This research evaluated learning outcomes of a leadership development program at a large, southern land grant institution. The program is an interdisciplinary, semester-long class where experience and theory are juxtaposed to offer leadership training and development. Through an intensive research project, the program exposes students to four practical skills and four adaptive skills related to leadership development. The research outcomes of this study found that students did perceive to have gained the intended leadership skills as related to the four practical and four adaptive skills set forth by the program curriculum. As leadership programs continue to grow, these programs must be assessed and evaluated to continue to garner merit within the academic community.

The complexity of leading, specifically leading an academic department, is daunting. Nationally, there has been an increase in open department head positions, but also a lack of faculty interest in making the move from faculty member to administrator. Skill level of chosen department heads in leadership varies, but the majority of academic administrators are not chosen because of their leadership knowledge, skills, or abilities. This generative study looked at the conceptualization of the phenomenon of "leadership development" by department heads in Colleges of Agriculture at Land-Grant Universities in order to gain an understanding of the experience of department heads in leadership development. Inductive and deductive analytic procedures led to four categorical themes: prior experience with leadership development, leadership training, leadership education, and leadership development. Sub-themes indicated the complexity of the main themes and offered a more focused view from the department heads.

Because innovation is essential to the future of our society and because there is a need to prepare college students to succeed in business organizations, it has become increasingly important to investigate the factors that enhance or discourage creativity and innovation. College professors have a vital role in introducing students to the fundamentals of innovation and, depending on how they do, can potentially encourage or discourage the innovation process. This study focused on the communication and motivation in the innovation process of faculty in a multidisciplinary course comprised of agricultural economics, biosystems and agricultural engineering, and agricultural communication majors at a large land‐grant university. Results demonstrated that students did not always find faculty communication effective, and findings among students in the three majors were different in faculty communication ratings. The data show there are positive relationships between students’ perceptions of faculty communications and students’ motivation in capstone courses.

The performance of extension agents and agencies in Africa has been questioned. Calls to provide more professional development are pervasive. This study assessed the views of extension agents who had completed the SAFE training program regarding their experiences with Supervised Enterprise Projects (SEPs) as a tool for serving clients. Semi-structured, focus group interviews were used to collect data. The graduates' concerns in regard to difficulties and constraints associated with the SEPs included cost, supervisory practices, project scope, and standards for project reporting and thesis writing. The SEPs needed systematic financial support, more effective supervision, a standardized reporting format, and networking with potential funders.

Leaders mull ways to handle world problems" the headline read. I paused and considered the writer's intent of the word "leader" as I often do when I see any form of the word used. Does the writer mean leader as in position, influence, or behaviors? Are these leaders genuinely, as Peter Northouse (2007) defined, influencing "a group of individuals to achieve a common goal" (p. 3)? Sadly, it is often difficult with articles in the media and throughout society to distinguish a writer or speaker's intended meaning of the words leader or leadership. For most readers, watchers, and listeners of the media in our society, it seems the word leadership is taken at face value-but what is face value for the word leadership? In other words, how does society define leadership?