Volume 2, No. 3 Summer 2017
SLPKC NEWSLETTER A Word from the Co-Chairs Special points of interest:
A word from the SLP Co-Chairs (1)
Developing Young Leaders Seminar (1)
Leadership: A Pathway to Career Success (3)
Precollegiate Student Services (5)
NASPA Leadership Podcast (5)
Pre-Conference Update & Survey (5)
Leadership Expedition (6)
Spotlight Series (7)
Submit for our next newsletter (8)
Contact us! SLPCHAIRS@Gmail.com
Jimmy Brown, Associate Director, Student Leadership Development, University of Chicago Kim Kushner-Cook, Coordinator, Events & New Student Programs, University of Missouri-Kansas City
On behalf of the Student Leadership Programs Knowledge Community (SLP-KC) Team, we hope that you are having a great summer and looking forward to the upcoming academic year! It is hard to believe that only four months ago we were all gathered in San Antonio for the NASPA Annual Conference. We hope this summer has been relaxing and is giving you time to reflect, rejuvenate, and prepare to welcome our students to campus. This summer has already proven to be busy for the SLP KC, and we hope that you have been following our social media to stay informed of all the new resources and opportunities that we have been able to share. The mission of the SLPKC is to serve as a resource for higher education professionals who have a professional interest in leadership training, education, and development for college students. We expect that our community will share best practices, provide critical evaluation of the field, examine standards for leadership programs, support national and regional efforts to develop student leadership programs, … (continued on page 2)
Developing Leaders Seminar Whitney Hedge, Assistant Director of Student Activities & Orientation, York College of Pennsylvania
In an effort to create a distinctive leadership experience for students at YCP, we created
the Developing Leaders Seminar (DLS). DLS is an 8-week, non credit, leadership experience for sophomore and junior students that focuses on four topic areas: leadership development, civic engage-
ment, diversity and inclusion, and professionalism. Highlights of the program include 6 in-class sessions presented by a variety of professionals on campus on topics from StrenghtQuest, team (continued on page 3)
SLPKC NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER
Meet the SLPKC Executive Board Jimmy Brown, Chair University of Chicago Kim Kushner-Cook, Chair University of Missouri-Kansas City Sean Ryan, Chair Elect Longwood University Avani Rana, Chair Elect The College of New Jersey Rachel Winters, Conf. Events University of Virginia Michele Kurtz, Conf. Events Wake Forest University Meghan Perez, Grad. Support University of Tennessee Chris Campbell, Grad. Support University of Vermont Benjamin Williams, Lit. Review Georgia Tech Amy Fitzjarrald, Lit. Review University of Houston Megan Webster, Newsletter Fairfield University Maggie McCarthy, Newsletter University of Missouri– St. Louis Kaitlyn Cooper, Podcast Wake Forest University Morgan Zuziak, Podcast University of Nevada– Reno Jeff Nilsen, Pre Conf. University of Chicago Amy Ackerman, Pre Conf. University of Virginia Page 2
A Word from the Co-Chairs Continued (Continued from Previous Page)
support national and regional efforts to develop student leadership programs, make contributions to the literature, recognize exemplary programs, and cultivate a forum for the presentation of new ideas. To help meet this mission, we have identified the following strategic goals for our term as co-chairs.
SLP-KC STRATEGIC GOALS 2017-2018 Increase our online presence through the use of social media and interactive fea-
tures on the NASPA website. Find opportunities for face-to-face interactions of SLPKC members, both regionally and during our National Convention. Strengthen the relationships between the SLPKC and the other KCs, which will allow us to reach a broader audience of professionals. Strengthen our Regional connections, finding new opportunities for our Regional Representatives to serve as resources for best practices and current research related to student training and development. Provide scholarly research opportunities for leadership educators in all aspects of leadership development and assessment.
