| Title | Student Leadership and Involvement Program: Initiatives and Expansion |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | VP Students |
| Status | Completed |
| Duration | 2 Year |
| Initiation | 04/01/2004 |
| Completion | 03/31/2006 |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2004/2005 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Chad Hyson |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 85,000 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Chad Hyson, Student Development Officer, Student Development, Office of the Vice-President, Students |
| Year 1: Summary | The aim of a comprehensive UBC Leadership and Involvement Program is to serve the UBC community and subsequently the greater community. This is accomplished through the delivery of initiatives, programs and events that foster the development, education and training of current and potential student leaders. As stated in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Report Leadership Reconsidered: Engaging Higher Education in Social Change, “A leader…can be anyone… who serves as an effective social change agent. In this sense…every student is a potential leader.” Thus it is also essential to provide opportunities for participation in the campus community to promote the experiential learning process inherent with involvement. The expansion of the program will continue to increase access to students who do not hold positional leadership roles. As the report continues they purport that, “… any sustained activity that regularly brings the student into contact with other people represents a potential opportunity to apply the leadership principles and to develop leadership skills.” Additionally, the Council for the Advancement of Standards in higher Education (CAS) states in The Role of Leadership Programs for Students, “Campuses that seek to develop a comprehensive leadership program will recognize the need to make intentional leadership development opportunities available to all students through coordinated campus-wide efforts.” Pilots such as the Student Leadership Conference and the Emerging Leaders Initiative have clearly met these objectives. The Leadership and Involvement Program has had the opportunity to establish itself as a significant and meaningful addition to the UBC community over the past two years. Start up funding from TLEF and other sources has enabled the Leadership and Involvement Division to initiate and provide a while host of important developmental, educational and training programs to the student-leaders on this campus. Due to the success and impact that these projects have had on our community, $75,000 base funding has been secured to sustain the activities piloted through TLEF and other sources. While the successful implementation of the initial stages of a UBC Leadership and Involvement Program, the next phase involves the expansion of current activities and the development of new initiatives to enhance the UBC experience for current and potential student leaders, and the campus community at large. It is vital to provide and raise awareness of opportunities at UBC where interested students can get involved and cultivate their leadership and citizenship skills. |
| Year 2: Project Year | Year 2 |
| Year 2: Funding Year | 2005/2006 |
| Year 2: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 2: Principal Investigator | Chad Hyson |
| Year 2: Funded Amount | 72,879 |
| Year 2: Team Members | Chad Hyson, Student Development Officer, Student Leadership and Involvement, Student Development, Office of the Vice-President, Students |
| Year 2: Summary | OBJECTIVE: We propose to deliver expanded offerings of the Leadership Speaker Series, the Emerging Leaders Initiative, the Student Leadership Recognition Ceremony and the Leadership Workshop Series, as well as introduce the UBC Orientation Programs Leaders Training. These programs will use the skills developed in leadership and involvement programs to fulfill the TREK mission that the graduates of UBC will have developed strong analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking abilities; they will have excellent research and communication skills; they will be knowledgeable, flexible, and innovative. As responsible members of society, the graduates of UBC will value diversity, work with and for their communities, and be agents for positive change. They will acknowledge their obligations as global citizens, and strive to secure a sustainable and equitable future for all. Additionally, this proposal seeks to support UBC's efforts to attract and retain outstanding students. Top Canadian universities are now competing for the best and brightest students from the national and international scene and those applicants are no longer satisfied with just outstanding degree programs. They are looking beyond the academic achievements they can gain, to the development of marketable leadership skills and experiences and the opportunity to contribute to their community as part of their complete educational experience. RATIONALE: The Leadership and Involvement Program supports UBC students as they develop leadership and citizenship skills through their involvement in their learning and in their communities. Learning in a post-secondary education environment encompasses curricular and co-curricular education that allows students to acquire and use their knowledge in a meaningful way. The leadership skills acquired in orientation programs or peer programs are replicated daily as students engage in team assignments and seminar classes. The organizational skills they develop as emerging leaders are practiced in essay writing and class presentations. The analytical skills used in peer programs and student government are also used in research and experiential learning. Also, the commitment students make as student leaders represents a high level of engagement in both their learning and their community creating an exciting opportunity to develop global leaders who can integrate their formal education into their life beyond the classroom and as life-long learners. Leadership and involvement programs offer an opportunity for students to build on their formal education, to work with other students across disciplines and to develop citizenship and global perspectives and skills that demonstrate the distinctive educational opportunities offered at UBC. Our programs are accessible to all students, regardless of their program of study and whether or not they hold formal leadership roles, build a sense of collegiality and citizenship, and support faculty-student interaction and learning beyond the classroom. International and domestic students have opportunities to share concepts of leadership, assume new roles with their peers and mentor students from different backgrounds and experiences. Students from UBC-O and UBC-V have opportunities to engage in these programs on their campuses and across the UBC system. Learning is inherently social. Creating networks and relationships facilitates learning and creates opportunity for ideas to flourish beyond the definition of academic disciplines. The skills acquired through leadership activities at university become a valuable resource that students take from UBC into the world of work, the world of parenting and the world of lifelong learning. Further, as students acquire skills and knowledge, they have opportunities to take on new roles to teach and support their peers who are at earlier stages of leadership development. Finally, the programs and activities undertaken in these programs are built on leading edge research in the field of student development. Using best practices, encouraging faculty to participate in the development and delivery of these programs, and supporting mentorship opportunities provides new and unconventional opportunities to contribute to teaching for students and instructors. |