INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s the dawn of a new semester at IU Indianapolis. Now split off from Purdue, the university’s capitol campus begins its freshman semester with the launch of a brand-new degree.

Hailing from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Community and Organizational Leadership Studies program is designed to prepare students for a leadership role in any sector — public, private, or non-profit.

“This is about helping students realize that coming to college is not just about reading things they’ll never ‘use again,’” said Associate Dean Suzann Lupton. “It’s really about learning things that are gonna make a difference.”

The school hopes to empower students from all walks of life to make a difference in the world across a wide variety of professions. Lupton says that includes non-traditional students like veterans or those with incomplete degrees.

“We’ve designed the degree to be flexible and accommodating to those learners.”

The program offers a bachelor’s degree, a minor, and a certificate option. Lupton says students can also get credit for training and professional certification they may have already earned in the workforce. She says the degree is the latest piece in the university’s pledge to boost alternate pathways for students.

At launch, the degree offers seven different courses. That includes one taught by Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. Titled “The Call to Public Service,” it focuses on giving students the broad knowledge and skills they need to lead in any and all forms of public service.

These skills “are important whether you’re in a boardroom or a city council meeting,” Fadness says.

This is not Fadness’ first time behind the classroom podium. He previously taught public finance at IUPUI as recently as 2013, stepping away because of his mayoral and familial duties.

“This course excited me,” Fadness says. “I’ve always had a love for (teaching), enjoy it, and am excited to be a part of it again.”

“As a mayor, you get to be a little part of everything, so you have a pragmatic approach,” he continues. That includes day-to-day management, broader public policy issues and, of course, the political landscape. “By having experienced all three of those, it gives me a unique perspective to teach this course.”

Fadness says he hopes his students are willing to learn from his professional and political expertise, but do not see him as a politician.

“I hope they see someone who is more interested in them than he is talking about himself,” Fadness confesses. He says he wants to help his students grow. “My goal is to be focused on them, not me.”

Some of his students have a similar outlook. Isaiah Holmes is a senior majoring in civic leadership. Holmes says he hopes to run for office one day in his hometown in Texas and is eager to pick Fadness’ brain.

“He’s a politician, so I have to give him some grace and some skepticism,” Holmes says. “But he definitely gives off ‘I care’ vibes. Not just ‘I care about me,’ but ‘I care about what I do.’ And that’s probably the biggest thing: I want to know what (he’s) about and why (he) does what (he) does.”

“Government’s everywhere,” Holmes continues. “We can’t escape it. So it’s best to learn it, grow with it, and try your best to make the changes you want to see.”

Lupton says there seems to be real enthusiasm among Fadness’ new class.

“We have a class that’s so full, there are no extra seats in the classroom,” she says. “People are really excited to hear from the mayor. And, most importantly, they are really voicing their opinions about what young people today are concerned about, what they think our future is gonna look like, and they are eager to learn how they can make a difference in our society.”

Lupton says the university is always searching for seasoned professionals to come and share their expertise with their students. She also says the university has resources available to make returning and non-traditional students’ entry into the university a little easier.