Instructor: Roger F. Cram                                                        
Home:  330-569-7962 
Cell: 330-569-4912                                                   
Email: cramrf@hiram.edu                                                        
 

INTERDISCIPLINARY 377-51: The Tuskegee Airmen –
A Study in Group-Leadership Theory and Non-verbal Communication

Summer Semester, 2011
Dates and Times: Friday, June 10, 17, 24, July 1, 8, 15, and 22; 6:00pm-10:00pm

Credit Hours:  4

Instructor:  Roger F. Cram, Adjunct Faculty.  B.A., Hiram College; M.B.A., Kent State University.  President Member Tuskegee Airmen North Coast Chapter, Scholarship Committee, Central Division, National Tuskegee Airmen, FAA Certified Flight Instructor.

Course Description:  This course will study group dynamics and leadership theories using the Tuskegee Airmen experiment as a basis.  We will examine how racism can be successfully combated with ethics, and how goal setting, nonverbal communications, and strong group leadership can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Despite many, almost insurmountable obstacles intentionally placed in the way of their success, the black Tuskegee-trained airmen triumphed over all opposition and developed into the most skilled and formidable fighting air force ever known.  This course will attempt to find answers to the following questions: How could this be when the architecture of the Tuskegee Airmen program was designed for failure?  How did the Tuskegee Airmen’s group dynamics serve as a “substitute” for outside managerial leadership?  How did nonverbal communication play a major role in the Tuskegee Airmen achieving their objectives?  How did the Tuskegee group leaders employ various leadership theories to successfully overcome their obstacles.

Course Requirements: Attendance, two quizzes (20% each), one final exam (20%), one research paper (20%), two short essays (5%) each, and one field trip (10%).  

Required Text(s):

Homan, L.M. & Reilly, T. (2001). Black Knights: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Pelican.
Philippot. (1999). Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior. Cambridge University Press.

First Assignment:  Read Chapters I-II in the Black Knights, Read Chapter 1 in Human Communication

Prerequisite:  No prerequisite.

This course will satisfy one or more of the following:

General Graduation Requirement	Interdisciplinary-One Instructor
Core Requirement for Major	N/A
Correlative, Track or Additional Coursework for Major	Business Management

Tentative Syllabus
4-hour class sessions

The Tuskegee Airmen-
A Study in Group Leadership and Nonverbal Communications
Summer 2011 -  WEC  
Friday, June 10, 17, 24, July 1, 8, 15, and 22; 6:00pm-10:00pm

Tentative Weekend College Syllabus
WEC - Summer 20011

The Tuskegee Airmen-A Study in Group-Leadership

Weekend I – June 10

Text – Black Knights – The Story of Tuskegee Airmen - Chapters I through II – to be read before first class
Text – Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior - Chapter 1 – to be read before class
Video – The Tuskegee Airmen  -  Laurence Fishburn
Establish working groups  for class presentation          

Weekend II – June 17

Text - Black Knights – Story of Tuskegee Airmen - Chapters III through IV   
Text –  Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior - Chapter 2
Video – The Tuskegee Airmen – They Fought Two Wars.
Video - The Tuskegee Airmen Gold Medal Presentation in Washington
The Tuskegee Airmen Value System
Group discussions/activities

Class III – June 24

Text - Black Knights – Story of Tuskegee Airmen - Chapters V through VI
Text – Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior - Chapter 3                                                           
Video – Nightfighters – The True Story of the 332^nd Fighter Group – The Tuskegee Airmen
Extra Credit: A Tuskegee Airman Research Paper: Why did the Tuskegee Airmen fight for a country that didn’t want them? This will count up to 3% of the final grade if the student feels extra credit is needed.
Group discussions/activities and group assignments
Test One – take-home quiz, to be turned in on July 1 class
Pizza party

Class IV – July 1

Text - Black Knights – Story of Tuskegee Airmen - Chapters VII through IX
Text – Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior - Chapter 7
The Tuskegee Airmen Problem-Solving Model 
Video: Flying for Freedom
Other world heroes of peace employing Tuskegee Airmen Values
Group discussions/activities
Turn in first take-home quiz issued on June 24

