September 2013
@NASPASLPKC #SALead
WELCOME from the co-chairs On behalf of our entire SLPKC Leadership Team, we'd like to be the first to welcome you to another academic year. We hope that the summer has allowed you the opportunity to unwind, rejuvenate, and come back ready to serve your students. Be assured that the SLPKC has been busy over the summer offering webinars, conducting research, representing our members at a national leadership collaborative summit, recognizing outstanding leadership programs, and much more. We are fortunate to have many of these summer projects highlighted within this newsletter. Sherry Early, Bowling Green State University
As we head into the fall, we encourage you to use the many resources the SLPKC offers to plan and refine the leadership programs that your campus offers. Be assured that many more webinars, book reviews, and research is on the way throughout this semester to ensure that our campus leadership programs are robust as ever. If there is ever anything we can do for you or your campus, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Best of luck this semester and we look forward to connecting up with you throughout the upcoming months! Michael Baumhardt , University of Scranton
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meet the
EDITORS
Ashley Spicer-Runnels is the Leadership Institute Coordinator in the Dean of Students Office at Texas State University. She obtained a B.S. in Family Studies from Lamar University, an M.B.A. from University of Houston-Victoria, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Lamar University. Her research was broadly based on multiracial student persistence as well as the implications of social and academic integration. Prior to her existing role as Coordinator, she was responsible for the following areas: multicultural programming, new student programming, student government, Greek life, and parent and family programming.
Amanda Horton is the Assistant Director for Campus Life and Student Programs at Wake Forest University. She received a B.A. in Communication from N.C. State University and a M.S. Ed. from Baylor University. In her current role she oversees the My Journey Initiative which seeks to develop and promote innovative programs designed to intentionally challenge and support students through the distinct developmental transitions that occur throughout a four-year college experience. Prior to her work at Wake Forest, Amanda worked in the Office of the Chaplain at Baylor University.
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Announcements!
a word of‌
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MEMBERS!
SPLKC Webinars Webinars with the SLPKC are some of the simplest and easiest ways to get involved with the Knowledge Community. Whether you would like to present, or simply attend, participation in these presentations is a valuable asset to furthering the research and practice surrounding the leadership development of college students. Each semester, the SLPKC strives to offer several engaging and informative presentations to aid our community members in their pursuits. Recordings and PDF slides for past and recent presentations can be found on our SLPKC website, under the Webinars section, at http://www.naspa.org/kc/slp/slpkcresources.cfm.
We are pleased to celebrate another SLP KC baby! Congrats to the Thompson family. Emily Margaret Thompson made her debut on July 20th at 1:04pm. According to mom (Jamie) she weighed 6lbs. 15oz. and everyone is excited and doing great--especially 22-month-old big sis, Ainsley.
We are currently working on putting together offerings for the 2013 Fall and 2014 Spring semesters. If you would like to present, or have suggestion of someone you think would be a valuable resource to the SLPKC, please contact Ross Beitzel at beitzjr@uga.edu.
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Pre-Conference Workshop Update As the 2013 Conference submission deadline approaches, we the pre-conference workshop chairs are starting to gear up to plan this year’s pre-conference workshop. David DeAngelis was recently appointed as the new co-chair of the Pre-Conference Leadership Team. David is the Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement at Suffolk University in Boston. At Suffolk, his primary responsibilities include working with the co-curricular leadership development program, advising student organizations and overseeing the daily operations of the Student Activity Center. His passion is experiential learning and how it can be used with leadership development training. Avani Rana, the co-chair for this year has recently accepted a position at the College of New Jersey. She is the new Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Leadership. Her new role entails starting new leadership programs at TCNJ. Both Avani and Dave are currently EdD students as well and are balancing research and work. Avani just completed her coursework and is hoping to defend her proposal in October on the topic of on how the ethnic identity development of South Asian students affect their
involvement Both of us are excited to work on this year’s proposal. The proposal for this year has been developed by a committee of leadership educators who are focused on new and emerging leadership theories that are designed with distinct populations of students in mind. The distinct populations that we are hoping to focus on are: students of color, students with disabilities, non-traditional students, LGBT leadership, and veterans. We are hoping to address a variety of issues that focus on these populations. We currently have a small committee that will be working on the topic and the proposal. If you are interested in assisting with the programming or would like to share ideas, please feel free to email either of us. We are more than happy to discuss this year’s topic. You can email Avani at RanaA@tcnj.edu or Dave at ddeangelis@suffolk.edu
