For a year now the Leadership Studies Department has been residing in 200 Picken Hall as a result of the renovation of the second floor in McCartney Hall. The department plans to move back to its permanent location on the 2nd and 3rd of August. The Center for Civic Leadership will remain in Picken Hall along with Dr. Brungardt, who serves as the Executive Director of the Center. Once again, while the locations of the faculty and staff will change, students will still be able to contact them at the same phone numbers and email addresses. The main office will be located in MC 224. Below is a list of the faculty members and their new office locations. As many of you know, we enjoy visiting with students, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and check out our new home!

For more information about the department's move please contact:

The Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) has created an internship program in which students will have the opportunity to apply for an internship in one of the five programs housed in the CCL. The programs consist of the Kansas Youth Leadership Academy (KYLA), Leadership Education and Development (LEAD), Tigers in Service (TIS), American Democracy Project (ADP), and Service-Learning. The internship program was created using the CCL philosophy of enhancing civic leadership among individuals. CCL interns will be provided the opportunity to engage in civic leadership while gaining experience in working with organizations. Both paid and unpaid internships will be available. Students working on a paid internship will be half-time and be paid student hourly wages. Students can participate in the internship program for either credit or no credit. Students receiving credit are required to work 50 hours for each credit hour for which they are enrolled. The CCL internships will run the full length of the semester starting on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of the semester. For more information about the CCL internships please contact the Center for Civic Leadership by phone at 785-628-5592 or by email at ccl@fhsu.edu.

Early enrollment for the 2006 summer and fall semesters is right around the corner. We are thrilled with the growing number of students, both on and off campus, in the Department of Leadership Studies. We now have over 200 majors in our program. Because of this rapid growth and large enrollment, it is mandatory that you schedule an appointment with your advisor before enrolling. In order to help speed up the enrollment process, please have a tentative class schedule outlined before meeting with your advisor. Early enrollment dates are as follows:

March 28 – Seniors A-M
March 29 – Seniors N-Z
March 30 – Juniors A-M
April 3 – Juniors N-Z
April 5 – Sophomores A-M
April 6 – Sophomores N-Z
April 11 – Freshmen A-Z

*Keep in mind that classes fill up fast and if you fail to pre-enroll by your assigned date, it is possible that classes will be full. In addition, summer 2006 tuition is due June 1st to the Student Fiscal Services Office. Classes will be dropped for any students who fail to finalize enrollment by the selected date. Fall’s due date has yet to be determined so please pay close attention in the months to follow.

Please contact your advisor by phone or e-mail to set up an appointment.

*Also, this semester course schedules will not be in hard copy, so it is essential that you log on to
Tiger Tracks at https://tigertracks.fhsu.edu and click on Course Schedule in order to create a tentative class schedule for the following semesters.

The end of October marks the beginning of early registration for students. With the ever growing popularity of the Fort Hays State University Virtual College, it is important that students enroll as soon as possible to ensure they get the classes they need. Below are a list of dates which indicate when students can enroll. Please contact your advisor to setup a time to enroll in classes for next semester.

The annual campus community service fair was a huge success this year. Over 400 people attended the event, and 292 of those attendees were students. A total of 48 campus and community organizations were in attendance for the event and Dr. Goertzen, Chair of the Leadership Studies Department, commented, "It was a great opportunity for students to get connected with people in the community that are helping address some very important community needs. I could sense a lot of excitement as students seemed to be getting turned on to helping fellow citizens." Students also saw the value of the fair as Jaromir Sedlar, an FHSU student from Slovakia stated, "I cannont belive that hundreds of students would help others just for the sake of helping. There must truly be goodwill and determination in the students at Fort Hays."

After several years of being chair, Dr. Brungardt has taken a new position as the Voss Endowed Professor of Leadership Studies. Taking his place as chair of the Department of Leadership Studies is Dr. Brent Goertzen. Dr. Goertzen's position officially began in August. He has been with the Department of Leadership Studies since August of 2003. Dr. Goertzen will continue to teach classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level. However, his course load will be reduced to make accommodations for his added responsibilities as chair.

Listed below are some important dates for the upcoming Fall Semester.

July 28 - August 8 - Enrollment Billing--Fee payment agreement information for students registered in classes will be mailed to student's permanent address. After August 8, 2005, contact Student Fiscal Services at 785-628-5251 for fee information. Information also available at Student Web Services.

August 16 - Final day for fee arrangements to reach Student Fiscal Services. Class schedules (registrations) will be deleted if fee arrangements are not made.

