Friday, Feb. 8 is the deadline for applying to attend Randolph Community College's first Student Leadership Academy, which will feature Robert C. Keys, president of Rockingham Community College, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Keys, a popular speaker on the topic of leadership, has been at the helm of Rockingham Community College for nearly 12 years and before that was president of John Wood Community College in Illinois for eight years.
Dr. Keys earned his bachelor of arts in physics and mathematics from Indiana University, a master of arts in physics from Ball State University, and his Ph.D. from Arizona State University. He has experience on several rungs of the academic ladder, from high school teacher, to academic counselor, to dean of student affairs at Mississippi County Community College in Arkansas, to dean of students at Catonsville Community College in Maryland, prior to joining John Wood Community College.
Active in numerous professional and civic groups, Dr. Keys currently serves on the Rockingham County Partnership for Tourism and Economic Development and the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Community College System Student Leadership Institute. He is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges and the ACC President's Academy.
Another featured speaker for the Student Leadership Academy on April 12 will be James E. Coleman Jr., professor of the practice of law at Duke University. A Harvard graduate with a law degree from Columbia University, Professor Coleman's experience includes a judicial clerkship for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and 15 years in private practice in Washington, D.C., the last 12 as a partner in a large law firm.
Professor Coleman teaches criminal law, legal ethics, negotiation and mediation, capital punishment, and wrongful convictions. He is an active member of the American Bar Association and has been the chair of the ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities (1999-2000) and of the ABA Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project (2001-2006).
Around 18-20 Randolph Community College curriculum students will be selected to attend the one-day Academy, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 12, and will feature topics such as "What is Leadership," "Personality Type and Leadership Style," "Ethics and Leadership," and "Crisis Leadership."
Interested students must fill out an application form and ask a faculty member to submit a sealed letter of reference that addresses the student's leadership potential. Faculty members may write reference letters for more than one applicant. Any student enrolled in a curriculum program at RCC is eligible to apply.
Students may obtain an application form from their instructor or click
here to download a pdf of the application form. Applications must be turned in to Rose Chilson, assistant to the vice president of student services, by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.
