Dr. Fritz is Not the Average Teacher

On March 31^st of 2014, Dr. Janie Harden Fritz presented on Leadership Studies, in room 226 of Compton, at Frostburg State University.  The Leadership Studies minor welcomed Dr. Fritz to Frostburg, so students could hear her talk about her theories on leadership.  Refreshments and desserts were served as Dr. Fritz talked with potential and current Leadership minor students.  Dr. Fritz is associated with Frostburg because she taught the head of the Leadership minor, Dr. Ruminski, when she was an undergraduate.  Dr. Fritz has written scholarly journals, such as the journal titled “The Communicative Virtue of Civility”.  She often speaks about people’s roles in organizations and civility.  Dr. Fritz earned her Ph. D in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and she is currently a professor of Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Duquesne University.  Dr. Fritz demonstrated her passion for leadership during her presentation and possibly swayed students into joining the Leadership minor.

Dr . Fritz is a tiny woman full of spunk and a passion for learning about leadership.  She is very animated and moves her hands around as she talks about leadership and interacts with students.  After only five minutes into the presentation a Frostburg senior in the audience, Emily, said, “I really like her, she’s very funny.”  Another audience member, a Frostburg junior named Ryan, said “I love the energy that she brings.”  The majority of the students in attendance laughed during much of Dr. Fritz’s presentation.   Dr. Fritz discussed the importance of being involved in student organizations during her presentation.  She went onto list the positives of being involved in organizations, such as meeting new people, gaining experience, and making connections.  She encouraged all students to get involved in organized activities at the University, or in the community.  She talked about roles that people play in organizations too; she explained that while not everyone in an organization can have a main leadership position, everyone can have a role.  She emphasized the importance of putting the correct people in leadership roles in order to create a strong organization.  Dr. Fritz also focused in on the importance of civility.  She discussed the positive outcomes that civility can bring to communities.  She explained the importance of approaching situations in a peaceful manner first, and not just getting up in arms about an issue and causing a riot.  Dr. Fritz said “there is no point of a making a mountain out of mole hill” if an issue can be solved peacefully.      

Dr. Fritz made a possibly dry topic, such as leadership theories, into a fun presentation.  She managed to come across silly and intelligent at the same time.  She was silly when she joked around and said “that we could not tell the way she was looking because she had a lazy eye.”  She also came across intelligent when she talked about her theories on leadership and her academic writing.  Dr. Fritz not only taught students about leadership, she got more students interested in the Leadership Studies minor because she is not the average teacher.  

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