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ABOUT THE WILSON CENTER... |
THE WILSON CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST offers an array of leadership, public service
and civic education programs for students, faculty, staff and the community.
The programs for Hampden-Sydney students are as follows:
- James Madison Public Service Minor: In keeping with its mission, the College inaugurated
in 1994 an interdisciplinary certificate program designed to prepare a select group of undergraduates for careers with government agencies
as well as non-governmental and non-profit organizations.
The fifteen-credit-hour program (converted to a minor in 2006) is spread over the junior and senior years,
and includes coursework in public administration, ethics, economics, and public speaking. Students enrolled in this program must
complete an appropriate internships and related research project.
- Military Leadership and National Security Studies Minor:
This interdisciplinary
minor is designed for students who are interested in the historical, political, ethical, and legal dimensions of national security policy
as well as the place and role of the military in American society.
The aim of this program is to prepare students to think about national security issues in the context of
constitutional principles, inter- and intra-governmental relationships, cultural and fiscal constraints, and competing views of ethical
human behavior.
- Society of '91 Program: The Office of the Dean of Students created a special
leadership program in 1997 for students who hold or plan to pursue positions of authority with campus organizations. The Society of '91
Program is named in recognition of the accomplishments of the members of the Class of 1791, who included a President of the United States,
a Supreme Court Justice, and an Army General. The curriculum is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge that will enable
them to carry out difficult organizational responsibilities in an effective and ethically sound fashion.
- Freshman Leadership Program: Through a mix of lectures and workshops, the
freshman leadership program introduces first-year students to some of the fundamental skills associated with effective leadership.
Students explore competing leadership styles in the context of historical and hypothetical examples of successful and failed leadership.
Students who enroll in the freshman leadership program are invited to participate in Wilson Center activities, including trips to Washington
and special sessions with guest speakers.
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Another Wilson Center program, The Central Virginia Public Affairs Forum, brings debates, symposia,
and speakers of timeliness and relevance to Hampden-Sydney College as well as the larger community, including nearby Longwood University
The Center invites alumni with careers in Public Service to campus for panels, class
lectures, and seminars to share their expertise with current students. A monthly
newsletter is emailed to alumni and may be requested by
emailing the Wilson Center.
A variety of Youth Programs are made
available to area high school students through the Center.
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EDUCATION FOR A
COMPETENT AND JUST DEMOCRACY
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Founders of the American Republic such as James Madison understood that a democratic
government of high quality requires more than the construction of a good system of
political institutions. The success of the American "experiment" also depends on the
qualities possessed by the members of the citizen body, most especially by those
selected to fill government positions; hence the attention given by
Washington,
Madison, and
Jefferson
to cultivating such qualities as industriousness, moderation, and
self-discipline in the people.
At its own founding in 1776, Hampden-Sydney College embraced as its mission the task
of producing "good men and good citizens." More than two hundred years later, the
College has remained committed to enriching the personal and civic lives of its
students and, indeed, of all people with whom it comes into contact. It is for this
reason that the College, through the vision and inspiration of then-president Samuel
V. Wilson, established the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest.
The Center was launched in 1997 and renamed in 2000 to honor Lt. General Samuel Vaughan Wilson at
the time of his retirement.
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