Welcome to the Department of Community & Leadership Development!

Community & Leadership Development | Agricultural Education

Formed in the College of Agriculture in 2002, the Department of Community & Leadership Development brought faculty from rural sociology, agricultural education, agricultural communication, and program-and-staff development together in one unit. 

Forming a new department out of constituent pieces has meant changes not only for the department but in the history of the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky. For example, both our undergraduate and graduate degree programs have been reorganized to better integrate and utilize the resources of the entire department, the agricultural communications program has been refocused on community communication to highlight the fundamental role of communication in both community and leadership development, and programs which were previously instruction-based (community communication and agricultural education) now contain active and successful research components. 

Our faculty has strong disciplinary training in such fields as communication, education, and rural sociology and takes pride in their disciplinary homes. When it comes to our overall focus, however, we are moving beyond the disciplinary approach of the past. Believing it best represents contemporary approaches to 21st century reality, we are more about the processes of functioning effectively in community and fostering ethical leadership.

Why Join Our Department?

Our mission is to strengthen the capacities of individuals, organizations, and communities to act on their shared visions and challenges. This development occurs at the intersection of community, communication, agriculture, education, and leadership. Our goal is to train and empower students to transform the rural and urban areas in Lexington and beyond.

The Community & Leadership Development department invites you to join us in making a difference, locally and globally.