August 18 - Available financial aid released to Tiger Card for enrolled students.

August 18, 19 - Late Enrollment 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Registrar's Office, Sheridan Hall 106. Fees payable at time of enrollment.
Seniors declare Intent to Graduate at time of last enrollment for degree.

August 22 - Classes begin.

August 26 - Final day for 100% refund for full semester or arranged courses.

Sept 2 - Final day for 60% refund for full semester or arranged courses.

Sept 4 - Final day to add or enroll in a full semester Virtual College course.

Sept 5 - Labor Day. University closed.

Sept 6 - Final day for graduate students to declare an Intent to Graduate--notify Graduate School.

Sept 12 - Final day for 40% refund for full semester or arranged courses.

Sept 15 - Tuition fee installment due to Student Fiscal Services.
Student Residential Life payments due to Student Fiscal Services.

Sept 19 - Final day for 25% refund for full semester or arranged courses.
Final day to add or enroll in a full semester on-campus course or on-campus arranged course.
Fees for courses withdrawn do not apply to courses added after this date.
Final day for undergraduate students to declare an Intent to Graduate--notify Registrar's Office.
20th day of classes.

Sept 23 - Pre-approved tuition deferment deadline. First-time borrowers loan disbursement released to Tiger Card.

Sept 26 - Final day for 10% refund for full semester or arranged courses.
Final date to withdraw a course without a transcript record.

Sept 27 - Transcript record begins.
Courses withdrawals are permitted as "withdraw pass" or "withdraw fail" from September 27 through November 4. A grade of "WP" or "WF" will be recorded.

A new topics class will be offered in the Fall Semester of 2005 for our virtual leadership students called Leadership and the Movies. The class uses contemporary movies, text, and articles to teach the relationship between social change movements and leadership throughout history. This class will help students understand what it takes to become a social change agent through studying leadership examples in selected movies.

For more information about the class or to enroll, please contact the Leadership Studies Department at 785.628.4303. You can also email the e-Leadership.net Support Staff at
support@e-Leadership.net.

Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the National Leadership Honor Society, at Fort Hays State University recently inducted 22 new members into the local circle. Only the top 35% of Junior and Seniors are eligible for membership in the society and of those only a select few are chosen. The Society recognizes achievement in five areas:

• Scholarship
• Athletics
• Campus/ Community Service, Social/Religious Activities, and Campus Government
• Journalism, Speech and the Mass Media
• Creative and Performing Arts

This years new initiates were:

Congratulations to the new members, we look forward to seeing your accomplishments in this coming year.

HAYS, KS -- Growing up in Phillips County, Kansas, Omer Voss never guessed that his career would take him around the world, or to the top of the corporate ladder at one of the largest farm equipment manufacturers in the world.

With an understanding of the role leadership plays in our lives, he has established the Omer G. Voss Distinguished Professorship in Leadership Studies.

During a news conference today on the Fort Hays State University campus, President Edward H. Hammond expressed thanks to Voss and his family for the generous gift of $300,000. "We make it a top priority to attract and retain high quality faculty, and this gift will be a strong step in that direction. Under the Faculty of Distinction Program that was created in 2001, the Kansas Board of Regents will match the annual earnings of the $300,000 Voss gift," the president said.

"The combination of the annual earnings and the match from the Regents will help pay for the new faculty position. This generous gift from Omer and his family will make a tremendous difference in the lives of many future FHSU students. It shows what can be accomplished when the university, the Regents and a loyal alumnus join forces to improve the quality of education for our students."

Voss attended high school in Phillipsburg and came to FHSU where he majored in political science, graduating in 1937. "I was very happy in later years to have gone to Fort Hays State," Voss said. "It was the right sized school for a small-town boy and it gave me an excellent background for my law education at KU."

He joined International Harvester in 1936 as an employee in Hutchinson, where he worked summers during law school. Following graduation, he accepted a full-time position in sales and manufacturing for the San Francisco office. In 1951 he joined International Harvester's overseas operation, serving as president of operations in Australia, Great Britain and Canada before returning to the corporate headquarters in Chicago in 1961. He retired as vice chairman of the company in 1979.

Distance never diminished his interest in Kansas or Fort Hays State University. Voss was honored with the FHSU Alumni Achievement Award and he presented the Commencement address, both in 1961. He endowed a scholarship for FHSU students in 1978, and he is a trustee emeritus of the FHSU Endowment Association.

