Department of Sociology and Social Work

Opportunities for Students

Student Activities

Students on the Fort Hays State University campus have a variety of organizations and activities available to them ranging from special interest clubs and departmental organizations to honorary societies, sororities and fraternities.

Students in the Social Work Program are eligible for memberships in Phi Alpha, the social work honorary society. Social Work students have a very active social work club open to pre-social work and social work majors. The Social Work Club sponsors a Christmas "hat and gloves" drive for children in Headstart; hosts educational programs; conducts fund raising activities; and sponsors and hosts the annual reception for graduating social work students.

Students majoring in sociology are eligible for memberships in Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociology honorary society.

The Sociology Club is open to sociology majors and non-major alike. The Club holds social events and academic seminars to provide those students with an interest in sociology to meet and socialize with other like-minded individuals. The Club also conducts fundraising activities, proceeds from which are used to allow students to attend the annual Midwest Sociological Society Meeting each Spring.

Student Scholarships

The Department has 15 Awards of Excellence that are given each fall to incoming freshman students who demonstrate interest and aptitude in sociology or social work. The Department also awards scholarships to the senior sociology student and the senior social work student who have the highest GPA. These scholarships have been made available through an endowment made to the Sociology and Social Work Department in 1997 as an ongoing yearly scholarship in memory of Mary Pancake Coffee. Book scholarships are awarded from the Lee Van Dorsten Memorial Book Scholarship funded by family and friends of the late Dr. Van Dorsten. Book scholarships are also awarded from the Rose M. Arnhold Scholarship fund endowed by Judy Pfannenstiel, a graduate of the program.

The Docking Institute of Public Affairs

The Docking Institute provides opportunities for students interested in survey research, focus group, research, strategic planning, community and economic development, etc...

Docking Institute Mission

The primary mission of Fort Hays State University’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs is to facilitate effective public policy decision making among governmental and non-profit entities. To that end, our main services include Survey and Focus Group Research, Economic Impact Analysis, Public Policy Analysis, and Strategic Planning.

History of the Docking Institute

The Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University began as the Fort Hays State University Institute of Public Affairs in 1980. In October 1989, the Kansas Board of Regents changed the name to the Docking Institute of Public Affairs, in honor of Kansas Governors George Docking and Robert B. Docking and Lieutenant Governor Tom Docking. Since its inception, the Docking Institute has been a leader in facilitating public policy development for western and rural Kansas. Today, a variety of programs and services targeted toward regional development and growth fulfill the mission of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs. This work carries on the tradition of public service started by the Docking family.