Course Information

Course PHI 485LEC GRA: Integrating PPE
UB Learns
Semester Spring 2026
Units 3.00
Time Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 1:00PM–1:50PM
Location Norton Hall 210
Instruction P (In Person)
Documentation Syllabus
   
Instructor Professor David Emmanuel Gray (he/his)
Contact Park Hall 118
degray@buffalo.edu
Zoom Meeting ID: 716 645 3983 & Passcode: 14260
Student Meetings Tuesday, Thursday: 12:00PM–2:00PM

Activities & Grading

Activity Percentage of Final Grade
Professional Development 10%
Individual Reflection 15%
Team Evaluation 5%
In-Class Discussions/Activities 15%
ELN Digital Badge 10%
Project Milestones 15%
Final Written Report 15%
Final Oral Presentation 15%

Templates

Schedule

Date Topic / Reading Activity
1/21 (Wed) Introduction to the Course & Capstone Project
Read the course syllabus closely, especially the description of the PPE in Practice Capstone Project (on page 3). I suspect you all will have many questions, which I will want to address in detail. 		 
1/23 (Fri) In-Class Activity: Queen City Tower Participant Release & Code of Conduct Release due during class.
1/25 (Sun)   Introductory Survey due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Honor Agreement due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Team Evaluation #1 (Queen City Tower) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #1 (Approaching the Project) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
1/26 (Mon) 🌨️ All Classes Canceled 🌨️  
1/27 (Tue)   Professional Development #1 (Take a “Professional” Photo!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
1/28 (Wed) Team Dynamics & Decision Making
David Kantor, “Action Stances”. 		 
1/30 (Fri) Establishing Team Expectations
Barbara Oakley et al., “Turning Student Groups Into Effective Teams”. 		 
2/2 (Mon) Team Meetings Professional Development #2 (Work on Your Resume!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/3 (Tue)   Project Milestone #1 (Team Expectations Agreement) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/4 (Wed) Client Meetings Team Evaluation #2 (Team Expectations Agreement) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #2 (Team Expectations Agreement) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/6 (Fri) Client Meetings: Debrief  
2/9 (Mon) Defining a Problem
Dwayne Spradlin, “Are You Solving the Right Problem?”
EnterpriseWorks/VITA, “Low-Cost Rainwater Storage System”.
2/11 (Wed) Issue Research
Assorted Readings on Immigrants and Refugees in Buffalo. 		Team Evaluation #3 (How Are Things Going?) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/13 (Fri) Team Meetings  
2/16 (Mon) Guest Speakers: Root Cause Tree Analysis
Hannah Giarrizzo, Assistant Director, Community Engagement, University at Buffalo.
Alivia Vo-Coyne, LEAD Coordinator, Community & Civic Engagement, University at Buffalo. 		Professional Development #3 (Get Help With Your Resume!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/17 (Tue)   Project Milestone #2 (Problem Statement) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/18 (Wed) Stakeholder Management
R. Edward Freeman, “Managing for Stakeholders”.
Vodafone Qatar, Towards a Sustainable Journey. 		Team Evaluation #4 (Problem Statement) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #3 (Problem Statement) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/20 (Fri) Team Meetings ELN Digital Badge #1 (Enrolling in the ELN Project) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/23 (Mon) Team Meetings Professional Development #4 (Set Up an Online Profile!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/24 (Tue)   Project Milestone #3 (Stakeholder Analysis) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/25 (Wed) Guest Speaker: Immigrants & Refugees in Buffalo
Wooksoo Kim, PhD, MSW, Professor & Director of Immigrant and Refugee Research Institute, School of Social Work, University at Buffalo. 		Team Evaluation #5 (Stakeholder Analysis) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #4 (Stakeholder Analysis) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
2/27 (Fri) Moral Value
Mark Timmons, “An Introduction to Moral Theory”. 		ELN Digital Badge #2 (Intention Setting: NACE Competencies) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/1 (Sun)   Midterm Course Review due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/2 (Mon) Team Meetings  
3/3 (Tue)   Project Milestone #4 (Executive Summary) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/4 (Wed) Social Entrepreneurship
