CIVI 200
3 credits
Evidence-Based Decision Making
Prerequisite(s): None.
Fundamental approaches to evidence-based decision making examined for use within public/private sector organizations. Students reflect on evidence-based methodologies, including critical thinking skills, various experimental designs, data collection, use of statistics, and Indigenous ways of knowing/being to provide evidentiary basis for decisions. Students develop skills to gather, organize, cite, review, and evaluate the decision-making process.
CIVI 202
3 credits
Civic Governance in British Columbia and the Fraser Valley
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Civic Governance and Innovation certificate.
Provides a conceptual framework and shared language among municipal governments in British Columbia and the Fraser Valley. Examination of the historical and cultural roots of, and legal foundations for, local governments within a broader national political framework. Analysis of the impact of local governments and municipal civil servants on communities they serve.
CIVI 302
3 credits
Changemaking in Local Government Systems
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Civic Governance and Innovation certificate and one of: CIVI 200, CIVI 202, ENGL 105, CMNS 120, CMNS 125, PHIL 100, or POSC 100.
Comparative review and analysis of political cultures, disruption, experimentation, and learning within local governance systems across Canada and globally. Consideration of how local government systems work with other levels of government and with community members and partners to balance core needs with planning for future demands.
CIVI 311
3 credits
How Cities Work
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Civic Governance and Innovation certificate and one of: CIVI 200, CIVI 202, ENGL 105, CMNS 120, CMNS 125, PHIL 100, or POSC 100.
Examines the mechanisms of local governance through the experience of B.C. municipal and regional governments, including the organization and internal logic of city and regional governments, local bureaucracies, and relationships with the communities they serve. Emphasis is on organizational cultures and practices, and the networks that develop within and across governments.
CIVI 312
3 credits
Risk Tolerance and Capacity Building in Local Governance
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Civic Governance and Innovation certificate, (one of: CIVI 200, CMNS 120, CMNS 125, ENGL 105, PHIL 100, or POSC 100), and (one of: CIVI 202, CIVI 302, CIVI 311, POSC 305, or POSC 312).
Examines dimensions of innovation and learning within local governance contexts needed to confront future challenges. Focus on how organizations take calculated risks and move from risk avoidance to risk acceptance, and how to do so in ways that build from a diversity of voices within local government and through public engagement.
CIVI 400
3 credits
Capstone Project in Civic Governance and Innovation
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Civic Governance and Innovation certificate, CIVI 200, CIVI 302, and two of: CIVI 202, CIVI 311, or CIVI 312.
Students work in diverse teams to complete an applied project to solve a problem, conduct an inquiry about an issue, or design an innovation related to civic governance. Focus on consolidating, integrating, and applying students’ discipline-specific and real-world knowledge in ways relevant to their work and the people and communities they serve.