Class V – July 8

Text - Black Knights – Story of Tuskegee Airmen - Chapters XIII through XIV
Text – Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior - Chapter 10 
Test Two – Take-home quiz – to be turned in on July 15, 2011. The quiz will cover Chapters 1-3 and 7 of Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior and the film Passion and Discipline.
              Tuskegee Airmen 4-TEST (GAP) Problem-Solving Model (Click above Mustang)
              The Value System of World Heroes attributes -  Click on VALUES. 
Group discussions/activities
 Groups
Video - Passion and Discipline 
Take home final exam issued, due last class on July 22.

Class VI – July 15

Text - Black Knights – Story of Tuskegee Airmen - Chapters XV through XIII
Text – Social Context of Nonverbal Behavior- Chapter 13
Turn in Research Paper
Guest Speaker – Kaylon Clarke – WWII Hero – Bomber pilot – Prisoner of War - Stalag Luft 1  457th 579th  B-17
Turn in take-home test two
Group discussions/activities

Class VII – July 22
Class presentations
Optional hors d'oeuvres party provided by students

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Research Paper Requirements:
Compare the Tuskegee Airmen's remarkable peaceful conflict resolution abilities with similarities of your assigned hero. 750 words

Class Presentation Requirements:
Make a 30-minute class presentation with your group (including 10 minutes for questions) regarding a dilemma involving prejudice against the Tuskegee Airmen. Discuss why this prejudice might have existed, how the Tuskegee Airmen addressed the situation, the values they used to peacefully resolve the issue, and what can be learned from the experience.

 QUESTIONS: 330-569-4912

Hiram College
WEC – Test One – Summer Semester 2011

Tuskegee Airmen

Name ____________________________ Date: ___________Possible 100 points

Section One: Individual Identification: 2 points each, possible 28 points

1. _____ Charles McGee                    A. Flew with Eleanor Roosevelt

2. _____ Span Watson                      B. Living airmen and a practicing architect

3. _____ Alexander Jefferson             C. Tuskegee Airmen’s only ACE

4. _____ Benjamin O. Davis Jr.           D. Shot down the first German jet fighter

5._____ Yancy Williams                     E. Supportive commander of the Tuskegee base

6. _____ Roscoe Brown                     F. A P-40 fighter pilot living in Cleveland

7. _____ Noel Parrish                        G. Saw Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis

8. _____ Frederick Von Kimble            H. West Point Graduate

9. _____ Arthur Saunders                   I. Filed a law suit against the U.S. Military

10. _____ Charles Dryden                  J. Flew 149 Tuskegee Combat missions

11. _____ Herbert Carter                    K. Red tail pilot who trained German’s in jets

12. _____ Lee Archer                         L. Unsupportive commander of the Tuskegee base

13. _____ Clarence Jamison               M. A red tail pilot shot down on a strafing run

14. _____ Alfred Anderson                 N. The real A-Train

 

Section Two: Fill in the Blank: 4 points each, possible 32 points

15. How many cadets were in the first class at Tuskegee? _______

16. How many of the cadets in question 15 graduated? _______

17. The military number assigned to the first Tuskegee Airmen pursuit squadron? _____

18. What was the number of the final fighter squadron group after all the squadrons combined? _______

19. Who was the founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee Alabama? ___________________________

20.  The military number assigned to the Tuskegee Airmen bombing group? _______

21.  Who was the bigot commander of the medium bombardment group at Freeman Field mentioned in question 20? ___________________________________

22. Who was Lt. Col. John T. Hazard and what was his job? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Section Three: Short Answer: 4 points each, possible 28 points

23. The Tuskegee Airmen were good shots in their aircraft; why was their only one ACE?

24. Wherte do you think the Tuskegee Airmen leaders received their values??

25. Give several examples of non-verbal communications as it pertains to the Tuskegee Airmen story.

26. The Tuskegee Airmen fought two wars; what were they?

27.  What are and give some examples of Jim Crow laws? (look this up on the Internet)

28. Why were the original Tuskegee Airmen first assigned to Northern Africa where, for the most part, the war was coming to a close and there was little enemy in the area?

