Dr. Robert Wyatt, the 16th president of Coker College, which was founded in 1908, will be officially inaugurated on Friday, March 26, 2010. The college has planned a week of activities to celebrate what we discuss as the community of learning that pervades the ethos of this college located in Hartsville, SC, in the northeast corner of the State.
When Dr. Wyatt began thinking about the inauguration he was focused on how the event could highlight all that is Coker. He hoped to make the inauguration just one of many highlights of a week that would draw attention to the achievements of students, staff and faculty. It appears that all is ready to achieve this vision.
It is a fact that some of the activities are getting in the way of regular classes. In my speech classes I am asking the students to take advantage of the week's activities to become more familiar with a variety of speaking goals that will be illustrated by a variety of speaking styles.
This week is, I think, a concrete example of epideictic discourse. We have a variety of ceremonies that will be part of the major ceremony, the Inauguration and the students should have no trouble analyzing some of the major elements that compose effective epideictic discourse.
Students in the public speaking courses have been given assignments and/or extra credit opportunities to pay particular attention to academic talks. These they will be able to do as students present results of their research projects (on Monday)or faculty members read papers, hold panels or demonstrations of some of their areas of expertise and interest (on Wednesday). The entire Coker College community has the opportunity on Thursday evening to hear Jessica Jackley,the co-founder of KIVA, a micro loan enterprise, discuss the real difference KIVA is making around the world. And, of course, there will be the inauguration speech by Dr. Wyatt that will be built around the theme of these inauguration events, "Redefining Ready."
We expect a great many visitors this week, and even the bosses of the college, The Coker Board of Trustees, who are having their regular meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, the Coker College Board of Visitors will also be on campus this week. There is a Performing Arts Showcase scheduled for Wednesday evening that will be packed with talented performers -- students and faculty.
For the students, this is a unique opportunity because when things are going smoothly and the Coker community is focused on its mission these presidential inauguration events are few and well spaced. Dr. Daniels was with Coker for 22 years, Dr. Dawson for seven years and we are hoping Dr. Wyatt is intent on a long-term Coker presidency.
Showing posts with label Leadership. Dr. Robert Wyatt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Dr. Robert Wyatt. Show all posts
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, August 3, 2009
Signs of a new Academic Year
The first clue was a couple of weeks ago when the Dean's letter arrived welcoming the faculty to begin thinking about being back on campus. Faculty week begins August 11.
Coaches Return Today
This morning Coach Baker (golf) was in the Midnight Rooster picking up some coffee and he told me this was his first official day back. Of course, like many of the other coaches, he has been on and off campus all summer. He is excited about this coming year because he did not lose any seniors and his team is ranked with strong possibilities of winning some big tournaments this Fall and Spring.
Discussion of one of largest first-year classes
The Coker Admissions staff has been working a lot of hours and there is talk that Coker may be welcoming one of the largest, if not the largest, first-year classes ever. That is good news for a campus that is tuition dependent.
New President has interesting week
And, last week Dr. Robert Wyatt, Coker's new president, completed his first month on campus with a meeting of many members of the Coker Board of Trustees, who engaged in the first step of the strategic planning process. There were interesting small-group idea-development exercises based on some key strategic questions Dr. Wyatt is asking. On Saturday, the Alumni office had a leadership session with several alumni, who also heard from the President about his thoughts on Coker. There appeared to be a good bit excitement generated from both of these events.
Students begin coming next week with August 15 set as Arrival Day
The Fall sport athletes will begin arriving on campus this coming Sunday and then their practices will begin pretty soon after that. International students are due in a couple of days later and then all first-year students are due on campus Saturday, August 15. Time does fly!
Coaches Return Today
This morning Coach Baker (golf) was in the Midnight Rooster picking up some coffee and he told me this was his first official day back. Of course, like many of the other coaches, he has been on and off campus all summer. He is excited about this coming year because he did not lose any seniors and his team is ranked with strong possibilities of winning some big tournaments this Fall and Spring.
Discussion of one of largest first-year classes
The Coker Admissions staff has been working a lot of hours and there is talk that Coker may be welcoming one of the largest, if not the largest, first-year classes ever. That is good news for a campus that is tuition dependent.
New President has interesting week
And, last week Dr. Robert Wyatt, Coker's new president, completed his first month on campus with a meeting of many members of the Coker Board of Trustees, who engaged in the first step of the strategic planning process. There were interesting small-group idea-development exercises based on some key strategic questions Dr. Wyatt is asking. On Saturday, the Alumni office had a leadership session with several alumni, who also heard from the President about his thoughts on Coker. There appeared to be a good bit excitement generated from both of these events.
