THE LOOP 2016 Newsletter | Edition 1
DIRECTOR’S NOTE You may have noticed that in our mission statement — Developing knowledgeable, ethical, caring, and inclusive leaders for a diverse and changing world — we refer to developing leaders. Though we focus our efforts on developing leadership among current K-State students, our mission is not necessarily limited to our campus or our students. This year, we’ll be expanding our work to include more leaders in more communities — both across the country and around the world. As you’ll read about in this edition of The Loop and in future communications from the Staley School, we’re growing our alumni network in several areas and offering continued leadership development to our graduates near and far. Our alumni come from a diverse array of academic disciplines, and they are engaged in making change within their workplaces and communities across all sectors and in many different fields. Continued connection to the Staley School brings tremendous value for our graduates, who can stay engaged with one another and with our faculty along their personal leadership journeys, but it also brings value to our students through opportunities to connect with and learn from the members of our growing alumni network. Between these efforts and other new programs being rolled out this year, we’re focused on developing civic leaders to exercise leadership and make change wherever they may be. The leaders we develop through our coursework and our civic engagement and service-learning programs are the direct contribution we make to the future of the communities they shape and the world we create together. Our students and faculty have been hard at work exercising leadership and helping shape — and lead — the discipline of leadership studies. With help from our network of K-State alumni and our partners local and global, the Staley School will continue to lead change, engage students with community, think globally, and foster innovative learning along the path toward our visionary goal of becoming a national center for civic leadership. Onward together, Many of the activities and events you’ll read about in this edition of The Loop are supported through generous contributions to the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign for K-State. For more information about how you can support the Staley School, visit www.found.ksu.edu/leadership.
Mary
CONTENTS 4
Alumni & Friends
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Alumni Spotlight/Kansas City Involvement
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Food Engagement Symposium/Faculty Farewell
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Faculty-led Study Abroad/Shaping the Discipline
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Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows
Calling all Staley School of Leaderhip Studies
ALUMNI & FRIENDS Are you interested in furthering your own leadership development? Here at the Staley School of Leadership Studies, we are committed to continuing education for our alumni. Through our partnership with the Kansas Leadership Center, we are excited provide alumni with a unique opportunity to continue their leadership development and grow their capacity to address complex challenges in their workplaces and communities. The Staley School of Leadership Studies has been a close friend to the Kansas Leadership Center, based in Wichita, for many years. We are excited to announce a new opportunity for Staley School alumni and friends to engage in leadership after graduation. Your Leadership Edge: The KLC Experience is an online program that allows people anywhere to access KLC resources that will help them make progress on the challenges they face. Your Leadership Edge, or YLE, is specifically designed for selfpaced leadership development. The program allows people, including Staley School alumni, to practice leadership that can benefit both their personal and professional lives. It offers live video chats, coaching tips, short video lessons and other interactive content including online access to The Journal, the quarterly KLC magazine. The online experience also leads to a certificate based on 25 hours of engagement via video chats. Using researchbased practices of adaptive leadership, YLE expands on the approaches of the Staley School. Leadership is taught from the same core values that the Staley School uses in its classes and programs. Staley School alumni and friends can sign up for a 12-month subscription at a discounted rate of only $150 — $50 off the regular price — at yourleadershipedge.com. Lucas Shivers, leadership studies graduate and Wildcats Leadership for Life member, uses YLE with several teams. He serves as director of elementary education for USD 383 and supports professional learning for more than 300 teachers. “To start off the school year, KLC provided a keynote to all K-6 grade teachers on diagnosing situations and intervening skillfully, practices our educators use on a daily basis,” Shivers said. “As a follow-up this year, our curriculum council teams start their monthly meetings with a discussion from the YLE materials.” Some topics his teams have covered include choosing among competing values and clarifying purpose.
