Wilmington College

Consulting Director & Adjunct Professor of Leadership

OPPORTUNITY: Having presented annual leadership workshops and programs over the years at Wilmington College since 1991, Fran Kick served from 1995-1998 as Consulting Director of the Wilmington College Leadership Institute.

RESULTS: Fran taught the Junior- and Senior-level Developing Leaders Practicum courses as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Leadership at Wilmington College. A part of the Wilmington College Developing Leaders Program (DLP), this four-year sequence of academic and cocurricular programs educated, trained, and prepared college students for leadership both on campus and in the community.

Fran Kick also led the development and marketing of student leadership retreats for area junior and senior high school students every Monday on Wilmington’s campus September through April. College students assisted as small-group team leaders in addition to leading campus tours and sharing lunch with the high school participants. The program expanded to include middle school student retreats as well.

The college collaboratively published with Instruction & Design Concepts a Leadership Program 1996-97 Overview & Resource Guide. This 137-page 8.5×11 spiral-bound manual was presented via breakout session programs, shared in academic poster presentations, and sold at numerous ACPA, APCA, NASPA, LEC’97 Higher Education Conferences. This implementation guide detailed for the first time a complete leadership program overview of Wilmington College’s approach to leadership development.

In 1998, the National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs (NCLP) and the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) listed Wilmington College’s Developing Leaders Program as one of the 16 best undergraduate leadership development programs in the U.S. The Center for Creative Leadership recognized the program in its 1998-99 publication Leadership Education: A Source Book of Courses and Programs (7th Edition). The John Templeton Foundation named Wilmington College to its Character Building Colleges Honor Roll for Student Leadership Programs.

“The student leadership program at Wilmington College, initiated in 1981, was in need of a major overhaul and ‘reengineering.’ Because of our relationship with Fran and his knowledge and experience with hundreds of college and university leadership programs, we looked to Fran for ideas and direction. Having directed the College’s leadership program for over 15 years, I have encountered many ‘leadership’ folks. Fran Kick does it all and does it well. As a consultant his ideas, contacts, resources and positive energy get things moving, stuff happening, and people having fun with purpose and direction.”

Bud Lewis, Director of Greek Life and Wellness Programs

Wilmington College, Ohio

“Thank you, again, for the fast, fact-filled, and fun presentation on leadership. Our student council and mediation members certainly got a lot out of it. It was amazing how well they attended to the tasks at hand and they were complimented on that! Both Deb Mallonee and I were impressed and pleased with the format and presentation of your seminar. You have an incredible ability to get their attention, focus it and move it to where it needs to be.”

Sue Rahn, Student Council Co-Advisor

Baker Junior High School, Fairborn, Ohio

“I always did enjoy working with you on the various projects we had while I was Dean of Students at Wilmington College. I still remember the energy you brought to the programs, you brought to our students, as well as the enthusiasm with which they responded.”

Blake Thurman, Ph.D., Executive Director of Academic Support Services

Daemen College, Buffalo, New York

“Almost all colleges and universities aspire to prepare students for positions of leadership both inside and outside the campus community. A growing number of college programs are dedicated to providing high-quality educational experiences for students to develop the competencies, conscience, and compassion required of leaders in a civil society.” The Wilmington College Leadership Program was selected as one of 40 college leadership programs by the John Templeton Foundation in their 1999 guide ‘Colleges That Encourage Character Development: A Resource for Parents, Students, and Educators.’

Templeton Guide Colleges That Encourage Character

Colleges That Encourage Character Development

Edited by the John Templeton Foundation

“The leadership program at Wilmington is a great opportunity to acquire the skills that we need to have a strong family life, a successful career, and a spiritual life.”

Fourth-Year Student

Wilmington College, Ohio

The Center for Creative Leadership recognized the Wilmington College Developing Leaders Program in its 1998-99 publication, ‘Leadership Education: A Source Book of Courses and Programs’—recognized as an essential tool for leadership educators who are planning a course or program, whether it be in high education, secondary education, or the business, nonprofit, human service, or community sectors. The Center for Creative Leadership is an international, nonprofit educational institution whose mission is to advance the understanding practice, and development of leadership for the benefit of society worldwide.

Leadership Education (7th Edition)

The Center for Creative Leadership

Wilmington College, a private college founded by the Quakers in 1870 is dedicated to hands-on learning within a community-of-doing. The student leadership program at Wilmington College, initiated in 1981, was in need of a major overhaul and ‘reengineering.’ In the fall of 1995, the College’s relationship with Fran Kick took a new and very exciting direction.

“I can definitely see the impact you have made—the program the past two years was a 100% improvement over my freshman + sophomore experience.”

Tammy Smith, Wilmington College Senior, May 1998

Wilmington College

Consulting Director & Adjunct Professor of Leadership

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