Great Leadership Opportunity for Student Leaders This Fall! 4th Annual Circle of Change Leadership Conference From November 1-3, 2013, student leaders from all over the country will be gathering on the campus of the California State University, Dominguez Hills to attend the 4th Annual Circle of Change Leadership Conference. The great thing about this upcoming career leadership conference is that emerging leaders from all across the country will not only have the opportunity to be one of 200 student leaders that will receive a free scholarship to the conference, but they will also network with industry experts from respected companies/organizations, participate in cutting edge leadership educational sessions, engage in a meaningful service-learning project, and be inspired by nationally recognized leadership experts/speakers. Student leaders will leave the conference with career and leadership skills that will lead towards greater personal success as a leader, an amazing network of professional mentors and peer mentors from across the country, a greater understanding of self, and an amazing confidence and passion to make the world a better place. For more information about the conference and opportunities available, visit our conference website at www.circleofchangeleadershipconference.com or email circleofchangeleadconferenece@gmail.com. Joshua Fredenburg National Speaker, Author, Leadership Expert, Pres. of the Circle of Change Lead Conference Phone: (310) 562 2998 5
Graduate Support Program
As we start a new school year and we gear up for new students to arrive on campus, our main focus as professional staff is to ensure that we are connecting with our students and providing the programs and services needed for their development and success in college. However, we may sometimes easily forget about the importance of continuing to work on our own professional development or that of people in the field. The Graduate Support Program through the Student Leadership Programs Knowledge Community focuses on connecting graduate students with professional staff, not only to advance the field as we mentor graduate students who will soon enter Student Affairs but also, to develop ourselves. This program allows for us to get to know colleagues from other institutions as well as the Leadership in the SLP-KC. By participating in this program, professional staff is afforded the
opportunity to mentor an incoming member of our field who, though still a student, has a lot of knowledge that they can also share with us. At the same time, since they are currently going through a graduate program, many times these students are much more aware of current best practices and other information that we can only get by reading The Chronicle (and seriously, many times we can only skim through it due to lack of time). In all reality, we often think of “being a mentor” as something we do to help someone else but when looking deeper, we should realize that this is a two-way relationship that helps both people involved and ultimately, helps our field. Cristina Ferrari, a graduate student at Loyola University of Chicago, participated in the program during the 2013 NASPA conference in Orlando. She has the following to say about her experiences in the program. She states, “I met up for coffee at the NASPA annual conference and we had a really great conversation. We've emailed since and are hoping to find a time to meet up in person again this fall. I learned that people find their way to the functional area of student leadership development in a variety of 6
ways and no two students view leadership in quite the same way.” In addition, she notes that “it was interesting to compare program successes and challenges at our different institutions as well as to share our interests and paths to student affairs. I think this mentorship program is unique because it pairs professionals with the same area of interest and, often, geographical regions together allowing them to connect on multiple levels. I'm looking forward to learning more from my mentor and sharing with him how my views on leadership and students affairs continue to change.” Dave Borgealt, Director of the Student Leadership Institute at DePaul University also participated in the program as a mentor. He writes that in addition to the reward of connecting with an energetic, passionate young professional, “it was helpful to hear about the joys and challenges of a student affairs job search for new professionals. I learned about current concerns of new professionals, their perceptions of the search process, and practices of current hiring departments. It was also great to hear how new professionals are intentionally working theory into their conversations with potential employers and into their practice.” The SLPKC sponsors the mentor program for graduate students each year during the national conference. The program is designed to connect graduate students who are interested in student leadership with current professionals in the field. To serve as a professional mentor, one needs to be currently working in an area of student leadership at an institution of higher education, have a minimum of 2 years professional experience, and attend events at the annual conference events with his or her mentee. To participate as a mentee, one must be currently enrolled in a graduate program, interested in working with student leaders, and committed to attend events at the annual conference with his or her mentor. If you would be interested in participating as either a graduate student mentee or a professional mentor, you can sign up by completing the online form at this link: https://orgsync.com/59279/forms/78995. Take advantage of this terrific professional development opportunity and chance to continue your contributions to the fields of student affairs and student leadership.
Gabby Mora Associate Director, Residential Living Office Drexel University mgm92@drexel.edu
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Are We Supporting ALL Students In Their Leadership Development? Uncovering the Voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander College Students Two parallel trends have emerged over the last several decades on higher education campuses: (1) formal curricular and co-curricular student leadership development initiatives have grown significantly and (2) educators have been working to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. However, higher education institutions show a lack of understanding of the unique leadership perspectives and needs associated with students of color and other underrepresented students (Arminio et al., 2000; Dugan, Komives, & Segar, 2008; Kruger & Carter, 2001). In particular, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) student population as an aggregate is increasing in size on college campuses, yet remain an understudied and often misunderstood group due to the legacy of the model minority myth, which views this population as monolithic and high-achieving without any need of campus support or services (Hune, 2002; Teranishi, 2010). While scholars have recently debunked this myth, revealing the heterogeneity of this group, including such challenges as financial and academic needs, much needs to be learned about the unique experiences of AAPI college students, especially in relation to their leadership development.
