If there's ever an offer you can't refuse, Division II has one. The Regional Leadership Action Academy is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

A joint venture of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Division II Management and Presidents Councils, the Regional Leadership Action Academies are modeled after the NCAA Leadership Conference held each May.

The unique aspect of the Regional Leadership Action Academy is the focus on our Division II student-athletes and their needs. Offered in a different region semi-annually, the Action Academy provides invaluable lessons on leadership for student-athletes, administrators and coaches. The SAAC, Management Council and Presidents Council felt this experience was so important to our student-athletes that we integrated the entire cost of attendance into our budget. This means the Regional Action Academy is available at no charge to the institution.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Southeast region Action Academy held September 5-7 in Atlanta, and I cannot think of a reason that an institution would bypass the chance to take advantage of this experience. The Action Academy is designed to provide leadership techniques that can be applied to everyday life, including interaction with teammates, coaches, the campus and surrounding community. The participants benefit from establishing new relationships with student-athletes and administrators from schools within their region. They also have the opportunity to strengthen ties with the administrator or coach from their own school. They develop skills that cross all experiences and will stay with them throughout their lives.

The Action Academy in Atlanta was filled with leadership development exercises to benefit the student-athletes, administrators and coaches who attended. Breakout sessions provided individualized opportunities for discussion of actual events and case scenarios. Attendees engaged in problem-solving activities with other students and administrators. Trained facilitators guided the activities with extensive discussion among the participants. As I watched the attendees interact, I was amazed at how comfortable everyone appeared. Participants spoke freely during their small-group activities and demonstrated their perceptions of leadership during the evening skits.

I also learned that many of the attendees in Atlanta were unaware of the opportunities available to them to get involved with the SAAC. While each campus and each conference should have a SAAC that ultimately feeds into the national SAAC, some are used more effectively than others. The Action Academy provided another stage to voice the importance of SAACs and to encourage Division II student-athletes to become involved. As is the case with each Action Academy, a national SAAC representative attended the one in Atlanta. The attendees had the opportunity to seek advice from the representative and learn more about the SAAC experience.

While I have attempted to highlight the important aspects of the Division II Regional Leadership Action Academy, I strongly believe the only way to do it justice is to actually attend. As a university president, I understand the demands of college life, especially for a student-athlete, an administrator or a coach. I realize there is never a good time to leave campus during the academic year. Let me assure you that the experience of attending benefits you, your institution and Division II as a whole. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Watch for information regarding your Regional Action Academy. The next one will be in February in La Jolla, California.

Kay Schallenkamp is president of Emporia State University.