Coker Establishes

Leadership and Community

Development Center

Hartsville, SC — Coker College has established the Center for Research in Leadership and Community Development, a clearinghouse of information and a laboratory for community development and leadership programs.

“Community development provides the context in which to train and practice good leadership,” said Dr. Jim Lemke, director of the new Center and professor of political science and philosophy. “The Center's objective is to create stronger communities and stronger leaders, particularly in South Carolina.”

To do this, the Center will create, implement and evaluate models for partnerships between higher education, community organizations, local, state and national government, and funding agencies. It will also assist communities with established development programs.

Under the auspices of the Center, Coker’s new Institute for Applied Leadership will provide a platform for educational opportunities in leadership for students and the community at large. The institute will also provide programs of regional and national scope by offering leadership training and seminars for businesses and industry. The institute’s organizational management programs are being developed with the Leadership Institute of Chicago.

Coker College is involved in several leadership programs that will be administered by the Institute for Applied Leadership. These include cooperative efforts with the White House for community development and education, and with Stedman Graham & Associates for youth development strategies, including Move Without the Ball and the new Education Leadership and Development Institute.

Additionally, Coker College will begin offering a minor in Leadership Studies this fall and students will be able to work with the Center for Research in Leadership and Community Development.

“Establishing the center will enable Coker students to augment their education with exciting and meaningful experiences relevant to their future,” said Dr. Ronald Carter, Coker College provost.

College President Dr. Jim Dawson believes that the Center for Research in Leadership and Community Development will play a significant role in Coker’s future.

“Studying leadership models coupled with opportunities to apply leadership skills, particularly in the area of community development, will distinguish Coker graduates from graduates of other schools,” he said, “because Coker graduates will enter the marketplace with tested abilities.”

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