In a qualitative case study that I conducted at a predominantly white institution, I examined fourteen diverse AAPI college students’ leadership perspectives. Their interpretations of their leadership development experiences shed light on this often invisible issue. As demonstrated in the student quotes at the start of this article, one significant finding reveals that many AAPI students associate the term leadership with traditional, dominant notions based on white, male, middle-class norms that promote authoritarian, management driven models of leadership. This results in their disconnect with, and sometimes disdain of, this social construct historically derived on the dominant culture. This study suggests how this dominant leadership discourse serves as a form of institutionalized racism that not only perpetuates the stereotype that AAPIs are not a legitimate minority group and lack leadership skills, but also silences, alienates and overlooks many AAPI students who do not internalize the dominant assumptions of leadership, thus fueling a negative self-concept as a leader. Interestingly, there was a strong sentiment across all study participants that AAPIs in general are viewed as invisible and ineffective
“I feel like I’ve actually had to step away from my culture in terms of my leadership development. So whenever I practice leadership…I have to take on a different personality in order to lead well. Because how my parents, how my culture has taught me isn’t effective here.” - 1.5 generation Chinese American senior female
“I cringe at [the word leader] just a little bit because it’s been appropriated by people who are in the mainstream, in the limelight… I think that’s dangerous to emphasize a leader because ‘leader’is singular, right?... It’s overlooking the mass of people that were working behind the scenes that were doing the hard work.” -1st generation Indian American senior male
“My definition of a leader is probably staunchly different than what’s written. And I think it’s because in our community… it’s not any one person that makes the great change. It’s the community. The community has to move together. In the AAPI community, even if you are considered a leader, that doesn’t mean they charge you to make the decisions…they entrust you to rely on them to find solutions.” -2nd generation mixed-race Samoan American senior male
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leaders. As one student reflected, “…(AAPIs) are seen as more obedient to the system…they are then just like followers. They are just there to … contribute what is expected of them.” Another student summarized the study participants’ general sentiments when expressing, “I don’t think when people think leadership they automatically think first to (AAPIs).” In addition, only two study participants confidently identified themselves as a leader. I argue that, not coincidentally, these two students with a strong self-concept as a leader embraced many more elements of the traditional, dominant leadership perspectives than the emerging contemporary perspectives (Kezar et al, 2006) that promote more collaborative, process-oriented, non-hierarchical forms of leadership.
We as higher education practitioners need to challenge and expand the current leadership discourse on our campuses in order to better support all students in their leadership development. We need to engage in critical inquiry to deconstruct and reconstruct the concept of leadership so that it is not left undefined and thus relegated to the oppressive and exclusive traditional notion based on position and the norms of the dominant culture. This reconstruction needs to adopt emerging leadership models that are culturally relevant (yet non-essentialized) and expansive in its acknowledgement of what constitutes as leadership engagement (Balon, 2003; Liang et al., 2002; Shigeoka, 2001).
Critical leadership perspectives offer a solution that pushes us to construct a counternarrative that interrupts the dominant worldview in pursuit of changing power structures (Foster, 1989). We need to engage in institutional, programmatic and personal reflection around questions such as: What kind of leader does our program want to develop? Do we intend to promote a certain kind of leadership? Are our institutions/programs/staff biased towards certain leadership perspectives? Are we intentional and explicit about this? Whose
voices are prominent in our work? Whose voices are we excluding? When we recruit and select participants for our programs, do we seek out and appreciate broad ways of knowing and being? Have we considered multiple ways of thinking about leadership? How can we change our practices to better serve those whose voices are not typically heard? How can we better align our actions with our principled intentions? Ultimately, we need to discover new ways of engaging in a leadership discourse that more effectively empowers not just AAPI students, but all students, thereby reclaiming lost student leadership potential and supporting all students in their journeys to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to make their positive contribution in the world.
Francesca Lo, Ed.D. Associate Director, Pipeline Project Leadership Liaison, Undergraduate Academic Affairs University of Washington franlo@uw.edu 206) 616-2302
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Does Leadership Program Participation Impact Students’ Sense of Spirituality-Meaning-Making?
Spirituality and spiritual development are receiving increased attention in higher education. Student affairs professionals need to consider what impact programs and initiatives can have on students’ spiritual development and meaning making. Leadership development is an area that may have an impact on students’ spiritual development. It was my interest in leadership development programming that prompted this exploratory study. My study examined the relationship between participation in leadership development programs and students’ sense of spirituality/meaning-making. This exploratory study answered the question: What effects does participation by college students in leadership development programs, specifically leadership retreats, speaker/workshop series, conferences, emerging/new leader programs, positional leader training, and peer educator leader teams, have on students’ sense of spirituality/meaning-making? This question was addressed using student response data from a Midwest institution’s participation in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL), focusing specifically on a subset of questions related to spirituality/meaning-making. My hypothesis was that college students who participate in leadership development programs will develop a higher level sense of spirituality/meaning-making than students who do not participate in such programs. Results indicated statistical significance between participation in leadership retreats, conferences, workshop/speaker series, new/emerging leader programs, and peer educator leader teams and students’ sense of spirituality/meaning-making. The one exception was participation in positional leader training. Participation at any level in positional training (none, once, sometimes, or often) had no significant impact on students’ sense of spirituality/meaning-making. Based on the results from my study, at an initial level, it is clear that participation in leadership development activities has an impact on students’ sense of spirituality/meaning-making. The influence is stronger
when students participate once, sometimes, or often in leadership retreats, workshops, and emerging/new leader programs. Attendance at leadership retreats was also the only activity shown to have significance on thinking about developing a meaningful philosophy of life. I am continuing to analyze my data and looking forward to writing an article for submission to share, more fully, what I have learned from this study. Responses do imply that participation, at some level, in leadership development activities has a positive impact on students’ sense of spirituality/meaning-making. There is evidence in the literature that students are seeking ways to make meaning of their experiences (Astin et al, 2005; Kuh & Gonyea, 2006). Leadership development is one area that has been identified as a way to guide students in this process of spiritual development which can lead to the development of stronger leaders more than focusing on traits or skills can do. More research is needed to understand the possible impact of leadership development participation on meaningmaking – someone willing to take this on?
