News

Related Links

Click on one of the links below to view a specific article:

Former Mayor Marinovich to teach at Donnelly
Donnelly releases Fall 2011 Deans & Honors Lists
Leadership class has big impact on students

Former Mayor Marinovich to teach two Political Science courses at Donnelly College this Spring, both open to the public

Carol Marinovich, former Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, will teach two classes at Donnelly College this semester that will be open to the public.

Principles of State & Local Government (PS112) will be offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:25 - 10:40 a.m. American Government (PS111) will be co-taught along with Susan Keim, Director of Donnelly’s Organizational Leadership bachelor’s degree program, on Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 9:10 p.m. Classes begin January 17, 2012.

The two courses build on the College’s Fall 2011 offering, The Art and Practice of Community Leadership, taught by Marinovich, Keim and community leader and retired court executive Pat Brune.

State and Local Government will explore the fundamental principles of local government and public policy, while American Government provides an overview of the constitution, influence of political parties and media and the nature of political campaigns.

“With the 2012 presidential election cycle and the massive issues looming over the Kansas legislature this year, it’s a particularly interesting and exciting time to explore the foundations of our government,” Keim said. She noted both classes will include top-notch guest speakers and a trip to Topeka to observe the Kansas legislature in action.

The course also continues the dynamic learning environment of opening enrollment to community members and Donnelly students.

“I enrolled after I saw an article about [the Fall] class in the Kansas City Star,” said Gus Lind, a Lenexa, Kan., resident who works as an engineer within the city’s community development department. “The speakers were fantastic. Most of all, I loved the students in the class itself because it was such a wide variety of ages, as well as ethnic and economic backgrounds. This made the experience richer and created opportunities for inspiring conversations.”

Another community member admitted he had a negative perception of Wyandotte County when he enrolled in the course.

“It was around the third class period when I realized how incredible KCK really is,” said Gary Shults, Lee’s Summit, Mo., resident. “Everyone was so passionate and proud to be a part of it, which made me feel proud as well. “We learned about countless non-profits, businesses and local resources that keep the community running – many of which I didn’t even know existed. My opinion is forever changed. This class has made me eager to explore and learn more about all the things Wyandotte County has to offer.”

For interested community members, Keim notes there is no admission application or prerequisites required. If taken for non-credit, cost is $200.

For more information, Contact Susan Keim, Donnelly's Director of Organizational Leadership, at (913) 621-8738 or keim@donnelly.edu for more information today!

DONNELLY ANNOUNCES FALL 2011 DEAN’S AND HONORS LISTS

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Jan. 6, 2012 — Nearly 60 students have been named to Donnelly College’s Dean’s and Honors Lists for educational achievement in the Fall 2011 semester. The Dean's List recognizes students who have taken at least nine credit hours and achieved a 4.0 GPA, while the Honors List identifies students who have taken at least nine credit hours and achieved a GPA of 3.5-3.99.

Dean’s List, 4.0 GPA
Baccalaureate degree program
Medrano Velazquez, Ivan
Muhammad, Elfonda
Nirschl, Steven
Associate degree program
Barasz, Gustavo
Bautista, Judith
Black, Tiara
Brooks, Julie
Burkit, Teresa
Dibo, Elizabeth
Dominguez, Pablo
Estrada, Stephany
Glin, BryAnn
Kahugu, Lilian
Kanagu, James
Kangethe, Caroline
Kinyanjui, Humphrey
Lopez, Cesar
Musyoki, Petronila
Myers, Raymond
Phillips, Rebecca
Ramirez, Mitzi
Reed, John
Siwakoti, Bhola
Stout, Quidreeah
Weigand, Rebecca
Word, Brandy

Honors List, 3.5-3.9 GPA
Baccalaureate degree program
Dantzler-Blount, Ranisha
Duarte, Daniela
Lacy, Christen
Paudyal, Suman
Perez, Cristal
Pulido, Laura
Thiga, Rebecca
Westbrook, Jonathan
Associate degree program
Bueno, Ruben
Egan, Aubree
Estrada, Judith
Favela, Cesar
Garcia-Soto, Carlos
Green, April
Harris, Ashton
Karinga, Lucy
Lene, Anais
Leonard, Abram
McGee-Love, ShaRay
Nalianya, Celestina
Ndungu, Beatrice
Nteere, Joan
Obeng, Ernest
Payan, Diego
Phoenix, Tanya
Rocha, Jacob
Rodriguez, Rosa
Sauls, Chandra
Shen, Jun Liang
Torres, Karla
Wilson, Tamikia

The College would like to congratulate each of these students for this tremendous academic achievement.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP CLASS HAS BIG IMPACT ON STUDENTS, BOOSTS KCK PRIDE

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 23, 2011 — If you think back to your days in school, there are usually one or two classes that stand out in your memory. For many, these classes are the ones that offered a unique balance between difficulty and fun.

For the students in Donnelly’s first-ever Art & Practice of Community Leadership class, this class did just that. The course combined fun, interactive, in-class exercises and speakers with off-campus activities such as meetings with local elected officials and tours of important community buildings, neighborhoods and landmarks.

“I have never been in a class like this before,” said student Claudia Rodriguez who is currently pursuing her Associate of Arts degree. “The speakers were the best part because even though it was a small class of about 25 students, we were able to hear from some of KCK’s most influential leaders, both past and present.

“We learned about so many community components, from education to economic development to community health. Our instructors would relate each speaker to a specific leadership theory. In the end, this showed us that even though each person’s skills are different, we can all be great leaders.”

The class, made up of both Donnelly students and members of the community, had three instructors, including Carol Marinovich, former Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, community leader and retired court executive Pat Brune, and Donnelly faculty member and Coordinator of Organizational Leadership Susan Keim.

Even though most of the community members took the course as a non-credit, they wanted to get the most out of it. “We told them that they didn’t need to complete the assignments and journal entries, but they all did anyway,” said Keim. “This was very encouraging because it was obvious they were truly interested in the topics and wanted to take in as much as they could.”

“I enrolled after I saw an article about this class in the Kansas City Star,” said Gus Lind, a Lenexa, Kan., resident who works as an engineer within the city’s community development department. “The speakers were fantastic. Most of all, I loved the students in the class itself because it was such a wide variety of ages, as well as ethnic and economic backgrounds.

“This made the experience richer and created opportunities for inspiring conversations. Even during the first class period before any of us knew each other, everyone was energized and asking good questions.”

One community member admits he had a negative perception of Wyandotte County when he enrolled in the course.

“Many of the community members, and even a number of students, expressed a new or renewed interest in advancing the community,” said Marinovich. “Our hope is that they pass this new knowledge and KCK pride along to others.”