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“The YLE tools advance and engage our teams in creative ways,” Shivers said. “From short videos to text-based articles to cartoons, the dynamic materials allow for us all to have a common case study or new idea to apply to our situations in education and advance our action plans.” Lori Kniffin, leadership studies graduate and faculty member at the Staley School, said of her experience with YLE: “The video chats provide a rich opportunity to connect with other people who are also addressing leadership challenges. It is a great way to get fresh perspectives on your work and to collaborate to advance important issues. I have enjoyed the short video lessons because they refresh me on these important concepts in a quick and effective way. ” To register for Your Leadership Edge, email yle@kansasleadershipcenter.org and tell them you heard about YLE from the Staley School of Leadership Studies! Want more information about this program? Contact Tamara Bauer, Staley School of Leadership Studies, at tamara@k-state. edu or 785-532-6085. Bauer coordinates Wildcats Leadership for Life and is also an active member of the YLE training.
From the Kansas Leadership Center At the Kansas Leadership Center, we believe people who are equipped to lead more effectively have the ability to greatly impact culture. When it comes to leadership, many think you must first be authorized to act. We believe leadership doesn’t require a permission slip. Our trainings help people gain clarity of purpose, practice leadership behaviors and leave with a plan. We know the challenges facing your communities and organizations feel daunting. Our leadership framework helps people move forward.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Joe Vossen Jon Vossen graduated in 2008 with a degree in political science. He is currently an attorney for United Educators, an insurance and risk management company serving colleges and universities. While at K-State, Vossen served on a community service team that traveled to Mexico. Sadly, his trip was cut short due to illness, but that did not ruin the experience. “The selfless actions of my fellow K-State travelers taught me about the importance of friendship and helping others in need,” Vossen said. Eleven years later, Vossen still feels a great responsibility to give back. “As K-Staters, we have skills and talents that many people may not,” Vossen said. “No matter where you work or what you do, all of us can find ways to serve our communities and help others.”
On Nov. 12, 2015, the Staley School of Leadership Studies hosted its first alumni and friends event in Washington, D.C. Alumni had the opportunity to network, enjoy refreshments and catch up with former classmates. This event was a great opportunity for outstanding K-State alumni to connect back to the Staley School. Pictured above are Joe Vossen and Morgan Fisher, featured in the Alumni Spotlight, and Staley School Director, Mary Tolar, Ed.D., at the event.
Morgan Fisher Morgan Fisher graduated in 2004 with a degree in human resource management. She is currently the associate director of graduate admissions for the School of Policy, Government and International Affairs at George Mason University. Fisher attended a leadership retreat in 2003, at the time called Leader Shape, where students discussed the importance of diversity in terms of thoughts and ideas. “I greatly appreciated this experience because it provided a forum to listen to each other, share ideas and gain an appreciation for the work we all did as student leaders at K-State,” Fisher said. Serving in a leadership role today, she finds that what she learned from her retreat is still applicable. “The environment in enrollment management is ever-changing and very challenging; a critical part is the creation of new ideas and initiatives,” Fisher said. “I want to foster an office space where each person feels respected and comfortable to share new ideas.”
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Save the date for Spirit of Leadership 2016! Our annual alumni and friends gathering will be held Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. Join us in the Leadership Studies Building at 6:30 p.m. for a social with hors d’oeuvres and drinks from Coco Bolo’s. Program at 7:30 p.m. and social to follow. Continue the celebration at our K-State Gameday Tailgate at Cat Town! Join us for a tailgate at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 before the 1 p.m. kickoff against Florida Atlantic. Visit our website or watch your email inbox for more details on discounted group tickets and room reservations. To RSVP for Spirit of Leadership, visit k-state.edu/leadership/ events/spiritofleadership or contact Charla Henry at 785-5327093.
