ARTICLE FROM THE FALL 2005 RANGE RIDER

What do one-act plays, a playground, smoke detectors, rock climbing, and "The Apprentice" have in common? They are all parts of the HSU Leadership Studies Program.

This past year, under the direction of Dr. Coleman Patterson, students in the Leadership Studies Program have begun to study leadership principles and develop leadership skills through a wider range of courses and experiences. A core philosophy of the program is developing leadership, teamwork, and organizational skills through service learning. Students in the 21-hour academic minor take two required theory courses and a Christian Ethics for Leaders course. They choose an additional 12 hours from communication, critical thinking, history, workshops, and special topics courses.

The program now incorporates more special topics courses, more faculty from across campus, additional class choices for students, and uses a more multi-disciplinary approach to teaching leadership. Faculty from theology, theater, communication, history, business, philosophy, and sport and recreation management have contributed their expertise to the program over the past year. "Many different disciplines study leadership, management, and organization. The HSU leadership program is special because it recognizes and incorporates the contributions of many academic fields into its curriculum," said Patterson, director of the program.

Leadership courses are now open to all students whereas in the past only those who applied and were accepted into the program could sign up for the leadership courses. This will allow for a larger number of people to develop these important life skills and allow for a greater reach into the community. A limited number of scholarships will continue to be available.

Each semester, students in the Foundations of Leadership and Leadership Seminar classes perform service projects as part of their course requirements. Previous projects include: securing silent auction items for and helping with a March of Dimes fundraiser; raising funds, hosting grand opening activities and building a playground at the HSU Friendship House; working with the Abilene Fire Department to provide free smoke detectors to residents around campus; organizing a business fair at St. John's Episcopal School; organizing a fun run for the HSU Center for Community Renewal program; sponsoring a drug and alcohol awareness program in conjunction with Student Congress; organizing a tri-university community service day; and teaching children from after-school programs how a city works through a project at Abilene Police Department's Safety City.

Students in Melissa Green's Leadership in the Theater class directed and performed in one-act plays among classmates and put on an end-of-semester play for HSU students, faculty, staff and children from several local after-school programs.

Students were project leaders in the Creating Profit and Non-Profit Ventures course. Working in teams, students were assigned a new project every three weeks, which culminated in presentations to judges in the "Board Room." Proposing a campus-based, student run business; producing and selling HSU spirit items; planning and conducting a campus event; designing a website for a non-profit organization; and designing a Range Rider cover were the assigned topics.

Dr. Ron Rainwater's Sport and Recreation Management Seminar exposes leadership students to the unique tools and skills needed by leaders in the sport and recreation field through planning and hosting the annual Polk Key City Girl's Basketball Tournament on the HSU campus this semester.

Also this semester, students in the Outdoor Leadership course are heading outdoors on three weekend excursions. While rock climbing, doing ropes courses, hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, and rappelling, students will experience leadership and teamwork in action. Students are also responsible for buying food and preparing meals, leading leisure activities, cleaning, and directing worship.

The Spring 2005 semester will bring with it a Leadership in Film class. Drawing upon the case-based, classic film, leadership curriculum developed by the Hartwick College Humanities in Management Institute, students will perform in-depth analyses of the various leadership, teamwork, and organization principles portrayed in some of our culture's most popular and endearing films.

Future leadership courses include The Presidents, Leadership in the Bible, Financial Concepts for Organizational Leaders, and Leadership and Education.

For more information on the HSU Leadership Studies Program, please contact Dr. Coleman Patterson at 325-671-2172 or by e-mail at pattersn@hsutx.edu.