The document summarizes a new Master of Arts in Community Development program that is designed to strengthen leadership in the social economy and civil society. The program will help students address challenges facing communities like income disparity, lack of affordable housing, and climate change by developing leadership skills to work with organizations in three key sectors: community economic development, cooperatives, and non-profits. Over two and a half years, students will build perspectives on challenges facing these sectors, understand how organizations function within the social economy and civil society, and develop transformational leadership, governance, analytical, and management capacities.

1. MA in Community Development: Strengthening leadership in the social economy and civil society More information at Publicadmin.uvic.ca/macd

2. The Challenges Communities and societies are on the front lines of many of the challenges in our rapidly changing world Examples include increasing income disparity, lack of affordable housing, food security, arts and culture, climate change, and support for the vulnerable of our communities This situation requires new leadership, perspectives, models and ways of working with individuals, communities, organizations and government

3. Master of Arts in Community Development (MACD) This new masters program is designed to help students respond to these challenges by building and developing individual capacity to become successful leaders in community-based organizations It has been developed with and will be delivered in collaboration with practitioners from the non-profit, co-operative, and community economic development sectors

4. Three Key Sectors The MACD will integrate the policy and practice dimensions of three key sectors: community economic development (a territorial approach to community revitalization and renewal), co-operatives (an organizational format for communities interested in creating democratically organized enterprises and services) and non profits (focused on strengthening community resilience and capacity).

5. The Next 2 ½ Years You will: Develop perspective on the broad challenges and trends facing community-based organizations in the non-profit, co-operative and community economic development sectors Understand how organizations and communities work within the social economy and civil society Build personal leadership skills to work with diverse teams, organizations and networks Develop your capacities in transformational change, governance, analysis and management

6. The First Term Goals and objectives include: Setting the foundation for the program with a focus on defining and framing the context for the discussion around community development, social economy, civil society, leadership and other key issues Building community within the program through both the online components and the residency Developing the key skills needed to undertake graduate work

7. Key Contact People Acting Director, School of Public Administration: Dr. Herman Bakvis Graduate Advisor: Dr. Lynne Siemens, [email_address] Program Manager: Wendy Swan, [email_address] First term instructors Please contact Wendy or I with any questions and comments.

8. MA in Community Development: Strengthening leadership in the social economy and civil society More information at Publicadmin.uvic.ca/macd