29. Why did several Tuskegee Airmen not tell their children the role they played in World War II?

 Section Four - Miscellaneous

30. 12 possible points Review the first twelve attributes in the value system at: http://oldhome.hiram.edu/tuskegeeairmen/hiram%20high%20school%20syllabus.htm

Which two do you think are the most inspiring?  Why do you think so?  Give two examples of how the Tuskegee Airmen applied each of your two chosen values.

Final Exam

The Tuskegee Airmen
A Study in Group Leadership and Nonverbal Communications
Summer 2011
This final is to be submitted in class no later than July 22, 2011

All papers are to be double spaced and printed using Microsoft Word. Illustrations, charts, and graphs may be used and are encouraged, but will not count as part of the 750 word requirement. The text students write is to be pertinent to the question; words comprising your name and address and other "filler" like repeating the question or describing your personal experiences will not count at part of the 750 word requirement. This final exam consists of two 750 word essay questions. Question One is required. Then select either question 2 or 3.

Essay Question One: From the list of the heroes of peace mentioned at http://www.modelingfutureheroes.com/Famous%20Peace%20Heroes.htm -
research one of these leader’s accomplishments and write a 750+ word paper describing the similarities between his/her problem-solving techniques and those of the Tuskegee Airmen. Pay particular attention to describing how the value system was used by both the Tuskegee Airmen and your selected hero.

Essay Question Two: Write a 750 word paper describing how the Tuskegee Airmen's non-verbal communications spoke louder than their verbal and written communications. Be very specific giving clear examples from your text and/or from class lectures.

Essay Question Three: Write a 750 word paper researching how the problem-solving methods of slaves (the Tuskegee Airmen's grandparents) and how their conflict-resolution techniques might have proven beneficial to the Tuskegee Airmen. This will require additional research other than the material presented in class.

 

The Tuskegee Airmen-A Study in Group-Leadership and Non-Verbal Communications

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I.   Course Description:

     In 1925, Major General H. E. Ely, commandant of the War College , responded to a study ordered by the War Department entitled “The Use of Negro Manpower in War.” Ely concluded, “…that black men were cowards and poor technicians and fighters, lacking initiative and resourcefulness.”  Ely further stated that the average black man’s brain weight only 35 ounces, while the average white man’s brain weight 45 ounces. This report “proved” to most officials that the black man’s role in the military should be limited to closely supervised menial jobs and that they should be kept segregated from whites because they were “…a subspecies of the human population.”

     In 1941, the black man was finally allowed to train in aircraft through a civilian program at the Tuskegee Airfield in Alabama . The program, however, was to show that black men did not posses “what it takes” to be fighter pilots in a white man’s air core.  Many government officials went to great extremes to insure the program would fail.

     Despite many, almost insurmountable obstacles intentionally placed in the way of their success, the black Tuskegee-trained airmen triumphed over all opposition and developed into the most skilled and formidable fighting air force ever known.  How could this be when the architecture of the Tuskegee Airmen program was designed for failure?  How did the Tuskegee Airmen’s group dynamics serve as a “substitute for outside-managerial leadership?  How did nonverbal communications play a major role in the Tuskegee Airmen achieving their objectives? How did the Tuskegee group leaders employ various leadership theories to successfully overcome their obstacles?         

     This course will study group dynamics and leadership theories using the Tuskegee Airmen experiment as a basis. We will examine how racism can be successfully combated with ethics, and how goal setting, nonverbal communications, quality performance, and strong-group leadership can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

II.   Goals and Objectives:

A. Examine how groups can operate in a management and organizational setting using the Tuskegee Airmen's persistence, ethics, and commitment to excellence as a basis.

B. To learn how a group can succeed in its objectives without top-management support.

C. To study how individual’s performance and nonverbal communications affects a group’s outcome.

D. To understand how nonverbal communications can be used (positively or negatively) to jump gaps in cultures, management, and social status.

