Hampden-Sydney Home PageHampden-Sydney Wilson Center
Thursday, March 18, 2010
ABOUT THE WILSON CENTER...

Wilson Center sign
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.
Wilson Center staff
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.

   EDUCATION FOR A COMPETENT AND JUST DEMOCRACY
 
Wilson Center
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.