KANSAS CITY INVOLVEMENT The Staley School of Leadership Studies has recently taken steps to expand its involvement beyond the Manhattan and K-State community by focusing on engagement with the Kansas City area. The Staley School has hosted several alumni events in the Kansas City area, and another event is in the works for fall 2016. However, connecting with alumni is not all that the school has done to be involved with the Kansas City community. Here are a few ways we’ve been building K.C. connections:
impoverished men, women and children in Kansas City. The mission of Hope Faith Ministries is to equip and empower the homeless and less fortunate to be self-sufficient and independent. Are you in the Kansas City area? If you are and you’re interested in connecting with our Kansas City efforts, contact Trisha Gott, Staley School of Leadership Studies, at tcgott@ksu.edu.
Each fall, the Staley School Ambassadors meet with students from Olathe South High School’s Professional Careers Academy to discuss the importance of ethics and leadership. The Professional Careers Academy is a four-year program offered to students in grades 9-12 to engage in in-depth studies of ethics and the study of personal and professional ethical practices. The Staley School Ambassadors spend the day interacting with students and engaging in leadership dialogue. The Staley School is also involved in the professional development of current students through partnerships with Kansas City area nonprofit organizations. The Edgerley-Franklin Urban Leadership Scholarship and Developing Scholars Program seek to shape the next generation of American urban leaders, and approximately five students receive this award annually. The Edgerley-Franklin Scholars have worked closely with the Staley School to study urban development and work with various nonprofits in Kansas City. Additionally, in October 2015, students enrolled in the Nonprofit Internship class had the opportunity to participate in a shadow day sponsored by Nonprofit Connect. Each year, an anonymous donor supports the Amy Button Renz Nonprofit Professional Development Sponsorship, which allowed these students to participate in this incredible event. Sixteen students were able to make the trip to Kansas City in the fall to visit several nonprofit organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Public Television, Operation Breakthrough, People to People International, Ronald McDonald House and Saint Luke’s Foundation. Spring break 2016 marked the fourth year that students traveled to Kansas City as a part of Alternative Breaks. The students spent their break working with Hope Faith Ministries Homeless Shelter. Hope Faith Ministries is a Christian ministry dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of homeless and
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FOOD ENGAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM As Kansas State University works with Provost April Mason to develop a strategic vision for K-State’s role in reducing food insecurity, the Staley School of Leadership Studies is contributing to this progress through classroom education and student engagement. The Food Security Engagement Symposium was just the beginning of a long journey in helping students, faculty, and the community fight hunger locally and globally.
worked with The Facing Project to compile food insecurity stories from the community, and this past semester, Lori Kniffin and her LEAD 405 class conducted a survey to get more insight as to how students see themselves receiving assistance in securing food. Outside of classes, HandsOn Kansas State helps through mobile food distributions to meet immediate needs in the K-State and Manhattan communities throughout the year.
The symposium, April 4, 2016, was part of a Week of Action focused on starting a conversation around food security. In 2014, Provost Mason signed the Presidents United to Solve Hunger Initiative, an agreement with the United Nations to develop a universitywide food security network using the many facets that a university has to contribute. The symposium brought together faculty, students and community partners to share what information has been gathered on the issue and to create a network to start this process.
As the university develops a shared vision for its long-term engagement, the Staley School will help by organizing ways to get students engaged in the issue.
The Staley School has been dedicated to food security through its programs and courses for nearly two decades. Staley School faculty members Chance Lee and Tamara Bauer presented these programs at the Food Security Engagement Symposium. Various sections of leadership studies courses, including LEAD 212: Introduction to Leadership Concepts, LEAD 405: Leadership in Practice and LEAD 420: Theories of Nonprofit Leadership, engage on the issue. Students in LEAD 212 coordinate canned food collection efforts as part of Cats for Cans. LEAD 420 students tailor their semester projects to engage this issue. LEAD 405 students
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During the Week of Action, a student-focused Community Conversation on Food Security took place based on the survey research collected in LEAD 405 and the momentum among existing and emerging student organizations. The focus was on laying out a vision for continued engagement and creating a structure that will involve more students and community stakeholders to both meet the immediate needs on our campus and shape how K-State engages the issue of food insecurity in the years to come. The Staley School is committed to convening these efforts and exercising leadership to facilitate this progress. The Week of Action on Food Security laid the foundation for more collaboration and engagement on a pressing a challenge here at Kansas State University, in the Manhattan community, across the state and country, and around the world.