Brenda McKenzie Teaching Assistant Kent State University bmckenzi@kent.edu 330-388-7117
References Astin, A. W., Astin, H. S., Lindholm, J. A., Bryant, A. N., Calderon, S., & Szelenyi, K. (2005). The spiritual life of college students: A national study of college students’ search for meaning and purpose. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles. Kuh, G. D. & Gonyea, R. M. (2006). Spirituality, liberal learning, and college student engagement. Liberal Education, 92 (1), 40-47. 10
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP The Leadership Style of the Future! For the past ten years, one of my primary goals as a national speaker, author, leadership/diversity expert, and scholar has been to discover the most effective strategies that emerging and seasoned leaders can use to influence, lead, and develop the next generation of leaders in the world. Throughout this amazing journey, I have discovered how generations are formed in our culture and society, learned about certain leadership principles that are more conducive for the millennial generation than previous generations, and have identified a variety of reasons why certain leaders fail with the millennial generation while others succeed. In addition to these findings, scholarly research on this subject matter has also led me to realize that in order for emerging and seasoned leaders to become more effective at influencing, leading and developing the next generation of leaders, individuals must be able to adapt and apply the leadership style principles that are most conducive for the millennial generation. Zemke et al. (2000) discovered that differences in the attitudes, values, and beliefs of
each generation affect how each generation views leadership, while Meredith et al. (2002) adds that these differences require all leaders to have a style that is broad and flexible to each generation represented in the organization or workplace. Subsequently, although I have spoken, written books, and articles on this subject matter for emerging and seasoned leaders over the past ten years, just recently, I was in the process of doing some research for my dissertation and discovered
that one of the most important leadership styles of the future for men and women to possess that desire to effectively serve, influence, lead, and develop leaders of the next generation is transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is a well-known leadership style that was originally developed by James M. Burns in 1978 and further developed by Bernard Bass the 1990s. According to both of these leadership experts, transformational leaders recognize organizational members' differences and manage work according to those differences, these leaders seek creative ideas from the members of their team, they facilitate problem solving discussions amongst the members of their team, and inspire the members of their team by providing meaning and purpose, compelling visions, and unique challenges that bring the best out of people. These types of leaders also create a unified and collective purpose amongst everyone involved with the team and they place the needs of the followers above their own which ultimately leads to greater trust and admiration. Essentially, when these qualities of leadership are exemplified, we experience the positive transformation and impact of leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatmi Ghandi, Cesar Chavez, and Mother Theresa. In regards to the future of our communities, nation, and world, one of the primary reasons why I am so convinced that transformational leadership is the leadership style of the future with members of the younger generation is because tons of research over the past ten years has revealed that Millennials are positively influenced by the qualities of a transformational leader. For example, many research experts have discovered that Millennials like to engage in things that have meaning. They like to be part of the process of developing ideas and strategies for the organization or team, desire mentorship and constant attention from their leaders, all while enjoying being empowered, 11
challenged, and motivated. Research finds, the millennials appreciate leaders that lead with the servant leadership model, they believe in pursing things collectively, seek frequent positive, open communication, and high levels of participative leadership from their leaders. In addition to these realities of the Millennial Generation, we are also going to need more transformational leaders because our culture and society is at a place in time where we need leaders who set a positive example of leadership, have a fresh vision for the future, creative insight, inspiring messages, a collective purpose, an ability to influence and inspire others to reach their fullest potential, and most importantly, a heart to positively transform the culture and lives of people in our community, nation, and world.
Joshua Fredenburg National Speaker, Author, Leadership/Diversity Expert Vision XY visionxybookings@gmail.com 310-562-2998
Although some of these qualities of leadership may seem challenging for certain people right now, the amazing thing about leadership is that it is truly something that we can all develop if we take the time to study and learn how to effectively apply different leadership styles and principles to our day to day obligations as a leader. Furthermore, Vince Lombardi and many other successful leadership experts will also tell you that great leaders are not born, they are developed through a process of effective leadership development. So, with that said, as we all evolve and grow into more effective leaders in the 21st Century, not only do I challenge you to develop other transformational leaders around you through your actions and mentorship, but I encourage you to take some time daily to reflect and learn how you can become more effective at applying this leadership style into your References leadership experience because it will truly make a huge impact on your life Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1989). Potential biases in leadership measures: How prototypes, leniency, and general satisfaction relate in ratings and ranking of transformaand the future of our communities, tional and transactional leadership constructs. Educational and Psychological Measnation, and world. urement, 49, 509-527. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row. Meredith, G., Schewe, C.D. and Hiam, A. (2002), Managing by Defining Moments, Hungry Minds, New York, NY. Zemke, R., Raines, C. and Filipczak, B. (2000), Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans. Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace, AMACOM, New York, NY.
