Photo by Kathryn Hopper

About the course: This upper-division course is designed for ROTC students interested in enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. Its purpose is to prepare cadets for active duty, but any student interested in enhancing leadership skills can enroll. The course focuses on leadership and communication skills, examines the national security process, teaches air and space operations basics, and identifies the roles of different branches and members of the U.S. military. Students focus on the professional aspects of being an officer, including military justice, civilian control of the military and current issues facing the military.

Instructor: Lt. Col. Stephan DeHaas, commander and professor of aerospace studies

Class times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 to 1:50 p.m.

Class size: 15 students in a class section, with several sections available, depending on student interest

Texts: Readings are developed specifically for the class and are not available in traditional books. Topics include national security strategy, civilian control of the military, terrorism, cyberspace, ethical decision-making, sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, religious accommodation, law of armed conflict, and military justice.

Photo by Jon Uzzel

Classwork: Cadets are graded for attendance and participation. The main focus is learning what to expect when deployed for active duty overseas, so asking questions is encouraged.

Pop quizzes on the readings and lectures

Comprehensive midterm and final exams consisting of multiple-choice, true-false, matching and short-answer questions

A three- to five-minute leadership vision briefing in advance of a leadership vision paper on a topic of the student’s choice. Possible topics include identifying important leadership characteristics and techniques for motivation and outlining a philosophy of leadership.

Each student must lead a class to demonstrate effective leadership skills.