Academics Engaged Scholarship Experience Matters Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Student Programs

Category: Academics

LEAD 212 seeking Class Leaders for fall 2024

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Staley School of Leadership

The Staley School of Leadership is seeking applicants to serve as LEAD 212 Class Leaders during the fall 2024 semester. LEAD 212 Class Leaders are students who help teach LEAD 212: Introduction to Leadership Concepts. This peer leader role is an excellent opportunity to enhance facilitation skills.

LEAD 212 Class Leaders are asked to:

Facilitate small group discussions
Lead active-learning exercises
Create a learning community with their students
Perform administrative functions (such as grading, attendance, etc).

These students serve as a bridge between students and instructors – they are motivated to help students learn the academic discipline of leadership and connect to the K-State campus community. LEAD 212 Class Leaders will work six to nine hours per week at $12 per hour during the semester.

Applications are due by Friday, Feb. 16. Please review this application packet and submit your application through the online form.

After submitting an application, applicants will be asked to RSVP to attend one of our interview dates:

5-6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20
3:30-4:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22
3:30-4:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23

Class Leaders have a rich history at K-State of impacting students’ well-being by creating a community of belonging, supporting students during their transition to college, and opening their eyes to the benefits of applied learning experiences through projects within the community.

For questions email Mike Finnegan at mikefinn@ksu.edu.

Creating and deepening relationships for service-learning

Posted on January 22, 2024January 23, 2024 by Staley School of Leadership

As Kansas State University puts forward its strategic plan with emphasis on applied learning, how can our faculty prepare to engage with community and create stronger, efficient, mutually-beneficial relationships that enhance the student experience and fulfill a community need? One way is through service-learning.

In spring 2023, the Staley School of Leadership welcomed Lori Kniffin, former K-State instructor, to campus for a guest lecture on engaged learning experiences. Here, Kniffin introduces a strategy for examining and strengthening relationships with partners.

This is the fourth blog in a series about service-learning, its origins, and how to incorporate service-learning into classrooms and programs. Read more posts from this series: What is service-learning?

Creating and deepening relationships for service-learning

In a previous blog in this series, Advancing our work through democratic engagement, an important distinction is made between technocratic and democratic engagement—democratic being more aspirational. Democratic engagement entails a multi-directional flow of knowledge, sharing of power, and asset-based thinking. To move toward this type of engagement, it’s helpful to consider the relationships at the core of that interaction.

Service-learning relationship participants and forms

Relationships among community and campus members are a key aspect of service-learning. The SOFAR Model summarizes the categories of people involved in service-learning relationships. From the campus, Students, Faculty, and Administrators can be involved and from community, community Organization representatives and community Residents can be involved (Bringle et al., 2009).

These relationships can take different forms: Continue reading “Creating and deepening relationships for service-learning” →

First-year students serve community, expand learning

Posted on January 12, 2024January 16, 2024 by Staley School of Leadership

Chance Lee, Ph.D., CNP, oversees the nonprofit leadership certificate programs at the Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University. One course he teaches, LEAD 195: Leadership and Service, is part of a three-course series for first-year students called a CAT (Connecting Across Topics) Community. CAT Communities are discipline-specific and across the three courses required for each one, first-year students have opportunities to work closely with instructors, mentors, and build their personal network – all a great start to their first year in college.

Lee wrote the following reflection about the work in his fall 2023 Leadership and Service CAT Community.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Over the course of the fall 2023 semester, first-semester students in the Leadership and Service CAT Community found themselves through experiencing a wide variety of service opportunities. Through these service learning efforts, our goal was to make an impact on the local community, but also learn and understand the systems around us so we can be better, more informed, citizens.

Students in the course experienced service learning through highly-organized projects, led by local nonprofit organizations as well as random acts of service that required no pre-planning or support from local organizations. Continue reading “First-year students serve community, expand learning” →

Leadership Communication celebrates doctoral graduate

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Staley School of Leadership

The Leadership Communication doctoral program at Kansas State University proudly announces its fall 2023 graduate. Lindsey Dreiling, Ph.D., completed her doctorate in leadership communication, an interdisciplinary program with faculty from the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education, the Department of Communication Studies, the College of Education, the Staley School of Leadership and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.

Lindsey Dreiling earned two B.S. degrees in professional pilot and technology management and a M.S. in counseling and student development. Continue reading “Leadership Communication celebrates doctoral graduate” →

Service-learning professional organizations and journals

Posted on November 28, 2023December 4, 2023 by Staley School of Leadership

In spring 2023, the Staley School of Leadership welcomed Lori Kniffin, former K-State instructor, to campus for a guest lecture on engaged learning experiences. Here, we asked Lori to reflect on her personal experiences a little more in depth, and share more examples of service-learning.

This is the third blog in a series about service-learning, its origins, and how to incorporate service-learning into classrooms and programs. Read more posts from this series: What is service-learning?