WEBINAR TEAM We have a few exciting resources to highlight that directly align with our strategic goals. First, our Webinar team has been working at full force this summer; we are hosting our first summer webinar on Wednesday, July 26 from 1:00p-2:00p EST. The link to register is https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1090379468023412993. Registration limited to 100 people.
PODCAST We are also excited to see our that Leadership Podcast has been an incredible success. We currently have 29 episodes, which include conversations with NASPA President Kevin Kruger, Dr. John Dugan, and highlights from amazing leadership programs from around the country. If you would like to listen/subscribe to our podcast, you can find all of the episodes here: https://soundcloud.com/user-606900324-709612745.
SPOTLIGHT SERIES & AWARDS Finally, we have reintroduced our Spotlight Series and Awards as an opportunity for our KC to recognize the exemplary leadership programs happening across the association. These quarterly awards will recognize programs in four categories: Research and Assessment, Influences on Student Learning in and out of the Classroom, Theory to Practice, and Collaborations and Partnerships. If you would like to submit a nomination, you can do so online at https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0jtYJBODFG6HaAJ. As we head into the Fall semester/quarter, we encourage you to follow our social media and check-out our website to stay up-to-date on all the resources and activities sponsored by the KC. We have many webinars, podcasts, and program highlights on the way! As a reminder, if there is anything that we can do to further support your work, please do not hesitate to contact us. We wish you the best of luck for the summer and upcoming academic year, and look forward to connecting with all of you in the upcoming months.
Summer 2017 SLPKC Newsletter
Developing Leaders Seminar Continued (Continued from Page 1)
building/group dynamics, social identity development, building professional relationships, servant leadership, and more. The Seminar also includes three hands-on activities: a one day ropes course adventure, a half day service project in downtown York, and being mentored throughout the semester by a local professional in town. The DLS mentoring component was
so successful, the College recently published a web article about it! The Seminar would not have been so successful without our help and collaboration from several offices across campus including: Office of Student Activities & Orientation, Intercultural Student Life & Global Programming, Career Development Center, and Center for Community Engagement.
For our first semester implementing the program we saw many successes. All 27 student participants were retained throughout the entire program and became graduates of the Seminar. 90% of the students have an increased confidence in their capacity to be a leader as a result of participating in DLS. 100% of students had a positive experience with
their community mentor and 100% of mentors found being a mentor was a rewarding experience. We are thrilled to expand this program in the fall to offer to sections of the Developing Leaders Seminar for our students!
Left: Ropes Course Adventure Right: Student KC with Mentor at a local women’s Alliance Brunch in town
Leadership: A Pathway to Career Success Megan Webster, Assistant Director of Leadership & Professional Development, Fairfield University
One might ask, what do the words career and leadership have to do with one another? The answer; more than you might imagine. Words and phrases containing “career” and “leadership” are often buzzwords used in higher education, sometimes without rhyme or reason, and often without malintent. But what happens when both words become used so often that there is no longer a strong and salient meaning and message behind it? Look at the words “sorry”, “literally”, “honestly” and “very”, to name a few, (Continued on next page) Page 3
SLPKC NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER
Leadership: A Pathway to Career Success Continued (Continued from previous page)
how often do we use them on a daily basis and how often are they over utilized or misused? Now think, how often are higher education buzzwords used? How many times in your day or week do you hear or use the words, “career”, “leadership”, “involvement”, “assessment”, “world-class”, “cutting-edge” (and about fifty others)? How many times do you see these words in recruitment materials? Online? In a conference proposal? The list is seemingly never ending, and when used so often, do they lose their merit and meaning? In a world where the term “leadership” is tossed around like hot cakes and talked about as often as the Kardashians on E!, what does it really mean? I will never forget the day a first-year student made an appointment with me, as the Assistant Director of Leadership and Professional Development on our campus, to talk about “leadership things” within the first month of school. When we met, she told me she wanted to find out about leadership opportunities on campus so she could do them. “Why?”, I asked. She answered, “So I can include it on my resume and so it can help me get an internship/job”. She was driven and had a clear cut four-year plan. I asked her what she thought of when it came to leadership or how she defined and looked at leadership. Crickets.
