A paramount function of education is the preparation of individuals to relate themselves comfortably to their fellow men. As long as people existed in a world where they were born, where they lived, and died in one little hamlet, never venturing more than ten miles from home, this preparation was unnecessary. But today, in an era of great mobility and interchange, of increasing contact with people of different colors, beliefs, and backgrounds, it is imperative to so educate our children.
The Whitney M. Young, Jr. College of Leadership Studies, Kentucky State University's honors college, reflects the University's commitment to excellence in liberal studies education. The College is named after the late Whitney M. Young, Jr., executive director of the National Urban League from 1961 to 1971, distinguished leader of the American civil rights movement, and a graduate of Kentucky State University. The Whitney M. Young, Jr. College of Leadership Studies aims, through its special curriculum, to develop in its students the qualities of critical intelligence, maturity, and leadership exemplified by Mr. Young. In addition to the honors program, the College also administers the Institute for Liberal Studies, the Integrative Studies courses of the University's Liberal Studies Requirements, and the newly-designed International Studies Program minor. The University Endowed Chair in the Humanities is also housed in the College.
The Institute for Liberal Studies provides leadership in the continuous development and implementation of a comprehensive program in liberal studies. It seeks to enhance the mission of the University through academic and scholarly activities, focusing on the intellectual enrichment of faculty and students.
The numerous functions of the Institute for Liberal Studies include the production of an annual interdisciplinary conference attracting scholars from all over the nation and the world. The Institute publishes selected lectures which are made available to a broad readership that participates in the ongoing national debate on liberal studies. Finally, the Institute sponsors a summer institute designed to improve teaching in liberal studies areas. The Institute for Liberal Studies was created to provide opportunities for developing activities which are of direct interest to the interdisciplinary community of scholars at Kentucky State University, in the nation, and worldwide.
--Whitney M. Young, Jr.
selected lectures which are made available to a broad readership that participates in the ongoing national debate on liberal studies. Finally, the Institute sponsors a summer institute designed to improve teaching in liberal studies areas. The Institute for Liberal Studies was created to provide opportunities for developing activities which are of direct interest to the interdisciplinary community of scholars at Kentucky State University, in the nation, and worldwide.
An endowed chair is one of the most prestigious academic appointments a university can make. The creation of such a position indicates the maturity of an institution and demonstrates its commitment to scholarly activities and academic excellence. Kentucky State University established the Endowed Chair in the Humanities as a major component in the University's liberal studies emphasis. Through its placement in the Whitney M. Young, Jr. College of Leadership Studies, the Endowed Chair helps bring a central focus to Kentucky State University's mission to be the Commonwealth's unique, small, liberal studies institution. The functions of the Endowed Chair at the University are to develop and implement innovative and comprehensive programs of liberal studies.
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