as part of the Capstone Writing Seminar.

New students may choose from one of the upcoming Living Labor History residencies:

• Fall 2013: October 11-14 (noon Friday - noon Monday)
   
• Spring 2014: February 14-17 (noon Friday - noon Monday)

Learn more about SLS residencies.

Cost

The NLC offers affordable tuition rates:

• $270.00 per credit hour for AFL-CIO affiliated union members, their family, and members of Working America, the AFL-CIO’s community affiliate.
• $325.00 per credit hour for non AFL-CIO affiliated union members and their family.

SLS Core Requirements

All courses earn 3 credit hours.

LBCC-4100 Living Labor History
This course introduces students to the major developments of working people, their organizations, and their communities over the course of American history. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the formation of the modern labor movement as a transition from 19th century "producers" organizations to the founding of the early American Federation of Labor, the rise of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the social economic, and political forces shaping labor since 1945. Required for students in SLS majors. (Course has a Residency component)

NLCC-4200 Labor and Work in the United States
This course is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of issues related to what unions do (with a specific focus on the rights and responsibilities of union members, organizing, and bargaining), labor-management relations (including conflict resolution, labor law and contract administration), the structure of the contemporary labor movement and labor's contributions to American society. Students will explore issues in political economy, globalization and the lingering economic crisis, and the course will conclude with an overview of comparative labor relations. Students in this course will become familiar with the required writing and analytical standards of the College. [7-week format] Required for all major programs in SLS and SPS

LBCC-4300 Research Methods
Research Methods is an advanced course designed to provide SLS students with the tools necessary to conduct social science research related to their courses and assignments. In this course, students will devise and write a research design for the required Capstone Project in their program. The course examines and compares various strategies for data collection and analysis, and provides an understanding of the appropriate use of various research methods for addressing different research problems. [A student may not receive credit for both this course and LBCR-4700]

LBCC-4400 Labor and Politics
This course provides an overview of the institutions and processes of the American political system as they relate to organized labor and working people. Students will engage in critical analysis of selections from American political thought, important milestones in American political development, and organized labor's role in the political process from the Workingmen's Associations to labor's contemporary engagement in campaigns and elections, lobbying and coalition politics.

NLCC-4500 Labor and Work in the Global Economy
This course offers students an overview of comparative industrial relations systems and practices within the context of a globalized economy. In addition to looking at broader debates surrounding globalization and change, this course will explore the employment relationship from a comparative perspective, including but not limited to Canada, the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, France, and China. [7-week format] Required for all major programs in SLS and SPS

LBCC-4600 Labor and Employment Law
This course examines the broad range of issues related to the law, workers and unions. Students critically examine the evolution of labor and employment law, different types of law that apply to workers and unions (statutes, common law, administrative law, etc.), the limits of the law and general rules that workers confront on the job (such as the employment-at-will rule and its exceptions). Specific topics also include the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which covers many (but not all) private sector workers, how most public sector bargaining statutes draw upon the NLRA, and how various state and local labor laws vary from the NLRA and how administrative agencies enforcing these state laws sometimes function differently from the National Labor Relations Board.

Course Descriptions

LBED-3412 Teaching Techniques II
A follow-up to the basic Teaching Techniques I course, this advanced course offers participants the opportunity to upgrade their teaching skills and allows them a forum to exchange ideas with other experienced labor educators. Participants will learn methods for designing effective teaching outlines. In addition, participants will expand the range of techniques they use and will learn how to write their own teaching materials. Leading a discussion-a complex, but critical component of teaching-will be emphasized. Practice teaching, with critique, is also an important part of this program. [Permission of the instructor is required for admission to this course]

LBED-4410 Distance Learning for Labor Education
This class offers an in-depth look at distance learning methods and applications that labor educators can use. The course examines the importance of distance education and its impact on future trends in education. The online and traditional learning environments are compared in the areas of instructional technology, design, administration, and learning strategies. Participants will identify the characteristics that make a successful distant education student and discuss how to best prepare the distant student for the online learning environment.

LBED-4420 Methods that Motivate
This course is designed to enhance students' theoretical and practical understanding of adult education and pedagogy. By reflecting on the contributions that behavioral and educational theorists such as Malcolm Knowles, David Kolb, Howard Gardner, and Paulo Freire have made to the field of adult education, students will identify social, psychological, and cultural factors that influence the learning process. Students will experiment with a variety of experiential methods and techniques.

LBED-4432 The Adult Learner
This course covers adult learning theories and principles essential for instruction for and communication with adults. The programmatic and personal application of the theories and practices are deeply examined and discussed. This course also explores how students can increase their capacity as life-long learners. [May not be taken in addition to Theories of Adult Learning]

LBED-4450 Instructional Systems Design
Instructional Systems Design (ISD) is the primary curriculum development method in use in adult training and education in the U.S. and around the world. It uses a systematic approach to design, develop, deliver, and evaluate training. This course covers the fundamentals of ISD and includes practical hands-on exercises and assignments. Students have the opportunity to develop their own curriculum design plan and lesson plan.

LBED-4460 Instructional Technology
The course provides participants with a practical understanding of the instructional applications of modern technology. The emphasis is on using technology to increase communication and collaboration in the distance learning environment. Students will learn to present educational content using software, such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and audio/video conferencing tools. Students will use and evaluate course management systems and develop online student assessments. Students will learn to think critically about the appropriate uses of instructional technology and strategies to increase student learning.

LBED-4495 Enhancing Student Collaboration
What are the web tools available to support group work and study teams? Actively use web tools for communication, cooperation and collaboration during this course. Consider the factors involved in selecting technologies to match your instructional purposes for face-to-face, hybrid, and distance learning situations. Examine strategies for team work within the context of the technology being used. Learn to assess collaborative and group projects. Prerequisites: Instructional Technology and either Instructional Systems Design or The Adult Learner [Equivalent to LBED-4490; a student may not receive credit for both courses]

LBED-4950 Capstone Writing Seminar
The Capstone Writing Seminar is designed to guide students through the completion of their Capstone Project, the final requirement for all students in the School of Labor Studies. The essential question driving the Capstone Seminar is this: How can labor be a force for social change? Students are encouraged to select a research topic to effect change within their major area of study. They will conduct original research on this topic within a selected methodological framework, critically analyze their results, and present their findings in written and oral form to their peers. The most common format for the Capstone Project is a research paper, although flexibility in methodologies and outcomes is encouraged on the part of the students and faculty. Students will select their topics and design their research in cooperation with the Seminar instructor and Labor Studies faculty in their major area of study. (This course has a Residency component.)