Cooperative Development Lab

In this program, students will dive deeper into cooperative development tools such as the Cooperative Index Tool, Social Auditing, Sustainable and Cooperative Business Model Canvases, Appreciative Inquiry, SCORE Financial Analysis, and Balanced Scorecard. This course is offered in collaboration with the Northwest Cooperative Development Center (NWCDC). Students will work with community cooperatives in a fieldwork project that applies these tools, regularly checking in with community partners. Students will work on these projects in groups which will require coordination and work with project teams and application of professional skills covered in the Introduction and History of Cooperatives course. In addition, each week, students will use lectures, readings, and media to explore course topics.

This course is offered fully online through Canvas and requires both asynchronous work and synchronous meetings for 3-hour sessions on Zoom on four Saturdays throughout the quarter.

Our study will require 10 hours of out-of-classroom work per week for weeks we do not meet synchronously and 3 hours of synchronous work and 7 out-of-classroom hours of work for weeks we have a Saturday synchronous session. Technology required for successful engagement includes high speed internet and a computer (not just a cell phone) for Canvas; Zoom (including breakout rooms with audio and video), and MS Office 365 including One-Drive. Students will also need to be able to conduct online research. If students find themselves unable to participate due to technology, caregiving obligations, economic disruption, health risk, or illness, they should be pro-active in working with faculty. 

This is the final of three courses that comprise the Sustainable Cooperative Development Certificate. Both other certificate courses must be completed before taking this one.