This introductory course gives students an appreciation for the field of social innovation, including key concepts such as understanding systems change, assessing organizational mission, and measuring social value. The course considers the historical perspective of the field to inform our current understanding of solving social and environmental problems.

Students complete a service activity in the community in conjunction with the content of a three-credit co-requisite course. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Transfer coursework at the 1000 level. Departmental approval may be required.

In the 21st century, our society faces many wicked problems like climate change, health disparities, refugee crises, and more. This course provides students with the tools to gain a deeper understanding of these challenges. This class helps student balance objective and subjective ways of knowing about the dynamics of social problems within complex systems. Students will use systems thinking to understand the key connections among elements of a social problem that form root causes in the systems structure and/or perpetuate an unjust equilibrium in society. By the end of the course, students will be able to use this understanding of how change happens in order to envision new possibilities and their role in systems transformation.

This course offers a practical, experience-based introduction to design thinking tools and methods for community-led change and social impact. Through discussion, workshops, and active field work, students will be introduced to the processes, practices, and mindsets that are associated with human-centered design. We use a rights-based approach to our experiments in design thinking, grounding our discussions in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Students will work in close collaboration with Tulane peers and members of the greater New Orleans community to design new products, services, or experiences in response to community needs.

Students complete a service activity in the community in conjunction with the content of a three-credit co-requisite course. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Students complete a service activity in the community in conjunction with the content of a three-credit co-requisite course. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Special Topics

Transfer coursework at the 2000 level. Departmental approval may be required.

Students in this class will learn about social change strategies that transform systems while completing their Tier-1 or Tier-2 service-learning requirement. We take a historical and contextual perspective of the field to assess changemaking strategies in service of more just and equitable societies. We will explore different change strategies that changemakers can use to tackle wicked problems in society, such as social innovation and social entrepreneurship, social advocacy and activism, and social service provision. Students will have the opportunity to explore social impact organizations in the private, public, and citizen sectors. We will also discuss various facets of environmental, financial, and social sustainability.

For real change to happen, there needs to be effective leadership. This course dives into unpacking and formulating what it takes for effective leadership to ensure positive social and environmental change. Students in this course will study the theory and practice of leadership, why leadership is vital to changemaking, and learn from respected leaders and relevant case studies rooted in social change. Students will also assess their personal leadership strengths and weaknesses, practice the art of leading, and create a vision and design for their own leadership as change makers.

Grounded on theories and practice of social entrepreneurship, or the process of developing new and innovative opportunities that directly address social and environmental issues, this course highlights the importance of understanding business planning and economic concepts for organizations. The course will assess different business models for social impact organizations and how these organizations integrate their social mission with their business strategies. Students will consider the necessary business skills required of social entrepreneurs and others working to make positive, systemic, sustainable change in communities around the world.

Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” The purpose of this course is to examine the value of the arts in society, and more specifically the linkages between the arts, creative problem solving, and social impact. The capacity for artistic expression is one of the defining characteristics of being human. Yet, the arts are systematically devalued in public schools. And the myth of the “struggling artist” perpetuates the idea of the artist as an outcast. Drawing from multiple perspectives, we will explore the unique ways the arts contribute to social impact. We will discuss theories, read scholarly articles, examine case studies, and hear from guest speakers in the local arts community. We will specifically investigate the relationship between art and social impact in terms of (a) arts education, (b) social movements, and (c) economic and community development. Attention will be given to the ways artistic expression intersects with structures of class, gender, race, and geography.

This practicum is a requirement for ongoing participation in the Community Engagement Advocates program and requires applied work in facilitating social justice dialogues. The student facilitators in this class will participate in weekly experiential sessions: to observe, practice, learn and prepare for their work as peer-to-peer facilitators and student leaders working for collective impact; to strengthen their own understanding of social justice, identity development and multicultural education in the context of community engagement and service learning; to further develop their community and co-facilitation relationships and experience; and to continue their own personal growth and development in the areas of facilitation and social justice.