FACULTY FAREWELL Lori Kniffin Lori Kniffin, advisor of academic programs, will leave the Staley School of Leadership Studies in August to pursue a new adventure in North Carolina. Lori was recently accepted into the University of North Carolina, Greensboro’s Cultural Foundations of Education Graduate Program where she will work toward her doctoral degree.
Kniffin said her favorite part about working for the Staley School has been the people. “My colleagues and the students I have met along the way are what make it hard to leave,” Kniffin said. “I will also miss the sense of community that Manhattan, K-State and the Staley School have provided me with, and finding that somewhere else will be a big transition.”
Kniffin has been involved with the Staley School since 2005, when she first arrived at K-State as an undergraduate student. As an undergrad, she was a Staley School ambassador and was a member of the student staff her junior and senior years. She graduated from K-State in 2009 with a degree in biology and a minor in leadership studies. She was hired in 2010 as a building manager and served the school in that role until she was named advisor of academic programs in fall 2012.
Though we will miss her at the Staley School, we are excited for her and we know she has a very bright future ahead. Congratulations, Lori!
In addition to working for the Staley School, Kniffin completed her master’s degree in college student development in December 2014. During Kniffin’s time at the Staley School, she has served as the advisor for the Staley School Ambassadors. She says it’s been incredible to see the students carry out the traditions of excellence of the Staley School and continue to better the organization each year. Staley School ambassador and graduating senior Sydney Webb, said, “Lori has impacted my life in so many amazing ways. When I was quiet and knew few people in the ambassadors program, she was the person who sought out conversation, wanted to get to know me on a personal level, and ultimately kept me engaged. As I stepped into leadership roles, she helped me to reflect and pushed me to be a better leader. Without the time and faith Lori invested in me, I wouldn’t be the leader I am today.” Kniffin has also played a key role in addressing the issue of food insecurity in the Manhattan community and nationwide. She is an advisor for K-State’s chapter of the Food Recovery Network, which is the largest student movement against food waste and hunger in the country. Kniffin has also worked closely with the Facing Project at K-State. The project’s goal is to promote awareness of hunger in the Manhattan area on the K-State campus through the use of social media, campus communications and other outlets, with an overall goal of making positive change by connecting to the Manhattan community though service, donations and partnerships.
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FACULTY-LED STUDY ABROAD Leigh Fine Leigh Fine, Ph.D., traveled with 12 first- year students on a trip through Canada this May as part of his course LEAD 350: Culture and Context in Leadership. Matt Yates, Ph.D., assistant director of K-State Study Abroad, and Eden Randolph, senior in political science and teaching assistant for LEAD 350, accompanied Leigh in leading the trip. “During the semester, I teach a course on inclusion, but I can honestly say that this experience of teaching LEAD 350 in Canada helped me personally get closer to the meaning and purpose of the word inclusion,” said Fine. The trip had three stops, each with a different focus. It began in Quebec City, where French is the primary language. Students learned about aspects of privilege and social construction that exist around language in a bilingual country. While they were able to communicate in English, many experienced the stigma of speaking English in the more French-speaking areas of the country. The tour continued in Montreal where students learned about different subcultures. Notable stops included China Town, the Gay Village and Notre Dame Cathedral. Powerful learning took place in the discussions around socio-economic class and minority status that came as a result of their time in Montreal. The final stop was Ottawa, where the students learned about First Nations people and held discussion after a visit to the Canada War Museum. The lesson focused on social change and the importance of inclusion as an active process. “One of my biggest takeaways was watching the dynamic of the group change from city-to-city. French is prevalent in Quebec and Ottawa, but in those cities, we were mainly in the areas around the tourist attractions. In Montreal, we were in the heart of the city and part of the urban life, along with others who live and work there, so we saw much more poverty and homelessness — which made many of the students uncomfortable, but I think that’s where the most learning came from. It was interesting to watch them navigate and respond to the challenges within each unique community,” said Eden Randolph, student on trip. Upon the conclusion of the trip, the tour group had an oncampus reflection. At the reflection, students debriefed their experience and shared key areas of learning around course content. “I think one of the best parts about the Canada trip was the opportunity to not only study culture, but also experience it and be immersed in it throughout the learning,” said Timmy Roberts, student on trip.