E. To understand that many problems can only be solved through groups.

     This course provides students with an opportunity to study a hierarchal organization using leadership and group dynamic theories as applied under extreme conditions and how these theories are not mutually exclusive, but rather codependent to insure success.  

     The Tuskegee Airmen – A Study in Group-Leadership Theory and Nonverbal Communication, is well within the guidelines of the Hiram Mission Statement as well as being an invaluable aspect of the Business Management major. It demonstrates through many varied examples (business case histories, class group experiences, communication variables, and effective group dynamics under duress) how one’s oral, nonverbal behavior, and written communication skills, guided by social responsibility and ethics, can prepare one for successful leadership under the most extreme conditions.

III.   Course Expectations:

Texts

Tubbs/Moss (2005) 10th Edition, Human Communication Principles and Contexts. Eastern Michigan University
Homan, Lynn M., Reily, Thomas (2001).   Black knights: the story of the Tuskegee airmen.   Louisiana : Pelican Publishing 

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Course Intention

A. To demonstrate how leadership and goal setting in groups can overcome obstacles.

B. To examine how a group designed to fail by management, can still succeed.

C. To illustrate how subgroups and their behavior contribute to the success or failure of an organizational goal.

D. To understand how ethics and nonverbal communications coupled with strong group leadership skills can offer a formidable opposition to stereotyping and racism.

E. To study nonverbal communications involving management styles, cultural differences, and public perceptions.

    The Tuskegee Experiment is a classic example of how a group can succeed in their mission when outside-managerial influences are determined for them to fail.  This course offers a hands-on experience in business groups and team case studies allowing groups to succeed in their goals even when outside leadership is conflicting.  Using nonverbal communications to reinforce important group objectives and cross cultural barriers is an important part of this course. Students will be divided into groups and given an objective, but support from the professor will be hampering, at best. The evolving group dynamics should reach a necessary level for goal attainment. Similar conflicts frequently occur in today’s business world when technology and older CEO’s often experience conflicts with more modern subordinate groups and their objectives.

Attendance, academic honesty, and class behavior are expected to be equal to or exceed the guidelines already established in our Student Handbook.

Class reading assignments are expected to be completed before class.
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IV.   Assessment and Evaluation:

1.      Points to ponder

     (1) Why did the Tuskegee Airmen/women want to fight for the United States when their country was segregated, limiting their rights and privileges, allowing "Jim Crow" laws to prevail, and ignoring their accomplishments?
     (2) If the methods the Tuskegee Airmen/Women used in the 1940s to resolve their goals were applied today, would the results be favorable or not?  Why?
     (3) Why did it take so long for this country to become aware of the Tuskegee Airmen/women and start to recognize their accomplishments - 1941-1943, yet first movie in 1992, first Tuskegee membership group established in 1972?
     (4) Why were the Tuskegee Airmen able to succeed?
     (5)  How do the Tuskegee Airmen problem-solving techniques and group dynamics compare to those of other class-discussed world heroes of peace?    

2.    Grading Policies:

First take-home test = 15%
Second take-home test = 15%
Research paper = 20% of grade
Class presentations = 20%
Attendance = 5%
Take-home final = 25% of grade.
 
a. Makeup work will be more difficult than the original assignment.
b. 1/2 letter grade will be deducted for work up to 2 days late, 1 letter grade for 2-5 days late, not accepted after 5 days late.

3.    Grading Rubric 93-100 = A, 90-92 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 83-86 = B, 80-82 = B-, 77-80 = C+, 74-76 = C, 70-72 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 63-66 = D  60-62 = D-, 60< = F

4.    Written Work Guidelines: typed, double spaced

5.    Extra Credit may be offered equaling 5% of the final grade, but not in place of required tests and assignments.

6.    Plagiarism will be addressed as outlined in the College Student Handbook.

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V.   Resources:

1. Assigned texts
2. Videos on the Tuskegee experience
3. Group projects and case studies in class

4. Research on the Internet and through libraries and periodicals.

5. Guest speakers and/or field trips.
6. Tuskegee Websites, Group Dynamics Websites.

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