Kennesaw State’s Center for Student Leadership, Volunteerism and Service-Learning recently merged with Odyssey Peer Mentoring into one department to better serve students.
Dr. Thomas Yannuzzi, executive director of the Center for Student Leadership, explained that the new combination of different units within Student Affairs, now the Department of Student Leadership and Service, intends to make programs and services more accessible to students.
Yannuzzi said that previous services are still available to interested students, but are now located within the same department so they can access them from one place.
Programs available in the department are recommended for students who want to make a difference and set an example both in and out of the classroom, Yannuzzi said. He hopes that the new merger will bring in more students to assist the department.
According to SLS’s website, the department works to organize and implement extracurricular and co-curricular leadership development programs and expand learning beyond the classroom.
The website states that these programs “help students increase their awareness of self and others, their understanding of complex social challenges and their ability to engage with their campus and communities.”
One of the programs offered within the department is the Odyssey Peer Mentoring Program. According to its website, the program helps students who have recently enrolled at KSU by assigning a mentor to help them through their transition to the university. The website states that students are matched up in the program based on degree interests, hobbies and overall availability.
Yannuzzi said that peer mentors in the program can be included as student leaders because of the new departmental change.
Volunteer and Service Learning is another unit within the department. VSL supports service initiatives through the VKSU system. Students can sign-up and volunteer for different projects and events through the program’s website, vksu.kennesaw.edu.
The Department of SLS also includes programs and activities such as Engaged Owl Leaders, Owl Leadership Fellows and Constitution Week.
The new department is made up of several KSU students, faculty and staff members and is located in the James V. Carmichael Student Center on the Kennesaw campus in room 267.
Those looking for additional information can visit SLS’s website.
