Student Opportunities
and Achievement
Fellows Pursue Diverse Internships
Five students and one graduate
received fellowships to support their 2007
internships in a variety of sectors, including nonprofit
work, scholarly research and politics/government.
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and
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Adrienne Bitton
Poses Winning
Quest Prize Question for 2007-08 Inquiry
The Richmond Quest is a campus-wide competition to
find a broad question that can be explored by all of the
University’s academic disciplines over the next two
years. Since its inception, Richmond Quest has inspired
and supported the creation of more than 70 new and
revised courses, more than 130 special events and more
than 100 independent student research projects. The
winner of the fifth Quest Competition was Jepson School
student Adrienne Bitton for her question "How is it
connected?" Bitton was awarded a $25,000 cash prize.
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Ronald Reagan: Up Close and
PersonalFaculty create special topics
classes around many subjects. In 2007, Edwin Meese,
attorney general under President Ronald Reagan, team
taught a class, “Ronald Reagan and the Rise of
Conservative Leadership” with Gary McDowell,
professor of leadership studies, political science
and law. The course offered a critical assessment of
Reagan’s role in the rise of contemporary
conservative leadership.
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Jepson at Cambridge
Summer Program
Meeting an international political leader, analyzing the leadership style of a worldwide corporation, and punting along the River Cam are not on the summer agenda for the average college student. But the students from the Jepson School of Leadership Studies can experience all of these things and more by spending five weeks of the summer studying at Emmanuel College at Cambridge.
The Jepson School program--open to all students of the university--is also in partnership with School of Law, which has held a summer program in England for more than 30 years. Students apply
in January for the summer program.
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Live-and-Learn Experience Immerses Freshman in
Jepson
The Jepson School of
Leadership Studies creates a close-knit learning
community through small classes, interactive
sessions and events and programs that bring faculty
and students together. In addition, for the 2006-07
academic year, nearly 40 freshmen men and women --
who are not yet eligible for admission to the
school---are participating in a residence hall-based
learning program tied to the Jepson curriculum and
designed to engage students in community activism
and service.
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Field Trips Amplify
Classroom Work
In order to expand their learning, Jepson Students
take field trips to historical sites, attend
leadership conferences and participated in ethical
debates and service trips. In response to the
devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Jepson students
created the Collegiate Disaster Relief Team, which
organizes spring break service trips to New Orleans or
Mississippi. It is part of Jepson’s philosophy that
experiential education helps students gain a deeper
understanding of the leadership theories they study in
the classroom and enriches their overall educational
experience.
Jepson Students Lead
the Way
The Jepson School's 13th graduating class numbered 60
-- 35 majors and 25 minors. Representing 7 percent of
the University’s graduating class of 807 students,
Jepson seniors accounted for some 9 percent of students
admitted into Phi Beta Kappa, 11 percent of students
admitted into Mortar Board and 12 percent of students
admitted into Omicron Delta Kappa. Many Jepson graduates
took on honors work, played leadership roles on campus
and received fellowships for research or to support
their internships. Graduates report next-step activities
including moves, travel, graduate school and jobs in
various fields. More
on the Class of 2007.
Survey Illustrates
Value of Jepson Education
The
study of leadership strongly contributes to skill sets
considered desirable by employers. So say Jepson alumni
whose impressions were released in a spring, 2004 study
of attitudes toward the Jepson experience. An
overwhelming number of graduates reported
that the study of leadership built team work and the
capacity to work well with others. Understanding of
communications and the ability to communicate well
verbally and in writing also were seen as critical to
employers and honed by Jepson (91 percent). And, 89
percent cited analytical and critical thinking skills. Critical thinking (94 percent) and ethics (90 percent)
were remembered as most memorable classes, along with
conflict resolution (52 percent) and leading change (44
percent). Reflecting upon their Jepson experiences,
alumni remember interaction with faculty (72 percent)
and interaction with peers (64 percent) as most
significant to them. Sixty-five percent of alumni agreed
or agreed strongly that the Jepson experience has
greatly influenced their career paths.
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