By Candy McCorkle, Jackson College Assistant Dean of Honors Program Visit facultyconference.americanhonors.org

1. Learning to Lead
Leading to Learn: Honors
Leadership Course
Candy McCorkle, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Honors Program
Jackson College

2. Overview
• Introduction
• The Premise of FYS 250
• Defining Leadership
• Applying Principles of Leadership
• Finding and Owning Their Voice
• Putting Leadership into Action

3. What is Leadership?
• In groups of 3-4 create a definition of
leadership.
• Ubuntu:
"I am because you are," is the deep
meaning of Ubuntu, a traditional
African philosophy recognizing the
shared essence within humanity and
life.
Being a leader is not about having a
position of status within an
organization but instead about knowing
who you are in relation to others.
Understanding that there is a place for
each of us and our gifts.

4. Premise of FYS 250
• The course focused introducing leadership principles as means of
engaging students and improving learning outcomes
• Atypical First Year Seminar for honors students
• An opportunity to learn how they are connected to their
community (class, college, neighborhood, family, city, state,
country world)
• The course went beyond navigating college, study skills and using
resources
• Focus was on learning to invest in self and others.

5. Defining Leadership
• Readings form “Leadership
Development Studies: A
Humanities Approach, 4th Ed.,
by Phi Theta Kappa in 5 areas:
• 1- Leadership Philosophy
• 2 – Servant Leadership
• 3 – Team Building
• 4- Making Decisions
• 5- Empowering Others

6. The Application of Leadership in Class
• Developing personal vision and mission statements
• Creating classroom rules and roles
• Observing and analyzing leadership
• Remember the Titans
• Freedom Writers
• Identifying and applying the following to learning
• What kind of leader are you?
• What competencies of a leader do you have?
• What traits of a leader do you possess?
• How can you develop other traits?

7. Transformation of Students Level of
Engagement
Beginning of Semester Conclusion of Semester

8. Service Learning Projects
• Formulating Idea
• Researching feasibility of project
• Redesign
• Planning project
• Implementing Project
• Reflection
• “Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their
ability to empower others.” John Maxwell

9. Q & A