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This program was designed to give students an opportunity to observe and experience diversity across cultural boundaries. The trip and location were intentionally selected and designed to increase student access to travel and learning abroad through a cost-effective approach. In addition, scholarship support for students on this trip was provided through the Office of International Programs and the Staley School of Leadership Studies. To learn about how you can support student opportunities like this one, visit www.found.ksu.edu/leadership/give-online.html.
SHAPING THE DISCIPLINE The Staley School of Leadership Studies is making a large impact on the academic discipline of leadership studies, especially in the area of civic leadership. Faculty members Kerry Priest, Ph.D., and Brandon W. Kliewer, Ph.D., have been selected as guest editors for the eJournal of Public Affairs’ Special Issue on Civic Leadership for Social Justice. This issue will focus on the intersection of public affairs, civic leadership and education for social justice. The opportunity emerged out of the work done by Kliewer and Priest in the area of civic leadership development and education. Over the past few years, they have been working to define civic leadership within the context of higher education and community engagement for social change.
The eJournal of Public Affairs is a peer-reviewed electronic journal published by Missouri State University in partnership with the American Democracy Project. “It has been an honor working with Dr. Priest on the eJournal of Public Affairs special issue,” Kliewer said. “This is an opportunity for us to share the work that the Staley School does around civic leadership activity with the rest of the field of leadership education.”
Priest and Kliewer are currently soliciting and selecting articles that will go in the special issue. As editors, they will have the opportunity to publish a piece in the journal. Both Priest and Kliewer were selected based on their past work on civic leadership education and development. The two have worked together to provide a book chapter on creating conditions for political engagement through community-engaged scholarship and civic leadership, and they are currently in the process of publishing research on boundary-spanning leadership through community dialogues. “We both have an interest in leadership to make the world a better place, specifically in relation to issues of social justice,” Priest said. Social justice has been an on-going focus for both the Staley School and the K-State College of Education. "As we were exploring potential places where we could share ideas around this topic, we had the opportunity to work with this journal and be curators of scholarship in this area,” said Priest. In addition, the Staley School has been accepted to do a special symposium for the Journal of Leadership Studies next year. Faculty members are currently working on how community engagement and community scholarship can advance the field of leadership studies and leadership education. As the Staley School explores the ways leaders are developed, the skills required, and the focus of leadership, it is clear that engagement with community can make a large impact. The partnership between Priest and Kliewer has advanced this work significantly in recent years. “We believe that community engagement is a pedagogy of practice, which means it is a process by which we exercise leadership while learning leadership,” Priest said.
Fostering Innovative Teaching and Learning Brandon Kliewer, Ph.D, and Kerry Priest, Ph.D, are two of the innovative and inspirational faculty members at the Staley School who are working to develop tomorrow's civic leaders and advance the discipline of leadership studies. To continue this progress requires a commitment to faculty development that fosters innovative teaching and learning. Learn more about how you can help the Staley School remain on the cutting edge of this timely and critical work at www.found.ksu.edu/leadership/give-online.html.
