The leadership course (COM 610) in the communication and leadership graduate program allows students to not only recognize and learn about their own leadership strengths but to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to a real world project.

Students from the spring 2015 class partnered with Heritage Centers, Matt Urban Hope Center and American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) to analyze the organizations’ needs and then create and implement plans to help meet those needs. These projects are done in groups and require each student to lead their own portion of the plan.

These students were able to collect art supplies, clothing and increase social media awareness for the Heritage Centers. They helped raise money, volunteered for the holidays and collected toiletries for the Matt Urban Hope Center. They also helped raise awareness for ABWA with social media. Thus, the dedication of these Canisius communication and leadership graduate students led to the betterment of countless lives.

Pictured above: students in the leadership class (COM 610) collect supplies for Heritage Centers

Submitted by: Sara Morris, PhD, associate vice president, academic affairs

Courtney joined Canisius as a full-time employee in February. Currently enrolled in Canisius’ communication and leadership program, Courtney recognizes the countless opportunities that are afforded to students.

Recognizing all that she has received and will continue to gain from being a Golden Griffin, Courtney made her first gift to the Canisius Fund after just a few weeks on the job.

What motivated you to make your first gift?
Currently I am working on my graduate degree through Canisius’ communication and leadership program. This program has given me countless opportunities to grow and develop as a professional, network with other professionals and become an influential leader. Now that I have begun my career at Canisius College, I wanted to jump on the opportunity to give back to the college to ensure others are able to receive the educational experience that I am receiving.

Why is supporting students through the Canisius Fund important to you?
I believe that any student who wishes to receive a college education should be given the opportunity to do so and be able to attend the college they believe will provide them with the most transformative experience. I know that contributing to the Canisius Fund helps make that possible.

What is your favorite campus event to attend each year?
The Homecoming Tent Party by far! I was still an intern last fall in the Office of Alumni Engagement when I attended and it was really fun and rewarding to see all of the hard work come together and everyone having a great time!

Fun Fact: What is something the Canisius community would be surprised to know about you?
I’m obsessed with teacup pigs! My fiancé and I plan on getting one as a pet when we purchase a house this fall. And now that it’s in writing – he can’t back out of it!

Submitted by: Kim Walkow, administrative associate, Canisius Fund

Join us Monday, March 7 in the Science Hall Commons at 5:00 p.m. for an exploration of human rights featuring student presentations and a lecture by world-renowned scholar Claude Welch, PhD, of the University at Buffalo. The event will include information on human rights issues, short presentations by Canisius College students and Dr. Welch’s keynote address, “The Neglected Side of Human Rights: From FDR to Pope Francis,” as well as refreshments. The event is organized and co-sponsored by the Model United Nations Diplomacy Organization (MUNDO) and Peace Action-Canisius College. The event is free and open to the public.

One of the most respected voices in the world in the area of human rights, Claude Welch, PhD, has been a faculty member at the University at Buffalo since 1964. A prolific and influential scholar, Welch’s research focuses on human rights and human rights organizations, particularly in Africa, and on the political roles of armed forces. Among his books are Human Rights and Development in Africa, NGOs and Human Rights: Promise and Performance, Protecting Human Rights in Africa: Roles and Strategies of Non-Governmental Organizations, and Economic Rights in Canada and the United States. Welch has served on the Board of Human Rights Watch/Africa, an international human rights monitoring group and has helped conduct several investigations and reports that have significantly improved attention to human rights in Africa. He has also consulted with the MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, USAID and UNESCO, among other organizations and agencies.

For more information about the conference, please contact Desmond Metzger at metzger4@canisius.edu or Megan Poynter at poynterm@canisius.edu.

Submitted by: Jonathan M. DiCicco, associate professor, political science and director, international relations