Lawrence
Today magazine, Summer 2007
Lawrence has received a $1-million gift from the S & R
Pieper Family Foundation in Mequon, to establish an endowed professorship that will foster
and promote the concept of altruistic leadership.
In announcing the gift, President Jill Beck also announced the appointment
of Alan Parks, professor of mathematics, as the first holder of the Pieper
Family Servant-Leader Professorship. Parks, a member of the Lawrence faculty
since 1985, will have major responsibilities for enhancing and assessing
Lawrence’s involvement in courses that feature community-based learning.
The principles behind servant-leadership were articulated by Robert
K. Greenleaf (1904–90), a former AT&T executive, teacher, consultant, and essayist,
who endorsed a practical philosophy that encourages collaboration in decision
making, promotes trust and ethical use of power and empowerment, and emphasizes
a holistic approach to work and human relations.
In awarding the gift, Richard Pieper, founder and executive director of the
foundation, cited Lawrence’s Honor
Code, overseen entirely by students,
as a great building block in not only educating honorable individuals but
also for molding citizens capable of honorable conduct in society.
The goal of the Pieper Family Servant-Leader Professorship will be to support
and expand existing courses as well as to aid in the development of new courses
with an integrated academic and community approach to learning.