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My First UIFI Experience I recently attended the North-American Interfraternity Council’s (NIC’s) Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) in Waxahachie, TX with students from Texas Christian University (TCU). UIFI is an intensive, five-day institute that challenges individuals to look at themselves, their values, and their dreams/goals for their organizations. Most sessions of this institute bring together fraternity/sorority members from across the nation in Indianapolis, but I had the pleasure to serve during the second, campusbased version of this program with TCU. Not only is this a unique opportunity for TCU fraternity/sorority members, but it was also an incredibly memorable experience for me. I could go on for hours about how awesome UIFI was and how I have positively changed due to my attendance. Instead, I want to talk about the most important theme of the entire program: Values. Every one of our fraternities and sororities has a core set of values. Each of us took an oath when we joined to uphold these values. Some of us committed to our organizations without fully understanding these values. It happens. In fact, some organizations often initiate people on the predication that they have the potential to live their values with enough guidance. Regardless of how and/or why a person is a member, they are now committed to living the values of the organization for the rest of their lives. This is where things get so difficult for individuals and organizations alike. It is hard to select people based on their values and even harder to live them. Why? The reason is often that values are so simple and abstract that we often complicate them into something much greater. UIFI made things a little easier to grasp with this statement: Values are what you do. Think about that for a minute. “Values are what you do.” The concept is must easier to understand, but the implementation becomes more difficult. Even so, UIFI helped 50 students reconnect and/or explore their values and set up plans of action for the future. That is the beauty of the program. Now, 50 students are ready to tackle various issues in the TCU fraternity/sorority community because they understand their values and have plans of action. Why does this matter? With summer break coming to an end, it is a time to create an action plan for the upcoming year and beyond. More importantly, it is a time for individual members to reflect and plan for the role(s) they will take in their organization and the larger campus fraternity/sorority community. If values are our actions, then what have your actions said about you over the past year? What will they say about you during the upcoming year? In a larger sense, what do your actions say about the values of your organization? Reflect on these for a while and think about how you will stay the same or change during the upcoming academic year. The choice is ultimately yours, but remember that your founders selected a core set of values in the hopes that individuals like you (yes you!), would live better lives, create an amazing fraternal organization, and make the world a better place. Remember, it all starts with you. Scott Isenga University of Central Arkansas Assistant Director of Student Life/IFC & IGC Advisor isengast@gmail.com 616-450-4510 13
A Programming Board Retreat: Setting the Stage for a Successful Year As is the case with most programming boards, the Central Activities Network (CAN) at Central Connecticut State University holds a summer retreat annually to prepare for the upcoming year and create bonds amongst the group. This year the retreat was led by the organization’s advisors along with members of the executive board. What is somewhat unique is that all members are invited to participate in the retreat, not only committee chairs or executive officers. So, we worked hard to tailor various components of the retreat towards the unique populations. Setting the Tone This year, the focus was setting the tone and a fresh start for the year. We had some new position-holders and a few veterans, but we wanted all to start the year with an open mind and a passion to make positive changes. With that in mind, we built the retreat to teach the foundation, build a cohesive team and coordinate effective, advanced planning. We wanted the attendees to feel appreciated and recognized for volunteering for these roles (none are compensated for their time). Our intention was to create a space for each member to take ownership of their positions and the organization, so they began the year energized and enthused to make a difference!
Colleen Powers Central Connecticut State University Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development cpowers@ccsu.edu 860-832-1999
Creating the Environment It is essential to have an understanding of what type of environment you want to create when planning a retreat. As a result of creating the environment, you are allowing the retreat to achieve its purpose. We went into the planning of the retreat carefully selecting the location which would meet our needs, a neighboring institution. We had a relatively small group, so we want an intimate setting where we could utilize several presentation formats. Our summer retreat was focused on successful group functionality as well as empowering our members so that they felt excited and eager to begin a new year of programming. Discussion of the organization’s mission was important in teaching the newer members to connect their daily activities back to that mission. Establishing Relationships As a new student executive board takes control every year, it was important for CAN to establish new relationships between the members and advisors. There was a balance between fun group activities and more in-depth conversations. We started with a quick number-game energize and it became a favorite for the students to do on free time. Then we ended our first day with a Sneetches themed discussion. The Dr. Seuss story, Sneetches, sets the scene for learning about one another and not creating boundaries based on appearance. It creates a great opportunity for the
Nathan Baird Central Connecticut State University C.A.N.Program Advisor st_nb4484@mail.ccsu.edu 860-832-1996
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students and advisors to bond and learn about one another on a higher level. Altogether, we hope the group creates some sense of a relationship where trust, respect and friendships can form. Advanced Planning For our retreat, it was crucial to schedule in a majority of time for planning for the upcoming year. All members were updated on what events were already being planned or were in the process of being booked. This allows the group to focus on how to market these events. We also laid out time for group brainstorming so everyone can contribute and become more involved decision-making in the organization. Our officers, chairs, and members thoroughly enjoy being a part of the "behind the scenes" portion of programming. Last year, the focus was on building up membership and giving general members a sense of belonging and opportunities to contribute, we use the retreats to bring everyone into the process.
Michelle Zohlman Central Connecticut State University C.A.N. President michellezohlman@my.ccsu.edu 860-832-1990
Nuts & Bolts Without rules, regulations, forms, deadlines, and a constitution, an organization has difficulties functioning. Hence, we call them the Nuts and Bolts to an organization. While this can be a bit dry, our student executive board was creative in presenting this information to the whole group. One example was a Price is Right game show with prizes as incentives to teach fiscal procedures and budgeting. Each Executive board member presented on a topic and added a personal spin on teaching the material. Then, to keep the Nuts and Bolts well-oiled, it is essential for the executive board to generate expectations for themselves and others. As advisors we like to prepare the executive board members ahead of time so that they can express their expectations easily and create a conversation with the group. Overall, the summer retreat for our programming board was successful, although we always review the retreat afterwards to make notes for next year. We do some qualitative evaluations with the retreat planners, to discuss changes and improvements, issues to follow up on, etc. We also seek some quantitative data from the attendees to make sure their feedback is included as well. Feedback was positive, and we found that the time spent to tailor the retreat exactly to what the organization needed was received well by the attendees.