This is the second course of two courses offered on a Social Justice Track for the Community Engagement Advocates Program. This course will be focused on understanding oppression at various levels in our society and facilitating around the topics with to disrupt systems that marginalized people in our society. This practicum is a requirement for ongoing participation in the Community Engagement Advocates program and requires applied work in facilitating social justice dialogues. The student facilitators in this class will participate in weekly experiential sessions: to observe, practice, learn and prepare for their work as peer-to-peer facilitators and student leaders working for collective impact; to strengthen their own understanding of social justice, identity development and multicultural education in the context of community engagement and service learning; to further develop their community and co-facilitation relationships and experience; and to continue their own personal growth and development in the areas of facilitation and social justice.

This practicum is a requirement for ongoing participation in the Community Engagement Advocates program and requires applied work in facilitating social justice dialogues. The student facilitators in this class will participate in weekly experiential sessions: to observe, practice, learn and prepare for their work as peer-to-peer facilitators and student leaders working for collective impact; to strengthen their own understanding of social justice, identity development and multicultural education in the context of community engagement and service learning; to further develop their community and co-facilitation relationships and experience; and to continue their own personal growth and development in the areas of facilitation and social justice.

This is the second course of two courses offered on a Community Engagement Track for the Community Engagement Advocates Program. This practicum is a requirement for ongoing participation in the Community Engagement Advocates program and requires applied work in facilitating social justice dialogues. The student facilitators in this class will participate in weekly experiential sessions: to observe, practice, learn and prepare for their work as peer-to-peer facilitators and student leaders working for collective impact; to strengthen their own understanding of social justice, identity development and multicultural education in the context of community engagement and service learning; to further develop their community and co-facilitation relationships and experience; and to continue their own personal growth and development in the areas of facilitation and social justice.

What do imaginary worlds have to teach us about the future we want? From fantasy and horror to science fiction, Afrofuturism, cultural commentary, alternative histories and dystopian scenarios, the genre(s) of speculative fiction depict worlds that don’t exist – yet! Through intergalactic encounters, time travel, magic, advanced technologies and more, speculative fiction offers powerful critiques of our current social and environmental systems as well as alternative visions of many possible, and more inclusive worlds. These alternatives allow us to explore and critically analyze what more just, sustainable, liberating, and equitable realities might look like, and how we might imagine them into being through processes of social innovation. This class will engage with literary, musical, and cinematic works of speculative fiction with a focus on works by artists of color, who are using speculation to challenge the status quo and combat marginalization—such as those by N.K. Jemisin, Janelle Monae, Jordan Peele, Nia DaCosta, Juel Taylor, Octavia Butler, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ted Chiang, and more, to understand the lessons they offer us for social change. Students will also produce their own original world-building works through short stories, reflections, poems, drawings and/or prototypes. Through this project they will have an opportunity to offer perspectives race and/or ethnicity as social constructs in the United States.

The service-learning class is taken in conjunction with a Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship 3000-level course. An exemplar community partner will provide a real-time case study of the class concepts, helping students to understand how to apply changemaking approaches to address complex social problems. We will use the tenets of critical service-learning including a social change orientation, redistribution of power, and authentic relationships to maximize the impact of the experience for students and partners.

Transfer coursework at the 3000 level. Departmental approval may be required.

The senior seminar provides a forum for seniors in the social innovation and social entrepreneurship minor (SISE) to synthesize their undergraduate work in this area of study. Students will critically reflect on and consolidate their knowledge and understanding of the SISE field. Through critical discussion around specific themes relevant to SISE, seminar participants will forge a deeper understanding of SISE as an approach to addressing social problems, its potential, and the nature of its critiques. A primary goal of the SISE minor is to help students embody the design thinking skills of empathy, listening, and humility and collaboration, with a focus on social impact (rather than profit or self-promotion). To that end, the class sessions offer a forum for engaging in meaningful reflection on major topics and themes studied throughout the semester and the opportunity to relate that to student’s individual experiences. The class will also help students cement their network of current and future thought partners, including peers, classmates, instructors, and guest lecturers. Students will reflect on long-term goals as active citizens and changemakers and explore next steps beyond graduation.

