About the College of Leadership & Public Service

The problems of government and public entities today are more complex than ever and require fresh-thinking champions who can bring understanding to that complexity—locally, nationally and beyond.

Steve Joiner, Dean of the College of Leadership & Public Service

That's where we come in.

Our roots are in conflict management and community service, and from that we believe collaboration is the path to creating common good around the corner or around the world. And we’ve been practicing that for years! In fact, the college is itself a collaboration of four institutes, which have been successfully engaging students and the community for almost a decade, plus a School of Public Policy.

We welcome high-energy, activist students who are highly motivated to not just be a participant in their world, but be a change agent.

Whether you are preparing for a career in the nonprofit sector, in the law, in corporate social responsibility and sustainability, in causes and corporations of all types, you’ll find an academic home here to get the preparation you need for a future based on your passion.

If you are slightly curious, give us a call or meet us for a cup of coffee whenever you visit campus. It could easily be the first step toward a career for both the pioneer and paradigm shifter!

Steve Joiner, D.Min.
Dean

CLPS Fast Facts

Things you should know about the College of Leadership and Public Service:

In addition to traditional academic courses taught at the graduate and undergraduate level each year, domestic and international travel courses provide the groundwork for student engagement.
The college produces and co-hosts annually over 20 events and outreach programs on campus to discuss and engage with current issues. Over the course of a year, these events might include:
- An evening with Justice Koch, former Tennessee State Supreme Court Chief Justice, on state judicial issues
- An evening with Fred Gray, attorney, civil rights leader and faith leader who represented Martin Luther King, the Tuskeegee Airmen, Rosa Parks and the desegregation movement in the state of Alabama
- Presenting sponsor for Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Metropolitan Planning Commission’s Middle Tennessee Vital Signs
- Leadership Tennessee, the premier state-wide program, landed an expansion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of $750,000
- Collaborative Conversations series involving guests from across a spectrum of viewpoints on hot-topic issues
- Policy discussions with Tennessee governors
- State of Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts Annual Meeting
- SkillsLab Series (Leading Teams, Strategic Negotiation)
- Mayoral Candidates' Forum with the Civic Design Center
- Music City Girls' Lead, a program launched by the NCAA Women’s Final Four Host Committee to provide leadership support and guidance to high-school aged Tennessee women
- Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators' Annual Meeting
Hosts Southeast Conference on Conflict Management with international leaders
Foundee of “Now That You Ask” with Tom Ingram, an interview evening in which this nationally known political communicator interviews notables about their "backstory."