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REGION UPDATES REGION III
I am excited about serving the NASPA SLPKC as a new member of the leadership team, representing Region III. I am a graduate student at the University of Georgia pursing a degree in College Student Affairs Administration with a graduate assistantship working with the UGA Alumni Association’s student programs. Prior to attending UGA, I attended Emory University where I worked as a hall director upon graduation. As a member of the leadership team, I am looking forward to offering collaborative opportunities as well as promoting events and conferences focused on student leadership. I am enthusiastic about serving the SLPKC in this new role and appreciate any suggestions or ideas you would like to share with us. Thank you in advance! –Veronica Roman (vroman@uga.edu)
Hello Region III members of the Student Leadership Programs Knowledge Community! My name is Megan Turnage and I am serving as a member of the SLP KC Advisory Board. I am a Graduate Assistant in Residential Life at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and a second year Masters student at the University of Central Florida in the Higher Education program. I look forward to finding new and exciting ways to grow the Region III SLP KC and welcome any suggestions that you may have as we move forward!
REGION IVE
We are excited to reach out to all of you who have expressed interest in student leadership programs by introducing ourselves as your new Region IV East Student Leadership Program Knowledge Community (Region IVE SLPKC) representatives.
Residence Life at Xavier University and the University of Dayton. I have had the privilege of developing student leaders primarily in Residence Life and enjoy being involved in the students’ journeys of self-awareness and understanding of others.
We both have a passion for working with students as they develop their leadership skills and wanted to give you some information about how both of us arrived at this work.
We both look forward to meeting more of you in person during the upcoming year and welcome any individual feedback that you might want to share at any time.
Eric: For the past four years, I have been the Assistant Dean/Director for the Center for Leadership & Involvement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to that I was the adviser for the Adventure Learning Programs, a team building and ropes course student organization at UW-Madison. I also have 6 years of experience in residential camp settings in Wisconsin. My journey with student leadership development programs began during my undergraduate experience at St. Norbert College (SNC). Lisa: For the past two years, I have been serving as the Director of Residence Life at John Carroll University. Prior to arriving at John Carroll University, I worked in
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Eric Knueve
Lisa Brown
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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT Women's Leadership Academy: Spotlight Program Influences on Student Learning When the Women’s Leadership Center was founded in 2004, we were given the directive to develop a “signature program,” something unique and personalized for Alfred University’s women students. To meet that goal, The Women’s Leadership Academy was created to provide high quality, personalized and multidimensional leadership education to prepare members to lead ethically, intelligently and effectively. The Academy experience teaches essential knowledge in classic leadership theory, feminist perspectives, communication and professionalism. We strive to ensure that Academy graduates are confident performing in leadership roles; can speak effectively in public, collaborate well with others, manage projects of significant complexity, engage with mentors and professional networks, and advocate for gender equity. Particularly important for any campus with a gender imbalance in its student population, the Academy has proven to be an excellent vehicle to encourage young women to become their own best advocates, to build leadership confidence, and to learn how to network effectively. In addition, the Academy is a model of merging academic coursework within a Student Affairs context, with deep experiential education/service-learning engagement. Part of the Academy’s work is to help in developing not just high-quality programs as assessed by internal/local standards, but in developing new standards for women’s leadership
programs. Like the SLP KC, we are striving to make contributions to the foundations of leadership programming, contribute to new knowledge, and present these new ideas for discussion with our colleagues. The Academy provides opportunities such as academic coursework, field trips, conferences, mentors, internships, and sponsored research. Coursework explores topics of gender, leadership theory, feminism, politics, economics, communication, persuasion, power, privilege, and ethics. A practicum course, requires members to complete a capstone project of significant scope and complexity. These projects reflect unique personal passions of each emerging leader, and engage authentic leadership skills. Examples of capstones: Annual Women's Conference; Women in the Wilderness Education Experience; Alfred Advocacy for Women (art mural); Emerge, the leadership magazine; Strong STEMs (a peer mentoring program for women students in Science, Tech, Engineering and Math) Women in the Workforce Seminar Series; Mr. Feminist, an original one-act structured improvisational theater experience. Annually, the Academy welcomes a new cohort, selected competitively of 10 to 12 persons. The capstone projects affect well over 400 students/community members each year, about 20% of our student population. 17
We use a multi-modal approach to assessment. A pre- and post-experience survey measures learning outcomes as well as self-reported levels of confidence and self-efficacy peer communication, listening, conflict management, public speaking. Journals and a leadership portfolio are also used. Each capstone requires a substantial end-project report, which includes a self-assessment of performance, 360-team assessment of the Academy member, an operations manual to support continuation of the project, a budget and timeline detail. In addition, observation from mentors and capstone "coaches" (project guides) are used. The Women's Leadership Academy experience is, in the words of one of our members, "One of the most profoundly important experiences I've had to learn about myself, my peers, leadership, my community and how I can make a difference." Academy students are recognized on campus as among the most respected student citizens; the members are regularly noted as outstanding academically, in campus leadership positions and in athletics.
