2012 NASPA Annual Conference s Phoenix, Arizona s March 10–14, 2012

Overcome the Obstacle:Developing a Curricular Leadership Program

Dr. Susan Komives, Joshua Hiscock, Evan WittUniversity of Maryland – College Park

Outline of Presentation

• Introductions• Components of a Curricular Leadership Program• Obstacles Involved with the Process• CASE STUDY: The University of Maryland• Small Group Discussions• Participant Sharing: Examples from Campuses• Supporting and Enhancing Curricular Offerings• Discussion

Learning Outcomes

As a result of participating in this session, participants will:– Learn what a curricular leadership program includes– Understand how to overcome obstacles associated with

creating a curricular leadership program– Share a best practice in curricular leadership– Create a network of leadership educators working to

advance the field of leadership education

Getting to Know You

• Introductions– Name– Role or Position– Institution– What was your motivation for attending this

session?

Status of Curricular Leadership

According to the International Leadership Association, there are currently over

1,500 curricular leadership programs offering majors, minors, and certificates

around the world.

Foci for a Curricular Program

• Leadership Studies• Leadership Education• Leadership Development

Roberts, D. C.,&Ullom, C. (1989). Student leadership program model. NASPA Journal, 27(1), 67–74.

Components of a Curricular Program

• How does the context of the leadership education program affect the program?

• What is the conceptual framework of the leadership education program?

• What is the content of the leadership education program and how was it derived?

• What are the students’ developmental levels and what teaching and learning methods are most appropriate to ensure maximum student learning?

• What are the intended outcomes of the leadership education program and how are they assessed and used to ensure continuous quality improvement?

International Leadership Association. (2009). Guiding questions: Guidelines for leadership education programs. College Park, MD: Author.

Components of a Co-Curricular Program

Co-curricular student leadership programs…• Must advance student competencies in the categories of: a)

foundations of leadership, b) personal development, c) interpersonal development, and d) the development of groups, organizations, and systems.

• Must provide multiple delivery formats, strategies, and contexts. SLP must be intentionally designed to meet the developmental needs of participants across diverse contexts. SLP programs must be based on principles of active learning.

• Must collaborate with campus and community partners

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2009). The role of student leadership programs.. Washington, DC: Author.

Obstacles

• Is Leadership Studies a legitimized field of study?• What department “owns” leadership?• Where might leadership credits be sponsored?• Student participation and recruitment• Student buy-in and the process of establishing a program

identity• Creating courses and designing a curriculum• Need for faculty and instructors

Assets of a Curricular Leadership Program

• Curricular leadership programs often fit well with institutional mission statements

• Leadership skills are often required in multiple academic disciplines and curricular leadership courses provide these skills in an outcomes-based environment

• Leadership programs benefit the entire campus community

Case Study - Background

• Courses and Culture• Academic Department Partnership (CAPS)• Proposal Process• Staff Support

Case Study – The Minor

• First 20 qualified applicants• 18 Credit Hours (some academic stipulations)

• Required Courses:– EDCP 217 - Introduction to Student Leadership– EDCP 315 - Student Leadership in Groups and

Organizations– EDCP 318 - Applied Contextual Leadership or EDCP418

Special Topics in Leadership (Leadership & Identity courses)

– EDCP 417 - Advanced Leadership Seminar– Two Electives (at least one at 300 level)

Case Study – Challenges

• Selection (Applicant interest exceeds available openings)

• Sustainability• Visibility• Program Diversity

Small Group

Please form the following small groups:• You do not have any credit-bearing leadership courses• You have some credit-bearing leadership courses that you

want to organize into a Leadership Studies major, minor, or certificate program

• You want to create a non-credit bearing co-curricular certificate program that is administered by your department

• You currently have a major, minor, or certificate in Leadership Studies and want to gain insight into ways to enhance the current offerings

Steps to Collaborate and Enhance Programs

• Network with colleagues world-wide through:– National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs– International Leadership Association– Association for Leadership Educators– NASPA and ACPA

• Know what is happening on your own campus already to avoid duplicating efforts

• Begin with one piece and do it well!

Resources

• Student Leadership 101 On-line Learning Series– Sponsored by: Jossey-Bass and NCLP

www.josseybassstudentleadership.com

• Handbook for Student Leadership Development (2nd Ed.)– Available Through: Jossey-Bass

• Concepts & Connections (Volume 18, Issue 2)– Available from: NCLP

• Academic Literature on Leadership Majors and Minors– Brungardt– Klenke

Resources

• Sharp, M. D., Komives, S. R., & Fincher, J. (2011). Learning outcomes in academic disciplines: Identifying common ground. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. 48, 481-504.

• University of Arizona - Leadership Competencies from Academic Disciplines Project– http://leadership.arizona.edu/org/ualeadership/SLCs

Learning Outcomes - Revisited

As a result of participating in this session, participants have:– Learned what a curricular leadership program includes– Gained an understanding of how to overcome obstacles

associated with creating a curricular leadership program– Shared a best practice in curricular leadership– Created a network of leadership educators working to

advance the field of leadership education

Discussion

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