How many times do you see these words in recruitment materials? Online? In a conference proposal?
This student stuck with me for awhile. I was impressed by her ambition, but curious as to what cultivated her actions. We had a lengthy developmental conversations about who she was, her goals, and how it connected to her career aspirations. We talked about ideas, discussed action steps, and goals to set for herself. I have not worked with this specific student again, but I have seen her become a “yes” woman on-campus. Signing up for everything and anything, boosting her resume and leaving me to wonder how she could possibly balance all of those activities and give each 100%. It was not until talking with a fellow staff member where I learned that while she has great intentions, she struggles with following through on them. Leadership is something that so many of our students are groomed to ask about, want, and aspire to do when coming to college, but how can we best help them in their journey?
Daphney Alston, Region I Rep. Southern Connecticut State University
Stacey Malaret, Program Review University of Central Florida
Christina Ferrari, Region II Rep. SUNY Fashion Institute of Tech.
Heather Brake, Program Review Arkansas State University
Anthony Crenshaw, Region III Rep. University of Richmond
Lauren Krznarich, Social Media/Comm. Indiana University Bloomington
Myles Surrett, Lead- Communications The George Washington University
Matt Skoy, Region IV-W Rep. North Dakota State University
Susan Hua, Social Media/Comm. University of San Francisco
Aaron Jones, Lead– Conference University of California—Santa Cruz
Janna Bernstein, Region V Rep. University of Nevada– Las Vegas
Jared Eakins, Sponsorship Coord. University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign
Sally Parish, Lead– KC Collaborations The University of Memphis
Melanie Lee, Region V Rep. University of Utah
Christine Hernandez, Spotlight & Awards Mount Saint Mary’s University—LA
Jeffrey Domagala, Webinar University of Michigan
Trisienge Ortiz, Region VI Rep. Marshall B. Ketchum University
Taylor Stokes, Spotlight & Awards University of Florida
Joshua Fredenburg, Webinar Nova Southeastern University
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Meet the SLPKC Executive Board
Summer 2017 SLPKC Newsletter
Precollegiate Student Services Margaret McCarthy, Program Coordinator—Office of Precollegiate Student Services, University of Missouri– St. Louis.
In the field of higher education, our minds tend to envision first-year college students or sending our seniors off into the real world as a result of steadfast advising and coaching over their time at a university or college. This vision is one that was embedded in my mind during my undergradu-
ate and graduate career, it was not until accepting my first full-time position as a Program Coordinator for the Office of Precollegiate and Multicultural Student Services, that I understood the connection, and even more so, the need to focus our efforts on preparing our college students before they even step foot on campus is imperative. In assessing the needs of our precollegiate students, personality traits
and leadership are exhibited and honed in ways that will help student acclimate to campus better than ever before seen. If you have an office like this on campus, make sure to celebrate the work that they are doing because some of our precollegiate students could become collegiates at other’s institutions. #PassItOn
NASPA Leadership Podcast The summer often slows down for many of us in the field, making it a perfect time to catch up on the recent episodes of the NASPA Leadership Podcast. Throughout May, the Podcast featured a 6-part series with Dr. John Dugan, Professor in the Higher Education Program at Loyola University, Chicago and Principal Investigator for the Multi-
Institutional Study of Leadership. The series focuses on John’s recently published book, Leadership Theory: Cultivating Critical Perspectives and the partnering Facilitator’s Guide. The most recent episode is a Q&A with Dr. Susan Komives where she answers questions provided by student affairs professionals across the nation. We’d love
to hear your ideas for topics and future guests! Reach out to us at naspaleaderpodcast@gm ail.com.