Virgil Scott, president and CEO of the FHSU Endowment Association, thanked Omer Voss for the gift and for making the trip to Hays for the announcement. "It has been a very enjoyable experience to work with Mr. Voss the past few years on finding a most appropriate avenue for him to express his appreciation to his alma mater," Scott said. "Mr. Voss is a man with a great deal of foresight and vision. We are very grateful to him for his generous gift that is an investment in the leaders of tomorrow."

Omer and his wife, Annabelle, stay in touch with FHSU with an annual trip to visit family in Phillipsburg. "I am impressed that Fort Hays State offers this type of program," he said. "We need good leaders in our communities and in our country, and I am proud that my alma mater is at the forefront of the effort to help develop them."

"This gift comes at a critical time in the development of the Leadership Studies program at FHSU," said Dr. Curt Brungardt, department chair. "It is a statement of how important leadership education is for students today, and it provides a greatly needed resource to expand our staff and meet the needs of a rapidly growing program."

The Voss distinguished professorship becomes the university's second faculty position created under the Regents' Faculty of Distinction Program. In June 2002, Dr. Hammond announced that a gift from Philip Frederick Anschutz and Sue Anschutz-Rodgers and the Anschutz Family Foundation would be leveraged with money from the Regents to create FHSU's first endowed faculty position, in the College of Education and Technology. In May 2003, the president announced that Dr. Paul Adams, an FHSU professor of physics, had been selected after a national search to fill the Anschutz Endowed Professorship in Education.

Christie Brungardt, instructor of leadership studies received the University Faculty Service Award from President Hammond on May 6, 2004. Each year the university selects one faculty member who has excelled and provided endless hours of service for the university. This last year, Christie was involved in the United Way, Service Learning initiatives, the American Democracy Project, and numerous other community service activities. Christie Brungardt is in her third year as an instructor and is currently working on a PhD from the University of Nebraska. Congratulations Christie! We believe you are the most deserving candidate for this award.

Love,
The Staff

In the Fall of 1993, Fort Hays State University joined a select group of six colleges in America by offering a four-year academic program in the study of leadership. A decade later, through various degree programs, the Department of Leadership Studies at FHSU is dedicated to the education and development of future leaders for the state, region and the world.

Developing leadership is becoming a popular concept nationwide. The department began to receive requests from schools and organizations for programs and workshops for their constituents. The creation of the Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) in 2002 was a natural extension of the university's interest and expertise in leadership development. The mission of the CCL is to foster and promote the development of citizens and "citizen leaders" who will address and solve community problems.

Under the auspices of the Leadership Studies department, CCL is currently guided by a dynamic couple - department chair Dr. Curt Brungardt and fellow faculty member Christie Brungardt. This leadership team has devoted both professional and personal time to organize and carry out the mission of CCL. Representatives from business, government, education and the student body serve on the Center's advisory board. In its first year, the Center served nearly 3,000 Kansans. Through five program areas (youth leadership, collegiate leadership, service-learning, and community leadership), CCL provided leadership and citizen training across the state of Kansas. The Kansas Youth Leadership Camp held in the summer has provided more than 1,200 students with the opportunity to participate in leadership development.

Because the CCL receives limited funds from FHSU, it relies on fees, grants and corporate sponsorship for its expenses. To ensure its continuation, the Brungardts have named the Center for Civic Leadership as a charitable beneficiary in their will. The endowed fund will be held in perpetuity through the FHSU Endowment Association.

"We are excited that the Center will eventually be endowed," stated Ms. Brungardt. "The fund should produce enough revenue to make the Center a viable entity for the state of Kansas."

Dr. Brungardt agreed. "We looked for a way our estate could benefit the common good, and we believe the Center will touch many lives. There are exciting signs that our newest generation of Americans show a genuine concern and passion for social responsibility. Thus, it is important that we tap into this enthusiasm and provide the needed training for them to become responsible civic leaders."

FHSU receives $50,000 for the Department of Leadership Studies and the Center for Civic Leadership (March 4, 2004)

Fort Hays State University's Department of Leadership Studies and the Center for Civic Leadership have received $50,000 to enhance the youth leadership initiative. Funding for this project was provided in part by the Kansas Health Foundation. The foundation, located in Wichita, is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to improve the health of all Kansans. The Center for Civic Leadership will use the $50,000 with a new program, the Youth Leadership Academy. Next year the academy will start traveling across the state to help further educate middle school and high school students on ways in which to be better leaders through areas like leadership, teamwork and communication. "Were grateful for the Kansas Health Foundation's vision in recognizing the importance of our new youth leadership academy," said Dr. Edward H. Hammond, FHSU President. "Students across the state will have an opportunity to develop their leadership skills through this initiative."

