New Leadership Course to be Taught by UST President

In addition to the stellar faculty already teaching courses on entrepreneurship and leadership at the University of St. Thomas’ Cameron School of Business, university president Dr. Robert Ivany will be teaching a leadership course in the master of Public Policy and Administration program during the spring 2016 semester.

The course will be titled “Public Leadership: Principles, Practices, and Realities,” and will examine both the theory and practice behind leadership. Such thinkers as Max Weber, Karl Marx, Carl Hung and Peter Drucker will be present for student study within the course, in addition to practical experience on leadership for a public administrator.

For Ivany, the subject of leadership has been close to his heart since his days in the military. “I hope to contribute a different perspective from someone who has been in the non-profit sector or in governmental leadership,” he said. “While in the Army I had the opportunity to observe a lot of different leaders from different sectors and I want to share what I learned from my own experiences.”

The course will not just examine the theory behind leadership, but will also look into the various challenges leaders face, such as making controversial decisions or facing opposition.

The course will be co-taught with Dr. Jon Taylor, professor and chair of political science. And though the course is listed as part of the MPPA program, Taylor hopes students will understand and appreciate the innumerable applications of leadership skills. “Leadership is not always translated in leading a university or a government,” he said. “It might be leading a home or a family.”

In fact, to encourage students to think about the wide array of applications for leadership, the course will be cross-listed as political science, making it available as an elective to all students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

regions: Houston

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