Leadership FMU and the Student Government Association (SGA) members are busy planning the 2012 Francis Marion University Student Leadership Conference: The Blueprint for Success, according to Conference Director Alyssa Hardy.

The event, which Hardy said aims to “promote the important leadership skills necessary to be successful college students and future career-oriented citizens,” will take place Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Cauthen Educational Media Center.

Instructor of Marketing Mary Dittman will be the keynote speaker at the conference.

Hardy, a junior majoring in mass communication, is working to organize the conference for her second year in a row. She said that she is excited about this year’s event, which she thinks will be beneficial to FMU students.

“Everyone, no matter if they like being a leader in the spotlight, or helping out behind the scenes, can benefit from the Student Leadership Conference because of the well-rounded nature of the sessions,” Hardy said. “Also, because the sessions are not entirely college-focused, students attending the conference will learn important life skills they can utilize for years to come.”

Students, faculty or staff members interested in leading a session at the conference have until Friday, Feb. 20 to turn in program proposals to the Office of Student Affairs in the Smith University Center.

Past sessions include “The Importance of Net-working,” “Social Safety and College” and “Just Do It: Time Management.” There have also been programs about interview protocol and career development.

Anyone interested in leading a session may e-mail Hardy at AlyssaHardy92 @aol.com to request a program proposal.

Leadership FMU and SGA members will hold registration days leading up to the conference so that students can sign up for the event.

The $5 registration fee will buy each student entrance to the conference, a full lunch, a t-shirt and other conference materials.

For a complete list of registration dates, students can visit the conference’s Facebook page or follow @Blueprint2012 on Twitter.

“I think that the third annual FMU Student Leadership Conference will be the best conference yet,” past conference director Amanda Morales said.

“For the past two years we have worked very hard to establish this conference as an FMU tradition that we can all be proud of,” Morales continued. “I think that all FMU organizations, faculty, staff and students should strive to be a part of this event by working, attending and/or presenting at the conference.”