Students begin coming next week with August 15 set as Arrival Day
The Fall sport athletes will begin arriving on campus this coming Sunday and then their practices will begin pretty soon after that. International students are due in a couple of days later and then all first-year students are due on campus Saturday, August 15. Time does fly!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Leadership is so basic to success
Thinking a good deal about Leadership this week as I worked my way through THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP, by John C. Maxwell. This book was a gift from the Coker College Communication Senior Seminar class and it much appreciated and I will get a great deal of use from this book. Maybe the first use is this posting.
In the Communication Senior Seminar I borrowed some of the thinking of Steven Covey as conveyed in THE EIGHT HABIT and talked with the students about thinking now of the legacy they want to leave with the world. Covey's Eighth Habit, "find your voice and help other people find their voice." is a great way of thinking about your impact on the world. As the senior communication majors got ready to graduate, I thought that was of the important pieces of information to try conveying in the closing weeks of their final semester. It turns out the 21st Law of Leadership is "The Law of Legacy." Just now, in a Facebook posting, I thanked the seniors for the book and passed along Maxwell's last piece of leadership advice from the book, "Learn to lead -- not just for yourself but for the people who follow you." (Maxwell, page 268)
Leadership has been a part of my life for just about as long as I can remember. I continue working on learning leadership. One of my not well formed philosophies is that as a professor in the classroom my role is very much leadership -- at least as much as it is professorship.
And, leadership is a topic on my mind because Dr. Dawson, our president for the past seven years, is retiring and Dr. Robert Wyatt will be coming to Coker for his first college presidency. He has been leading a vibrant business department at Drury University and he has been preparing for a college presidency for the past couple of years. During his on-campus visit prior to getting the offer, he exemplified some leadership qualities by tackling some tough questions head on. I think is forthright approach to the discussion is one of the things that made some of my faculty colleagues react positively to his candidacy.
In another blog -- about community building and community thinking -- I also approached the concept of leadership because one non-profit _ New Vision Community Development Corporation just had the sneak grand opening of new cafe they will be using to help generate funds for their many programs. The leaders of that organization showed strong patience and persistence in finally getting their kitchen ready. Patience is not one of my leadership skills.
In teaching communication at Coker my consistent mantra is that communication is leadership and leadership is communication. Maxwell, in his first paragraph of the concluding chapter of his 21 laws book, says, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." (Maxwell, p 267)
In the Communication Senior Seminar I borrowed some of the thinking of Steven Covey as conveyed in THE EIGHT HABIT and talked with the students about thinking now of the legacy they want to leave with the world. Covey's Eighth Habit, "find your voice and help other people find their voice." is a great way of thinking about your impact on the world. As the senior communication majors got ready to graduate, I thought that was of the important pieces of information to try conveying in the closing weeks of their final semester. It turns out the 21st Law of Leadership is "The Law of Legacy." Just now, in a Facebook posting, I thanked the seniors for the book and passed along Maxwell's last piece of leadership advice from the book, "Learn to lead -- not just for yourself but for the people who follow you." (Maxwell, page 268)
Leadership has been a part of my life for just about as long as I can remember. I continue working on learning leadership. One of my not well formed philosophies is that as a professor in the classroom my role is very much leadership -- at least as much as it is professorship.
And, leadership is a topic on my mind because Dr. Dawson, our president for the past seven years, is retiring and Dr. Robert Wyatt will be coming to Coker for his first college presidency. He has been leading a vibrant business department at Drury University and he has been preparing for a college presidency for the past couple of years. During his on-campus visit prior to getting the offer, he exemplified some leadership qualities by tackling some tough questions head on. I think is forthright approach to the discussion is one of the things that made some of my faculty colleagues react positively to his candidacy.
In another blog -- about community building and community thinking -- I also approached the concept of leadership because one non-profit _ New Vision Community Development Corporation just had the sneak grand opening of new cafe they will be using to help generate funds for their many programs. The leaders of that organization showed strong patience and persistence in finally getting their kitchen ready. Patience is not one of my leadership skills.
In teaching communication at Coker my consistent mantra is that communication is leadership and leadership is communication. Maxwell, in his first paragraph of the concluding chapter of his 21 laws book, says, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." (Maxwell, p 267)
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