For the past two years our office staff has been sharing the story of our leadership evolution with colleagues across the United States. We’ve presented at conferences, brainstormed ideas, and have been creating new programs both on campus and in collaboration with other campuses. I’m not sure, however, that we’ve shared with you our plans for the foreseeable future.
Leadership Programs
As many of you know we have a leadership living learning community. The sixty students living together in Cypress Hall as part of a two-year leadership program have served as the testing ground for many programs that have rolled out, or will be rolling out, to the general student body. Believe me when I say you’ll be grateful that we made our mistakes with them first.
You can expect to see the following the programs by the fall:
- Personal leadership plan
- Leadership coaching
- Leadership certificates
- Leadership conferences (on and off campus)
These are in addition to our existing programs:
- StrengthsQuest
- Student organization officer training
- Book clubs
- Leadership trips
- Leadership through technology
- LeaderShape
We’ll share more about each program as we push it out. You are certainly welcome to ask questions about anything.
Why Leadership Matters
The bigger question I want you to ask is what’s the point?
When I speak with prospective students and parents I tell them that I believe that students are developed over time through a series of meaningful experiences. These experiences will in turn give you the stories you’ll share on your resume and in your job interviews.
I want our programs to serve as leadership labs where you learn, practice, and refine practical skills that are grounded in leadership theory as much as your biology (or music or business or nursing or etc) labs and projects supplement your class work.
Expanding Your Leadership
Our ‘leadership course objectives’ are to help you:
- embrace difference
- adapt to change
- think critically
- communicate effectively
- create, function in, and maintain a socially just, culturally engaged, civically involved, sustainable, and technologically advanced community, and
- become responsible citizens
Ultimately you’ll develop your leadership capacity to become life-long learners capable of adapting to an unknown future.
Imagine Your Leadership Infused Future
Imagine what doors will open to you when you can share stories (examples) about each of these objectives on your resume and in your interviews? You’ll be able to prove your capabilities.
Imagine the impact UNCP students could have if everyone lived each of those six objectives?
Come see us in UC 225. We want to know what you think.
Make it a good day.