This course provides seniors in the Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) Minor program the opportunity to synthesize their undergraduate work in this study by engaging in a semester-long project/capstone of their choosing. Participants will forge a deeper understanding of SISE as an approach to addressing social problems, its potential, and the nature of its critiques, as well as demonstrate their ability to practice design thinking, leadership, and collaboration, with a focus on a specific social impact topic related to student’s individual experiences. The class will also help students cement their network of current and future thought partners, including peers, classmates, instructors, and guest lecturers. Finally, students will reflect on long-term goals as active citizens and changemakers and explore the next steps beyond graduation.

SISE Internship open to especially qualified upper level students with approval of instructor, 3 credit hours. Students must contact the SISE Director to enroll.

CPS Internship Coordinators place students in the appropriate seminar depending on their department for credit and their internship. Internship Seminars are based on discussion sessions, professional development workshops, guest speakers from local organizations, and student presentations.

Students complete a service activity in the community in conjunction with the content of a three-credit co-requisite course. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Independent Study Open to especially qualified upper level students with approval of instructor, 1-3 credit hours.

Special Topics

Transfer coursework at the 4000 level. Departmental approval may be required.

Special Topics in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. These are newly developed courses or courses taught by visiting faculty. Title and content may vary by semester. See the Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. Course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.

Special Topics in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. These are newly developed courses or courses taught by visiting faculty. Title and content may vary by semester. See the Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. Course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.

Special Topics in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. These are newly developed courses or courses taught by visiting faculty. Title and content may vary by semester. See the Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. Course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.

Special Topics in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. These are newly developed courses or courses taught by visiting faculty. Title and content may vary by semester. See the Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. Course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.

Courses may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Courses may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Addressing eco-social crises such as climate change, racial injustice and wealth inequality requires collective efforts and creative solutions from all sectors of society. This course provides students with a deeper understanding of social innovation as a dynamic process of transforming dominant, harmful institutions and pursuing planetary wellbeing. By taking a constructionist and glocal lens, this class examines different schools of thought on what constitutes “social good” and how to achieve it, highlighting related actors and factors driving current movements of social innovation. Throughout the course, we draw on cases of enterprises, organizations, movements, policies, programs and more – in domains as diverse as ethical fashion, youth development, ecological conservation and food justice – to highlight key lessons and approaches in understanding and innovating around wicked problems. Through critical reading, creative and reflexive assignments and interactive classroom activities, students explore pathways to changing systems and reimagine their own roles within collaborative innovation ecosystems. A final project invites students to design their unique change making toolkit that they can use to tackle issues about which they are passionate.

Special Topics

Special Topics in Social Innovation and Social Enterprenuership. These are newly developed courses or courses taught by visiting faculty. Title and content may vary by semester. See the Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. Course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.

This course offers a practical, experience-based introduction to design thinking tools and methods for community-led change and social impact. Through discussion, workshops, and active field work, students will be introduced to the processes, practices, and mindsets that are associated with human-centered design. We use a rights-based approach to our experiments in design thinking, grounding our discussions in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Students will work in close collaboration with Tulane peers and members of the greater New Orleans community to design new products, services, or experiences in response to community needs.

TAYLOR Your Tulane is a 1-credit life design lab offered by the Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking that uses design mindsets to teach how to create a Tulane experience that is uniquely TAYLORed to their interests and curiosities. Students will explore radically different academic pathways at Tulane, prototype and test areas of curiosity, and map the Tulane and New Orleans communities to effectively meet and connect with likeminded people on campus and in New Orleans.

Taylor Your Life is a career development lab for students who are interested in careers with social or environmental impact. The course covers all career basics (tailoring a resume, networking, interviewing skills, salary negotiation) while encouraging students to proactively build a life that is in line with their values and interests and guiding students to think more broadly about what they want in life including and beyond the working world. The course uses design thinking tools to help students clarify their interests; brainstorm multiple life pathways; focus and target their job/internship/fellowship search; build real-world experiments to test professional areas of interest; and use networking tools to join the network of movers and shakers in their field.