Kathy Woughter Alfred University Vice President for Student Affairs
The Peer Ambassador Leadership Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice The Peer Ambassador Leadership program was founded at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2009. Student Affairs took the lead in establishing a cohort of students who, with the proper training, could clearly and articulately represent the college and its mission. They have become representatives for the entire college, trained to serve the community in an array of different activities, including but not limited to: New Student Orientation (as orientation leaders), Commencement, conducting campus tours, assisting in special recruitment and retention events, and serving as hosts for presidential occasions. The program provides each Ambassador with opportunities for mentorship, leadership, volunteerism,
and increased competencies in the realms of personal and career development. Peer Ambassadors must take part in a week long training session during the summer which covers topics such as Leadership Development, Becoming a Professional, Diversity Training and Orientation 101. In training, they start to become experts in their jobs, but also begin to develop valuable skills that will serve them well after graduation. Since its inception in 2009, the program has grown significantly from 18 peer ambassadors in 2009 to 32 for this year. It is a highly competitive process and students must have a 3.0 GPA or higher to qualify, as well as demonstrated leadership experience, a desire to represent John Jay College, school spirit and strong interpersonal and communication skills. They learn how to engage with people at all levels – from freshman entering college for the first time, to higher education administrators and directors of academic departments, local politicians and the president of the college. Our Ambassadors are role models for the new students and they are examples of the good that the institution does. In our assessment of new applicants, we found that the majority of them learn about the program through other Ambassadors. You commonly hear new applicants describe their orientation experiences as one reason why they want to be peer
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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
ambassadors. Peers have a memorable impact on their fellow students and many choose to follow in their footsteps, creating the next generation of leaders. We believe in investing in our students. What makes this program so successful is that we are dedicated to training them properly for the job they are going to do. More importantly we also design training in areas that go beyond the scope of their job description. The leadership and diversity skills they learn and the career development programs we provide for them are essential to their development inside and outside the classroom. They leave the program with stronger resumes, better speaking skills and critical leadership identities. In addition, many of them attend graduate school both at John Jay College or elsewhere.
We feel that the Peer Ambassador Leadership Program is a best practice. Students who express interest in making a positive impact on the institution as ambassadors become exceptional leaders on campus until graduation and valuable alumni. They build networks with administrators and develop close relationships that keep them connected to the college.
Rosann Santos-Elliott John Jay College of Criminal Justice Associate Director of Student Transition Programs rsantos-elliott@jjay.cuny.edu 212-237-8139
Enhance Student Leadership Development with Cross-Divisional Relationships As leadership educators, we are constantly being with faculty have on a student’s leadership development asked to do “more with less.” It seems we face an ever (Komives et.al., 2011). Moreover, recent findings from the shrinking allotment of resources, personnel and time. Research shows the positive impact that direct interactions
Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership suggest that leadership programs are most effective when developmentally sequenced (Dugan, 2012). But providing the one on one attention needed to appropriately challenge and support can be unmanageable without help. At the College at Brockport, a SUNY school in upstate New York, the Leadership Development Program applies the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute, 1996) to provide a sequential, theory-based program that incorporates more than 140 faculty and staff volunteers. Each certificate offers its own unique opportunities, but direct and frequent interaction with college employees is a cornerstone of the program’s success.
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In the first level of the program, the Green Leadership Certificate, students are assigned a faculty/staff mentor who works with them throughout the year to promote self-awareness, increased reflection and the connection of leadership concepts and individual values to all facets of student life. In the Gold Leadership Certificate, the second level, students explore group values as they are assigned to work with several of their peers on a Social Action Project that will benefit the Brockport community. Each group is assigned an advisor who plays an integral role in promoting an understanding of group dynamics, mission and vision creation and conflict resolution. The third level offers students a chance to explore societal values through the Leadership and Society course and campus or community internship. Finally, the Capstone Certificate allows students to utilize the concepts learned by planning the Annual Student Leadership Conference, addressing a Capstone Cause and several other opportunities to put leadership into action. In every level of the program, faculty and staff members provide a direct connection to participants and allow individualized learning to occur. Time can be a precious commodity on a college campus. It may seem like an impossible task to include others so directly in programming, but when done effectively, it can truly revolutionize leadership development. When implementing an effective volunteer program, it is important to keep several things in mind. First and foremost, have a variety of opportunities available, ranging in duration, commitment level and expertise needed. Once options have been determined, start small. Consider who may be a current stakeholder or within the sphere of influence and start there. Tailor the message to fit the audience, making sure that the volunteer options are appealing and mutually beneficial. Make sure that volunteers receive adequate training and support needed to be successful in their positions. Finally, celebrate the small victories publically. This will entice others to get involved as well!