Pre-Conference Survey The Student Leadership Programs Knowledge Community is looking to get feedback on this year's pre-conference session. It is our goal to provide a meaningful session that will contribute to the overall conference experience. Please take 3 minutes to fill out the survey here. If you have any questions or further suggestions please email: Jeff Nilsen, jnilsen2@uchicago.edu and/or Amy Ackerman, amy@madisonhouse.org. Direct Link: goo.gl/12gHe2
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The most recent episode is a Q&A with Dr. Susan Komives where she answers questions provided by student affairs professionals
SLPKC NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER
Leadership Expedition Derek Gutierrez, Coordinator for Student Organizations and Leadership Development, California State University, Monterey Bay
From March 20 to March 24, 2017, 11 students at California State University, Monterey Bay had the opportunity to embark on the Leadership Expedition - a high impact program planned collaboratively by our University’s Student Activities & Leadership Development and Outdoor Recreation Departments. The expedition was located in the beautiful backcountry of Tomales Bay, a part of Point Reyes National Seashore just north of San Francisco. Grounded in the Social Change Model, students were given the opportunity to develop commitments to further action for social responsibility and change. What made this leadership program unique, is how the grounding leadership theory was connected to experiential leadership training of Outdoor Recreation. Expeditionary skills related to group management and self awareness allowed participants to have hands on experience developing and practicing their own leadership style - providing a real life setting in which to apply the values of the Social Change Model. This rich combination led to an environment where students could more deeply engage in exploration of their personal leadership philosophies. One student commented in a learning assessment following the trip, “My personal leadership philosophy is that anyone can be a leader by being aware of themselves and contributing their talents to groups and communities.” This quote demonstrates and understanding of the non-hierarchical nature of leadership, the necessity for individual reflection and capacity development to be a better leader, and the resolution of individual leadership with group and community leadership change efforts discussed in the Social Change Model. Furthermore, another student mentioned, “The biggest takeaway from this trip was the absolute beauty of the bay. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we went up to the top of the hill to the elk reserve. It will be something I will never forget.” This depiction of connection to nature through experiential education, coupled with the leadership development occurring through the leadership curriculum of the trip, provided for a rich and high impact learning experience for participants. This trip will now become an annual staple of CSUMB’s leadership initiatives. We are very excited for what next year’s expedition will have in store! For more information about this program including curriculum, materials, or suggestions for how to bring this to your campus, please contact the Coordinator of Student Organizations and Leadership Development at CSUMB, Derek Gutierrez: degutierrez@csumb.edu.
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Summer 2017 SLPKC Newsletter
Spotlight Series Submissions—OPEN! The SLP-KC recognizes the contributions of members who are transforming higher education through outstanding and innovative leadership programs and services. All NASPA members are encouraged to share successes and highlight good or promising practices in student leadership regarding research and assessment, influences on student learning in and outside the classroom, and programs, initiatives or courses that innovatively translate theory to practice. Individuals can nominate or self-nominate exemplary student leadership programs for the SLP-KC Spotlight Series. Selected programs will be spotlighted in our newsletter, through social media, and recognized at the NASPA SLP-KC annual conference gathering.
SPOTLIGHT SERIES CATEGORIES INCLUDE: - Research and Assessment - Influences on Student Learning in and out of the Classroom
SPOTLIGHT SERIES APPLICATIONS will be reviewed for consideration on July 30 (2017), December 4 (2018), and April 30 (2018).
- Theory to Practice - Collaborations and Partnerships
NEEDED TO SUBMIT: - Contact Information - Program Title - Program Abstract (100 words or less) - Intended Learning Outcomes - Assessment Findings (if applicable) - Links to Online Media - Photos of the Program
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TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION visit http:// bit.ly/SLPKC_SpotlightSeries. For more information or if you have questions, please contact taylors@leadershipandservice.ufl.edu.
Summer 2017 SLPKC Newsletter
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@SALEAD STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR FAVORITE FOLKS AT THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY!
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, OR SUBMISSIONS? CONTACT YOUR NEWSLETTER CO-CHAIRS! Megan Webster—Mwebster@fairfield.edu Maggie McCarthy– Mccarthymarg@umsl.edu