Major gift to MSOE encourages persistence of servant-leadership program
| Published: 04/18/2006 |
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One year into a multi-year program that was to infuse and promote the concept of servant-leadership at MSOE, the project's benefactor, the S&R Pieper Family Foundation, is encouraged by its progress and has donated another $100,000 for its growth.
The foundation established a $1 million endowed chairmanship to promote the concept of servant-leadership at the university, which was awarded in December 2004 to Dr. Samuel Scheibler, a General Studies faculty member. Servant-leadership emphasizes increased service to others in the form of student formation, community partnerships, curricular and faculty development, staff support, and health and wellness. Dr. Scheibler has since been helping faculty integrate the concept into current philosophy and ethics courses and develop a new course on the topic. On the student life side, he helps incorporate the philosophy throughout the social fabric and culture of the university through extracurricular programs.
Richard Pieper said the foundation was pleased with the program's reach thus far because it engages actively with the community, rather than presenting a set of activities, and it has raised the profile of servant-leadership both conceptually and practically in Wisconsin and the Midwest.
Some examples include:
Students are manning a phone hotline for middle- and high school kids with science and math questions. They're working with Milwaukee, Jefferson and Janesville school districts.
- A seminar was given for students in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department addressing problems and challenges faced by students during their year-long senior design projects. The impact was marked and measurable.
- The Office has been working with a number of spiritual or religious-based student groups to develop and grow; members those groups were then brought together in joint efforts such as aiding Tsunami victims and extremely successful food drives for Hurricane Katrina relief. MSOE also hosted a fundraising concert for earthquake victims in Pakistan.
- Emphasizing service to others and emotional health, the office has worked with the American Diabetes Association, Epilepsy Foundation, March of Dimes, YMCA, Habitat for Humanity and others, resulting in increased student participation
- Diversity is being further encouraged through participation during Black History Month celebrations on campus and in the community; engaging Spanish speaking communities in Wisconsin; lobbying Congress to continue funding MSOE's successful Upward Bound program; and working with new Hmong immigrants. Again, this is all working with students, faculty and staff.
Servant-leadership
The concept and principles of servant-leadership were set forth in a 1970 publication, The Servant as Leader, by Robert K. Greenleaf, a former AT&T executive who founded in 1964 what is now the Robert K. Greenleaf Center in Indianapolis. Servant-leadership seeks to improve the caring and quality of institutions through the creation of effective leadership. This concept emphasizes increased service to others; a holistic approach to work; promoting a sense of community; and, the sharing of power in decision-making.
As a private, nonsectarian university, the concept is an excellent fit with the university's institutional philosophy to provide a sustained interactive educational climate for students to become well-rounded, technologically experienced graduates and highly productive professionals and leaders