Leadership Program Launched Successfully


In late 2005, the College of Business received an additional $4 million gift from Harry and Ann Cornell.  In the 2006 fall semester, the impact of this donation has been seen not only in enhancements made in Cornell Hall but also in the launch of the Cornell Leadership Program (CLP).
 
Of the Cornells’ total gift, $1.4 million has been earmarked for the new leadership program for top-quality undergraduate
Bill Little (BS BA '64), president of Quam-Nichols Co., leads students in the Cornell Leadership Program in a group discussion about The World Is Flat.
students.  The program began with a group of 30 freshmen, who have an average ACT score of 30, and 20 upperclassmen, who have exceptional academic records and varied community involvement. 
 
“The College of Business is one of Missouri’s centers of excellence in education,” says Harry Cornell (BS BA ’50, LLD ’03). “It needs and deserves to have programs that attract and develop Missouri’s top business students. Ann and I are blessed and pleased to be able to add the additional support. These funds will give students the opportunity to receive top-quality preparation in business and accounting and work with faculty members and other students in an outstanding educational environment.”
 
Assistant Dean Mary Beth Marrs, who has overseen the design and implementation of the CLP, said admission to the program is highly selective. The CLP consists of a series of honors-type courses and extracurricular activities aimed at developing leadership capabilities. To date, CLP students have participated in a discussion of The World Is Flat, a community service project, and luncheons with several visiting executives.  The group of freshmen also took a leadership seminar. 
 
CLP student John Hall feels having Bill
Little lead the discussion was constructive. “His views and experiences made the
themes in the book all the more realistic,” says Hall.  “He enlightened us about
what we can expect when we become
part of the global workforce.”
“The Cornell Leadership Program has helped me become more involved in the College of Business than most freshmen are,” says Sarah Tedrow, a freshman student in the CLP.  “I am looking forward to all the opportunities the CLP will create throughout my education as I prepare for a career in business.”
 
The highlight of the first semester of the program was a field trip to Leggett & Platt, Inc., a Fortune 500 company located in Carthage, Mo.  The students met Harry and Ann Cornell; received a briefing about Leggett & Platt, the company that Cornell led for about 40 years; and toured four of L&P’s facilities. In addition, the students had a Q&A session with Cornell and several of L&P’s top executives, including CEO and MU alumnus David Haffner.  

Senior CLP participant Dennis White has enjoyed serving as a mentor for the freshmen in program.  “Being a part of the program has been a great way to pass along some of the lessons that I've learned.  The freshmen students are outstanding, and I really feel that they are going to find success both in their studies and as members of the college’s organizations.”
 
The program is expected to grow to at least 100 students over the next several years. 

Last Edited: 11/30/2006