Leadership Studies
Beginning in Spring 2006, Harding University's Honors College began offering an interdisciplinary leadership studies minor.
Honors students who opt for the minor may draw on courses from most of Harding's other colleges to harmonize their leadership studies with other academic interests. The course choices offered for the minor are intended to provide a strong, broad foundation for outstanding University students who want to develop a servant-leadership lifestyle.
"I don't believe that there is any one academic discipline with a corner on truth or truth seeking," says Dr. Jeffrey T. Hopper, dean of the Honors College. "The leadership studies minor is all about integrating various areas of study. It makes sense that one might best study a complex subject such as leadership through multiple approaches developed through psychology, religion, communication, medicine and management."
Students who wish to minor in leadership studies may come from any academic major, but must be members of the Honors College. One of the required core classes, HNRS 204, is designed for Honors Scholars, who qualify by being named National Merit Finalists, receiving a Trustee Scholarship, or being selected from the pool of applicants scoring 31 or higher on the ACT (1330 or higher on the SAT). As a result, placement is competitive even within the college.
"I expect this program to benefit our students in a couple of significant ways," Hopper says. "First, they must learn to personally synthesize ideas and information that comes to them from various perspectives. Second, Harding is uniquely qualified to study leadership from the perspective of Christian service - we believe that this is the only way to lead - and this perspective permeates the institution as a whole.
"Many of our strongest students are quite interested in leadership studies, and I expect several of our current students to jump right in," Hopper adds.
By offering the leadership studies minor, Harding joins Ivy League schools and other prestigious colleges with similar programs.
"What makes this program unique is Harding University," Hopper says. "The staff, faculty and student body all recognize that we are here on this earth to be leaders in service. All the elements for this program were already in place; it was just time to bring all those elements into focus. We therefore benefit from a unique and extant culture of 'service through leadership.'"
Course Catalog Listing for the Leadership Studies Minor
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