Joseph Potts speaks to Leadership Students (February 2, 2004)

2004 Newsletter

Senator Lee speaks to Women and Leadership class (November 13, 2003)

On November 10th Kansas State Senator Janis Lee spoke in Christie Brungardt's "Women and Leadership" class. Senator Lee spoke about her life in general as well as her life in politics. She addressed gender differences and how these differences have changed in her 15 years in state government.

Marilyn Snider comes to FHSU (October 17, 2003)

On the second of October, Marilyn M. Snider presented a symposium on "Strategic Planning: Is it for You?". Marilyn is a FHSU Alumni Achievement Awardee and is the President of Snider and Associates. Her presentation was sponsored by the Leadership Studies Department as well as the Nursing Department here at FHSU.

New enrollment numbers for FHSU Leadership Studies (October 14, 2003)

Over the past few years, the Leadership Studies Department has become quite popular. A quick look at the bar graph below will show you just how much we have grown:

(Click to see larger image)

FHSU Leadership Studies wins recruitment award (October 13, 2003)

At the beginning of the semester three departments were recognized for their outstanding student recruitment. A small monetary reward was given to the departments to reward their achievements. These three departments were:

• Nursing
• Sociology
• Leadership Studies

This fall semester the Leadership Studies Department recruited 22 incoming on campus freshman.

2003-2004 AOE Scholarship Recipients (October 13, 2003)

The following Leadership Studies Students were all AOE Scholarship recipients:

FHSU forms partnership with Tak Ming College (October 10, 2003)

Tak Ming College on the Taiwan Campus and FHSU have recently developed a partnership where their students will pursue two degrees. One degree will be a Bachelors in Business from Tak Ming College and the other will be a Bachelor in General Studies from FHSU. The option is open to juniors and seniors and there is expected to be approximately sixty students every year. The Bachelor of General Studies will focus its concentration on Leadership Studies, and students will take the following Leadership classes:

LDRS 300 - Introduction to Leadership Concepts
LDRS 302 - Introduction to Leadership Behavior
LDRS 480 - Team Building, Teamwork, and Team Leading
LDRS 520 - Supervisory Leadership

LSA takes first place in this years homecoming float contest (October 8, 2003)

(Click on a picture to enlarge)

Many of the members of the Leadership Studies Association came together to create a prize winning float. The design was formed by majors Matt Eberle and Bryan Saindon. The most distinguishing features of the float included an ore digger mining a cave, fireworks, and, of course, Victor E. Tiger. LSA will receive a prize of $250.00 for their accomplishment.

2003 Kansas Youth Leadership Camp is a huge success (July 8, 2003)

This year's Kansas Youth Leadership Camp was presented by the Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) and the Department of Leadership Studies. Overall the program was a huge success and received good reviews by both the campers and counselors. For more information and highlights, please visit the website at www.kylc.org.

2003 Leadership Studies Scholarship Recipients (May 12, 2003)

New Press Release

Academic Wall of Honor dedicated at FHSU's Forsyth Library (May 9, 2003)

Kurt Beyers

HAYS, KS -- A wall dedicated to the honor societies of Fort Hays State University was dedicated at a ceremony this morning in the main lobby of the university's Forsyth Library.
Each of the 25 plaques spreading across the top of the Academic Wall of Honor records the name of a society representing an academic discipline and when the chapter was founded at FHSU.
"The honor societies named on this wall represent the highest aims of Fort Hays State University," said President Edward H. Hammond.
"These societies comprise the best students and the best faculty in their respective disciplines. They are the thinkers, the leaders, innovators and the seekers of excellence. Those are all qualities that our university seeks to exemplify, and I am proud today to help dedicate a monument to the people of our institution who, from our inception to now, seek the same standard of excellence in their own work and lives."
Hammond introduced John Ross, director of Forsyth Library.
"First, I want to acknowledge the effort and time given by Dr. Jean Gleichsner, as president of Phi Kappa Phi, toward the building of the Academic Wall of Honor," said Ross.
Gleichsner, an associate professor of agriculture, worked for more than a year to make the Academic Wall of Honor a reality, said Ross. She made all the contacts with the various organizations, gathered information, supervised arrangements for the design and acquisition of the plaques and worked with the vendors, said Ross.
He continued, "As Director of Forsyth Library, I am truly thrilled to have the opportunity to see this effort become a reality. We can never honor academic excellence enough and can never spend enough time saluting our students and faculty for their work in the classroom. When I look at the plaques that grace this wall, I can only think about the wonderful qualities of this university. I only hope that we can add more features to this wall and that we can continue to impress on our incoming and current students that 'success' and 'excellence' walk hand-in-hand."
Ross introduced Gleichsner, president of Phi Kappa Phi, an all-discipline honor society.
"I am extremely pleased to see the Academic Wall of Honors come into existence," said Gleichsner. "It recognizes the academic accomplishments of the best and brightest students at Fort Hays State University."

