Recent Projects and Programs of the Mann Center: 2012-2013 Year in Review

Following are significant highlights of the Mann Center's work during the 2012-2013 academic year. A full review is available in our newly-released progress report, available online.

Academic integrity was a recurring focus of the Mann Center's work during the 2012-2013 academic year, with more than 400 freshmen in attendance at a student-led Courageous Conversation on academic honesty in September. In February, Mann Center program manager Azalea Hulbert presented at the 2013 conference of the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI); the center is now leading a regional consortium on academic integrity, which was launched at an April conference on Samford's campus.

The center sponsored several significant speaker programs during 2012 and 2013, starting with Dr. Mark Douglas' October lecture, Faith and Politics: Do We Need Religion in the Public Square? and Rwandan Bishop Laurent Mbanda's November presentation on the role of church leadership in promoting change. In January, the center co-sponsored the Alabama Social Business Forum at Tuskegee University, which featured Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The final lecture of the academic year, Abraham Lincoln and the Challenge of Emancipation, was presented by the 2013 A. Gerow Hodges Lecturer, Dr. Richard Carwardine.

The Mann Center's signature Better World Theatre pedagogy, which debuted in 2011, was incorporated into an introductory nursing course in November 2012 and used successfully for the first time in a co-curricular context during the spring 2013 semester, with students performing for professional audiences during two April conferences. The pedagogy allows students to identify and lead dialogue on ethical issues they will face in their careers, and is consistently given high marks by participating students.

In July 2012, Samford students participated in the second annual South Africa service practicum, facilitated by the Mann Center. The students developed basic business curriculum for Living Way, a Cape Town-based NGO, which runs an Agri-Academy for aspiring farmers. A team returned in July 2013 to complete the project with the Agri-Academy. A final update on that project is available here.

South Africa, July 2013: Final Update

This July, five Samford students traveled to South Africa to complete a long-term service project conducted with Living Way, a Cape-Town based micro-enterprise center. The purpose of the project is to develop leadership competencies of Samford students through active engagement and service. Updates from South Africa are available here: update one and update two.

The service project started in 2011, when three Samford students worked with Living Way to develop an entrepreneurship screening tool. In 2012, a team returned to begin developing curriculum for students who had been selected to participate in the organization's Agri-Academy, a mentoring program for aspiring farmers. This year's team, which included Samford undergraduates Tracy Knapp (as team leader), Clarissa Donaldson, Natalie Bennie, Rachel Eller, and Brittony Mays, completed the basic business curriculum that was started in 2012.

During the trip, students also had the opportunity to visit many significant historical and cultural sites, and spend time with their peers at Stellenbosch University, located near Cape Town. This fall, the Mann Center will continue the dialogue with students and faculty at Stellenbosch's Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert Leadership Center through long-distance conversations that focus on similarities between the end of apartheid and the civil rights movement.

Photographs from the trip are available on the Mann Center website.

The Frances Marlin Mann Awards for Leadership and Character: Recognizing Outstanding Student Leaders

In November, the Mann Center will host the inaugural presentation of the Frances Marlin Mann Awards for Leadership and Character, a recognition program for students who consistently exhibit exemplary leadership and strong character. One student from each school will be selected as an award recipient by his or her respective dean, with one additional recipient chosen by the department of athletics.

Of these students, one will be chosen to receive the Joe McDade Scholarship, a generous gift provided by Mr. Joe McDade, Samford alum and long-time supporter. The ideal student will demonstrate a life and character lived in the spirit of Christ; a contribution and commitment to the long-term development of the University; and leadership ability.

An award ceremony and reception will be held on Friday, November 15th, during Homecoming weekend festivities. All are welcome to attend; more information will be available online as it becomes available.

Addicted to Violence: A Year-Long Series

A number of Mann Center programs during the 2013-2014 academic year will focus on the theme, "Addicted to Violence." The center will partner with both on- and off-campus partners to explore various aspects of ethics and violence, including health, public policy, business, the arts, and theology.

Currently planned programs include a series of Courageous Conversations on violence against women, and a Better World Theatre performance focusing on workplace bullying. Other lectures and panel discussions are being planned; an updated schedule of events is available online.

One of the most significant programs of the year will be the presentation of the Mann Medal to an internationally recognized leader whose work addresses the culture of violence. Nominations for the Mann Medal will be accepted on an ongoing basis until a recipient is selected; more information and a nomination form may be found online.