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SNYDER FELLOWS Bill Snyder, the College Football Hall of Fame coach of the Wildcats, has brought many of us some of our greatest K-State memories. But beyond the bowl berths, the many exciting wins, and even the greatest turnaround in college football history, Snyder’s legacy goes much further than football. In addition to reshaping the team’s approach and reinvigorating an entire community of fans, Snyder will be remembered as a teacher and developer of leaders — both on and off the field. The Staley School, in partnership with K-State Athletics, teamed up in 2015 to begin offering a yearlong leadership development program rooted in Snyder’s 16 Goals for Success. This unique program brings together up to 40 outstanding K-State seniors who will serve as high impact leaders on campus, in their communities and beyond. In May 2015, members of the inaugural class of the Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows began their journey in the program. As the academic year comes to an end, we reflect on the events and lessons this class of fellows experienced. The Snyder Fellows first convened on May 27, 2015, for a two-day intensive retreat. This event marked the first opportunity for the class to meet and begin building community through team-building exercises and leadership dialogue. The Snyder Fellows had the opportunity to learn more about Snyder’s leadership legacy and to hear from previous K-State football players and supporters of the program. Students also spent a significant amount of time engaging in dialogue with the coach.
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“I truly feel as though this was an experience that has helped to fuel my senior year,” said fellow Kylie Fairman. “I was able to take the time to reflect on my own goals and position myself to enter my senior year in an authentic and purposeful way.” The Snyder Fellows reconvened on Sept. 18, 2015 — along with the Staley School’s 2015 Leader in Residence, Kevin Lockett — to discuss civic engagement and engage in professional development activities. Mindy Weixelman of the Kansas State University Foundation also joined the Snyder Fellows to discuss the power of networking. That evening, the fellows were recognized at the Spirit of Leadership, the Staley School’s signature alumni and friends event. The following day, the students attended the K-State football game against Louisiana Tech. They met for food and games at a tailgate event with their families, supporters of the program, and faculty and staff of the Staley School of Leadership Studies. The students watched the game from the Ahearn Fund Student-Athlete Performance Table and were recognized in the second quarter of the game for their participation in the Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows program. Outside of these events, each fellow met throughout the year with a coach who challenged and supported the fellow in finding his or her voice and achieving his or her personal development goals. The coaches included Marcia Hornung, Mike Finnegan, Tamara Bauer, Trisha Gott, Chance Lee, Mary Kay Siefers, Andy Wefald and Theo Stavropoulos, all from the Staley School of Leadership Studies, as well as Kiley Moody from New Student Services and Amanda Lee from the K-State Alumni Association.
Students also engaged in a variety of service and professional development activities throughout the year. During the fall semester, the fellows volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Manhattan, leading activities centered on Snyder’s 16 Goals for Success. On Feb. 5, 2016, kids with the club and the fellows celebrated their time together with a tour of the Vanier Family Football Complex and football field. Following the tour, Snyder spoke with the group about responsibility as a leader and the importance of goal setting.
To learn more about how you can support the work of the Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows, visit: www.found.ksu. edu/leadership/give-online.html or contact Marcia Hornung at 785-532-0869 or hornung@ksu.edu. Keep in touch with all the latest updates from the 20162017 class of Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows on our Facebook Page: facebook.com/SnyderFellows.
“I believed myself to be a very open individual before this program, but Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows has just continued to be a constant reminder and demonstration that many ideas and experiences we overlook often end up being the most impactful,” said fellow Colby Haverkamp. Members of the 2016 Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows program were inducted in May 2016. Alumni from the 2015 class will remain connected to the program through a variety of activities and will also be given the opportunity to participate in the Kansas Leadership Center’s new professional leadership development program, Your Leadership Edge, for the next year.
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Staley School of Leadership Studies Kansas State University 1300 Mid-Campus Drive North Manhattan, KS 66506 (785) 532-6085 • leadership@k-state.edu @KStateSSLS kstatessls kstatessls Kansas State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, genetic information, military status, or veteran status, in the University's programs and activities as required by applicable laws and regulations. The person designated with responsibility for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning nondiscrimination policies is the University's Title IX Coordinator: the Director of the Office of Institutional Equity, equity@k-state.edu, 103 Edwards Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4801, 785-532-6220. The campus ADA Coordinator is the Director of Employee Relations, charlott@k-state.edu, who may be reached at 103 Edwards Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4801, 785-532-6277. Revised July 7, 2015.