Omicron Delta Kappa
The National Leadership Honor Society
“Success Achieved in Worthy Undertakings”
Chartered at Fort Hays State University in 2003

National leadership honor society opens chapter at FHSU (April 25, 2003)
Krista M. Lutgen
University Leader

"Emphasis is placed on the development of the whole person, both as a member of the college community and as a contributor to a better society..."
This is a statement on www.odk.org, regarding the mission statement of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.
There are 16 provinces that have ODK organizations. FHSU just joined the 14th province, which includes universities in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Other Kansas schools with ODK include Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas and Wichita State University.
Jill Stafford, instructor of leadership studies; Christie Brungardt, instructor of leadership studies, and Sarah Huslig, Wichita junior; all helped in getting a charter for the organization.
"We've been working on it for about a year," Huslig said. "I've been involved from the very beginning."
Huslig is the president-elect for the upcoming school year.
"Some students learned about it a year ago, and then we filled out a charter application and then a final application," Stafford said. Stafford will serve as one of the advisers, along with Brungardt.
Stafford said board members from ODK met with interested students and faculty, as well as Edward H. Hammond, FHSU president.
"It was just a good fit for the campus," Stafford said. "When we sent in the final petition, we were accepted."
This Sunday 48 students and two faculty members will be inducted into the organization at 2 p.m. in the Trails Room on the second floor of the Memorial Union.
"It's going to be a really neat ceremony, because not only are people being inducted into it, but it's also the charter ceremony," Stafford said. Steve Bisese, ODK national vice president for extension, will be running the ceremony. He is traveling from the University of Richmond in Virginia and is in charge of recruiting new colleges and universities into ODK. To become a member of ODK, a student must rank in the top 35 percent of their class. Letters were sent out to those eligible earlier this semester.
There was an informational meeting where all those eligible were given applications to fill out. A student's activity in five areas were taken into consideration when they applied. The purpose of the organization is to recognize those who have exhibited a high standard of leadership and efficiency in collegiate activities. The five areas recognized are:scholarship; leadership; involvement in campus/community service, religious activities and campus government; involvement in journalism, speech and mass media; and involvement in creative performing arts.
According to www.odk.org, ODK was founded Dec. 3, 1914 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., by 15 student and faculty leaders. The founders then formulated the idea that leadership of "exceptional quality and versatility in college should be recognized, that representatives in all phases of college life should cooperate in worthwhile endeavors, and that outstanding students, faculty and administrators should meet on a basis of mutual interest, understanding and helpfulness.
"I'm really excited about this organization," Stafford said. "There are lots of different majors involved."
Huslig said there were majors such as nursing, geology, computer science, and information networking and technology (INT) being inducted this weekend.
"I was amazed at the wide variety of majors that are going to be inducted," she said. "I'm really pumped and excited about this organization. I am a leadership major, and I work for the leadership office. I'm involved in LSA (Leadership Studies Association), and it's really exciting to have this organization."

New Press Release regarding Leadership Studies (April 4, 2003)