C. K. Prahalad, “The Market at the Bottom of the Pyramid”. 		Team Evaluation #6 (Evaluation of Progress Toward Effective Team Functioning) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #5 (Team Dynamics) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/6 (Fri) Limits to Social Entrepreneurship
Aneel Karnani, “Romanticizing the Poor”. 		ELN Digital Badge #3 (Preparation Summary) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/9 (Mon) Crisis Clinic & Team Meetings Professional Development #5 (Get Help With Your Online Profile!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/10 (Tue)   Project Milestone #5 (Making the World Better) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/11 (Wed) Opportunity Costs
Jason Fernando, “Opportunity Cost: Definition, Calculation Formula, and Examples”. 		Team Evaluation #7 (Making the World Better) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #6 (Making the World Better) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/13 (Fri) Cost-Benefit Analysis
David Schmidtz, “A Place for Cost-Benefit Analysis”. 		 
3/16–3/20 🌴 Spring Break 🌴  
3/23 (Mon) Team Meetings  
3/24 (Tue)   Project Milestone #6 (Cost-Benefit Analysis) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/25 (Wed) Effective Altruism
William MacAskill, “Worms and Water Pumps”. 		Team Evaluation #8 (Cost-Benefit Analysis) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #7 (Cost-Benefit Analysis) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/27 (Fri) Team Meetings  
3/30 (Mon) Mutual Aid
Jennifer Gammage, “Solidarity, Not Charity”. 		Professional Development #6 (Search for Jobs and Internships!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
3/31 (Tue)   Project Milestone #7 (Impact Assessment) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/1 (Wed) Team Meetings Team Evaluation #9 (Impact Assessment) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #8 (Impact Assessment) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/3 (Fri) One-Minute Pitch & Team Meetings
Patrick Dang, “The Perfect Elevator Pitch - Best Examples and Templates”.
4/6 (Mon) Team Updates & Team Meetings Professional Development #7 (Write a Cover Letter!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/7 (Tue)   Project Milestone #8 (Executive Summary) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/8 (Wed) Team Meetings Team Evaluation #10 (Evaluation of Progress Toward Effective Team Functioning) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Individual Reflection #9 (Team Dynamics) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/10 (Fri) Team Meetings  
4/13 (Mon) Team Updates & Team Meetings  
4/14 (Tue)   Project Milestone #9 (Executive Summary) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/15 (Wed) Team Meetings Team Evaluation #11 (Weekly Update) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/17 (Fri) Team Meetings  
4/20 (Mon) Team Updates & Team Meetings Professional Development #8 (Get Help With Your Cover Letter!) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/21 (Tue)   Project Milestone #10 (Executive Summary) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/22 (Wed) Team Meetings Team Evaluation #12 (Weekly Update) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
4/24 (Fri) Team Meetings  
4/27 (Mon) Team Updates & Team Meetings  
4/29 (Wed) Team Meetings Team Evaluation #13 (Overall Contribution to the Project) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/1 (Fri) Pitching Your Success
Patrick Dang, “The Perfect Elevator Pitch - Best Examples and Templates”. 		 
5/4 (Mon) Team Updates & Team Meetings  
5/6 (Wed)   Final Written Report due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/7 (Thu)   ELN Digital Badge #4 (Final Output & Proof of Completion) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Team Evaluation #14 (Final Report) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/11 (Mon)   ELN Digital Badge #5 (NACE Task) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/12 (Tue)   Final Oral Presentation Slide Deck due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/13 (Wed) PPE in Practice Capstone Project Final Presentations From 11:45AM to 2:45PM in Natural Sciences Complex 216  
5/14 (Thu)   ELN Digital Badge #6 (Compelling Stories Workshop) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
Team Evaluation #15 (Final Oral Presentation) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/18 (Mon)   ELN Digital Badge #7 (Share Your Story) due by 11:59PM (midnight).
5/21 (Thu) Final Course Grades Submitted  

* All times are for Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time.