Higher Education Research Institute. (1996). A social change model of leadership development, guidebook III. Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute. Dugan, John. “Recent Findings from the MSL: A Focus on Developmental Sequencing.� Leadership Educators Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. December 2012. Komives, S. et al (2011). The Handbook for Student Leadership Development (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kimberly Piatt The College at Brockport (SUNY) Coordinator of Leadership Development kpiatt@brockport.edu 585-395-2987
The Leadership Development Program was recently selected for a Spotlight Series Award for Theory to Practice. For more information about the program, visit www.brockport.edu/leadership
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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
Student leaders go Back to Basics at California State University Channel Islands Back to Basics, takes place at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is an annual 26-hour, on-campus student leadership retreat that was established in 2006 and is grounded in the concepts of basic training and Susan Komives' Model of Student Leader Identity Development. Students are brought “back-to-the basics” of leadership by engaging in goal setting, discipline, delegation, communication, teamwork, professionalism, self-reflection and motivation through the use of interpersonal, small group and public communication modalities.
camaraderie and assist the cadets in learning the University mission-related concepts, students create a squad name, a cadence, and a reflective a guide-on (flag) to focus the squad’s beliefs and values.
Throughout the Back to Basics Leadership Retreat, the General calls upon individual students to step to the front of the group and answer questions (public speaking), speak for their squad, and recite information, such as the poem Envictus by William Ernest Henley. This provides the opportunity for individuals to build their confidence, receive encouragement, and Upon arrival to the retreat, student leaders (who represent their squad. are given the title of “Cadet”) are issued their retreat uniform (a camouflage retreat t-shirt with a At the conclusion of the retreat, a closing motivational quote on the back), a pre-test, and a ceremony is held to recognize outstanding required goal-setting “check-in” with the Retreat individuals and squads. The final element of the General (the Vice President for Student Affairs). closing is when students “check-out” with the When “Checking-In” students stand in front of the General by standing at attention in-front of the room stating what he/she would like to personally entire group and stating the degree to which they achieve as a result of being part of the retreat. achieved his/her intended outcomes/goals. As During “Checking-In” The General encourages each student “checks-out,” he/she is given a dog each student to speak with both confidence and tag and is congratulated for the achievement of conviction. his/her stated outcomes. The student leaders are then split into squads to create a sense of camaraderie and team. Each squad is given direction to rotate the leaders in their group every two hours to allow each cadet in the squad to experience being a leader and a follower multiple times within the twenty-six hour retreat. Each squad participates in a company competition which includes a marching drill that illustrates a variety of leadership concepts; for example, marching (drills) helps the cadets to see how important clear directions are for the group as well as aligning and keeping pace with the other cadets and the leader’s vision. In order to create
Pre and post-test are administered to assess students’ knowledge of stated learning outcomes and movement along the Hope Scale (1996). The Hope Scale is a psychological assessment that measures goal-directed thinking. Each year’s pre and post-test results, along with student reflection, show that the retreat is achieving stated outcomes, being rated positively by students (satisfaction) and showing that students are making progress on the Hope Scale. Snyder, C. R. (1996). To hope, to lose, and to hope again. Journal of personal and interpersonal loss, 1:1-16.
Dr. Jaimie Hoffman California State University—Channel Islands Assistant Director for Student Leadership Programs jaimie.hoffman@csuci.edu 805-437-3141 21
SAILS: A Unique Opportunity or Your Undergraduate Student Leaders Are your students looking for a way to take their leadership to the next level? Are they interested in expanding their leadership development in an international context? Do your students have a passion for making positive social change? Do you want to provide frameworks for your students to learn about leadership in an international context? "The program taught me about a variety of leadership styles and helped me to discover some of my personal strengths as a leader. Our open dialogues encouraged exploration into my own thoughts, and I was able to use what I learned to apply to the changing environment around me." –Victoria Pisini, University of Pennsylvania, International Relations I am excited to share information about a unique partnership between ACPA – College Student Educators International and Semester at Sea designed specifically for your undergraduate student leaders. SAILS: Students Advancing International Leadership at Sea <http://lyris.acpa.nche.edu/t/112692/970632/2473/0/6/> will set sail at the end of the spring semester – a perfect opportunity for students who cannot fit in a whole semester abroad! Your students will join a dynamic group of undergraduate student leaders from across the world and take the adventure of a lifetime aboard the MV Explorer, the home of Semester at Sea. This special opportunity for student leaders is a part of Semester at Sea's Enrichment Voyages <http://lyris.acpa.nche.edu/t/112692/970632/2473/0/7/ >. The SAILS program is designed to give students hands-on experience of learning collaboratively in an international context. With a focus on global leadership and personal leadership development, students will have the opportunity to meet and connect with others interested in leadership for positive change, enhance leadership development, and participate in service-learning opportunities and site visits. "When I applied to the leadership program through Semester at Sea, I knew that it would be an incredible experience. However, I didn't think it would be a life changing experience. Learning about all the different leaders throughout the world has opened my eyes to wanting to change people's lives for the better, even if it is in the simplest form." –Christine Wamba, California State University Channel Island, Liberal Studies As the lead for the upcoming 2014 program, I bring with me a vast and varied background in college student leadership and international education as an author, educator, and researcher with Semester at Sea and other organizations. Students can choose to participate in one leg of the journey or the whole expedition. Voyage dates are May 18 to 31, 2014 and/ or June 1 to June 15, 2014. The expedition will visit Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom, Iceland, and the Isle of Man <http://lyris.acpa.nche.edu/t/112692/970632/2474/0/8/>. I hope that you will share this information with your student leaders and encourage them to participate <http://lyris.acpa.nche.edu/t/112692/970632/2473/0/9/> in this once in a lifetime opportunity today.
Paige Haber-Curran, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Student Affairs in Higher Education Texas State University 22