FHSU leads the way with leadership program

By Greg Tammen
McPherson sophomore

HAYS, KS -- Since expanding into a nationally recognized program that has created new career opportunities for students, the Department of Leadership Studies at Fort Hays State University has allowed the school to become one of the premier universities that offers a degree in leadership.
FHSU is currently the only school in Kansas and one of the few schools in the nation to offer a comprehensive degree in leadership.
Curt Brungardt, chair of the Department of Leadership Studies, said that there are only about a dozen schools in the nation that offer a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership.
"Over 600 universities have either concentrations, minors or at least a few courses in leadership; so that's not uncommon," Brungardt said. "What is uncommon is the full emphasis that we place on it here."
When the program first began at FHSU in the fall of 1993, only eight students emphasized the field in their courses of study. Today, the department has 92 majors, 100 graduate students, four faculty members and more than 500 students enrolled in leadership courses.
"I credit our success to a number of things," Brungardt said. "We have highly energetic faculty -- students are really attracted to that."
Another reason is hands-on learning. "Students not only learn in the classroom and learn through books, but we also require them to go out into the community and tackle real problems, real organizational issues and real community issues," he said. "They learn by doing."
The students' community assistance has included helping to plan activities for Main Street in Ellis, helping in the Hays Downtown Development Project and Chestnut Street Project, assisting in various marketing efforts and in the annual Spring Block Party, and developing plans for Hays' municipal pool and the Fox Theatre. Leadership students also created a Web site for the Chestnut Street District.
The group is also active in the national program Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
"The program aims to equip students with skills in communication, teamwork, organizational change and supervisory skills, among many others," said Jill Stafford, instructor of leadership studies. "These are skills that anyone in any career, committee or organization will need to be effective in."
"I truly believe that this program will not only hone those skills," she said, "but also develop the students both personally and professionally."
To provide students with a premier leadership education focusing on those skills, the Department of Leadership Studies has expanded the program into the Hays community and the state.
Kansas Youth Leadership Camp, or KYLC, is a camp offered by FHSU to high school students. It promotes a positive and healthy lifestyle and helps to foster leadership skills by including leadership training sessions, motivational speakers and a community service project.
The first camp was held in June 2002 and proved to be a huge success with more than 130 campers in attendance. This year, a June camp will also be offered to middle school students for the first time.
Along with providing training to various community groups wishing to strengthen their leadership skills, the center's service-learning program, which is still experimental, will create structured opportunities in the community for students. The program will be promoted to faculty and students on campus and statewide.
"Service-learning provides thoughtfully organized experiences that integrate students' academic learning with service that meets actual community needs," said Christie Brungardt, instructor of leadership studies.
"As such," she said, "it blends service and learning in ways that serve to reinforce and enrich one-another. The overall goal of the new FHSU Service-Learning Committee is to strengthen our community as well as our students' learning experiences."
FHSU has received national recognition for its advances in leadership studies. In 2000, the leadership studies program was named the Outstanding Leadership Program by the National Association of Leadership Educators. The program is also listed in The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development, published by the Templeton Foundation, which profiles 405 exemplary college programs in 10 categories that inspire students to lead ethical and civic-minded lives.
"Ten years ago, the FHSU administration and faculty had the foresight to see that leadership studies was becoming one of the fastest growing disciplines in higher education," said Christie Brungardt. "Not only did they see it, they acted on it and successfully made it happen here at FHSU."
"We are teaching students that leadership is not just about being the boss or at the top of the hierarchy," she said. "It's about taking responsibility and making things better. We stress the moral responsibility to see leadership as a service to society. We de-emphasize the need to be the dictator of the organization and emphasize the importance of collaborative leadership -- the importance of empowering people to get the job done through inspiration and motivation rather than force and control."
"Students are taught to make a difference through civic engagement in this program," said Stafford. "Communities, universities and organizations across the United States will be impacted by students that graduate from this program at FHSU."
"I am so thrilled to be a part of the leadership department and the College of Business and Leadership here at FHSU," Stafford continued. "I truly feel that we are preparing students for fulfilling lives through their studies here."
Omicron Delta Kappa, the new leadership society, is comprised of students and faculty members who wish to improve the general welfare of the student body.
The organization recognizes students' success in athletics, campus or community service, social and religious activities, campus government, journalism, speech, mass media and creative and performing arts.
In order to qualify for membership, students must demonstrate responsible leadership and service in campus or community life and also must display the principles of leadership, which include an exemplary character and a democratic position on issues and situations.
"I was involved in private business for 15 years prior to teaching at the university," said Christie Brungardt. "I had also been very involved in the community throughout that time. From those experiences, I learned what I thought leadership meant. When I started learning about the academic discipline of leadership, I knew I still had much to learn about true leadership.
"I am currently a student in a doctoral program from the University of Nebraska in leadership studies," she said. "I intend to study this discipline for the rest of my life."
"So much discussion in society is about leadership," said Curt Brungardt. "If you want to be successful, it is critical to have leadership training.
"Students recognize the value of leadership on a transcript," he said. "They recognize a rare opportunity at FHSU; they see those are rare advantages.
"I know of no situation where having leadership on your transcript is a negative thing."