Service-learning professional organizations and journals

Service-learning and civic engagement (SLCE) formed as a movement in American higher education starting in the 1980s. For a quick synopsis of how the movement evolved, see Chapter 3: A Brief History of a Movement in Post et al., 2016. Significant developments included the establishment of key associations and journals focused primarily on SLCE. In this blog, I highlight five associations (two of which K-State is a member institution) and five journals (all open-access). It is likely that even if you do SLCE work as a faculty member, administrator, student, or community member, you have another primary field of study and practice. These associations and journals provide a dedicated space to learn, collaborate, and share about SLCE practice and research and embrace interdisciplinary perspectives. These lists of associations and journals are not exhaustive, but they are a great place to start connecting. Continue reading “Service-learning professional organizations and journals” →

Cultivating Leadership for a Thriving Future: Staley School scholars present at international conference

Posted on November 3, 2023November 3, 2023 by Staley School of Leadership

Kansas State University faculty and doctoral students participated in the 25th annual International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference. The conference took place online Oct. 3-4, 2023, and in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Oct. 12-15.

The ILA is the largest worldwide professional community committed to leadership scholarship, practice, development, and education. Their mission is to advance leadership knowledge and practice for a better world.

The conference theme, Cultivating Leadership for a Thriving Future, speaks to the essential role leadership educators, practitioners, and researchers play in convening and holding space, fostering rich and open dialogue, and creating opportunities for mutual learning and appreciation of different perspectives and ways of being. Through this kind of leadership, we can build a future based on hope, mutual respect and the common good.

Staley School scholars participated in both the in-person and online sections of the conference. Their scholarship reflects the Staley School of Leadership’s research priorities: advancing leadership learning and development, building civic capacity, and leading change.

“The scholarship presented by K-State students and faculty reflect the kind of collaboration and innovation needed to advance leadership education in higher education and public leadership research and practice,” said Trisha Gott, Ed.D., assistant professor and associate dean of the Staley School of Leadership.

Following is a list of the presentations and their contributors: Continue reading “Cultivating Leadership for a Thriving Future: Staley School scholars present at international conference” →

McNair Scholars application deadline extended

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Staley School of Leadership

The McNair Scholars Program is now accepting applications for its 29^th cohort.

Students in any major are welcome to apply. The objective of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is to guide eligible students through the process of applying to graduate school and to prepare them for attaining doctoral degrees. Eligible students must be first-generation college students and income-eligible, or from an underrepresented ethnic group in graduate study.

The McNair Scholars Program has been an important part of the undergraduate experience at Kansas State University since 1995 and is a federally funded TRIO program designed to honor the legacy of astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair. In addition to preparing participants for success as graduate students, professors, and professional researchers, the McNair Program opportunities include

a paid summer research internship
preparation for the GRE exam
mentoring by McNair staff and K-State faculty
assistance with applications for graduate school

This year, priority consideration will be given to applications received by October 18, 2023. Applications received after that date will be considered as openings remain. Application requirements include

a completed application form
an essay sharing your story, goals, and interest in graduate study
copies of transcripts of all college courses taken (unofficial are fine)
two faculty references

Additional information about the program, activities of past participants, and application forms can be found at our website. Submit your application through Canvas. Please request access before starting your application. Faculty references may be submitted by the faculty member via email to mcnair@ksu.edu or delivered to 007 Holton Hall.

If you think you might be interested in graduate school or the program, you are welcome to call, email, or meet with our staff and discuss educational possibilities. Email mcnair@ksu.edu or call 785-532-6137 to connect with staff and arrange a meeting.

Advancing our work through democratic engagement

Posted on October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 by Staley School of Leadership

In spring 2023, the Staley School of Leadership welcomed Lori Kniffin, former K-State instructor, to campus for a guest lecture on engaged learning experiences.

In the second installment of this blog series, Kniffin reflects on the recently released K-State strategic plan and what democratic engaged-learning experiences. Read more posts from this series: What is service-learning?

Have you ever been part of something bigger than yourself? If you have, you know that experience can create purpose, energy, and collaboration. If you haven’t, you can have that opportunity now! On Sept. 8, 2023, a new strategic plan for K-State was announced—you can watch the Launching the Next-Gen K-State: 2023 State of the University video if you missed it live. In this address, Marshall Stewart, K-State senior vice president and chief of staff, alongside President Linton, shared a compelling vision for a Next-Gen K-State.

The strategic plan was created through a process that included voices from a variety of roles and perspectives: learners, faculty, staff, administrators, community members, donors, alumni and more. Each of those groups were also invited to participate in making this plan a reality, and there are a variety of ways to engage. The plan invites everyone to be part of something bigger than themselves: a next-generation land-grant institution focused on making progress on the complex challenges of Kansas, the nation, and the world. Continue reading “Advancing our work through democratic engagement” →

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Category: Academics

LEAD 212 seeking Class Leaders for fall 2024

Creating and deepening relationships for service-learning

First-year students serve community, expand learning

Leadership Communication celebrates doctoral graduate

Service-learning professional organizations and journals

Cultivating Leadership for a Thriving Future: Staley School scholars present at international conference

McNair Scholars application deadline extended

Advancing our work through democratic engagement

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