The SALP Leadership Experience
“Stated simply: students learn by becoming involved.” –Astin
The SALP leadership experience is designed to meet the varying levels of leadership development needs for you at WMU, whether you are the emerging leader, or the more seasoned student leader. The Leadership programs are co-curricular, meaning that the purpose is to add experiences, opportunities, and an added dimension to your life outside of the classroom. Research tells us that your learning and personal development is directly related to the quantity and quality of your involvement in your process of learning, including participation in the leadership activities (Astin, 1985). Additionally, students who are involved in leadership activities have higher levels of educational attainment than students who do not participate in these activities (Astin, 1993).
The leadership curriculum is comprised of four phases, with the addition of supplemental leadership experiences. You do not need to progress directly from phase one to 5, but can cater it to fit your leadership goals. The curriculum is rooted in the SALP Leadership Philosophy, which serves to help you develop and cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary to impact and influence the Western Michigan campus as well as the community. The curriculum also draws on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute). The model was designed to enhance the development of leadership qualities in all students—whether you hold a formal leadership position or not. We also utilize this model to help reinforce that leadership is a process rather a position. The ultimate goal is for us to help you develop into a well-rounded leader and be able to transfer the leadership skills that you acquire to life beyond and outside of Western Michigan.
Phase 1 (Emerging Leaders Program) of the curriculum is designed to address general leadership development topics including team-building, exposure to leadership at the collegiate level, leadership theory, and community building.
Phase 2 (Fall Leadership Retreat) builds on concepts of phase one, and includes ethical decision-making, advanced level problem solving, and identifying leadership styles.
Phase 3 (Spring Leadership Retreat) builds on the concepts of phase 2 and will require you to begin to put your leadership skills into action.
Phase 4 (Registered Student Organization Leadership Conference) is a leadership experience that will focus on helping RSO leaders with planning, coalition building, and running an effective organization.
Phase 5 (Facilitation & Coordination) is the culminating leadership experience for students who have participated in phases 1 through 4 of the leadership curriculum. This phase is designed to give you the opportunity to participate in the planning and facilitation of phases 1 through 4 of the curriculum. All phases of the curriculum include elements of diversity/social justice, problem-solving, and team-building.
In addition to phases 1 through 5, you will have the opportunity to participate in supplemental leadership and civic engagement experiences including the Multicultural Leadership Luncheon, Fall Into the Streets, Spring Into the Streets, the Women in Leadership Conference, Fraternity & Sorority Life, and the First Year Seminar Leadership Sections.
Emerging Leaders (Formerly 'Leadership Track')
Leadership Experience Phase 1
Monday, August 31st-Friday, September 4th
Emerging Leaders is a week-long leadership program for incoming first year students during Fall Welcome Week. The idea of this program is to provide you with the first phase of the leadership programs within the leadership series. This program will assist you in your transition from high school leadership to leadership skill-building and experiences at the collegiate level. Each day, you will spend between two and four hours on introductory level skill-building activities, presentations, team builders, etc. A panel discussion with current student leaders will also be featured, along with interactions with current student leaders, and a dinner with the VP of Student Affairs. Full-time Student Activities staff, as well as graduate assistants and other staff from across campus will facilitate sessions.
Fall Leadership Retreat
Leadership Experience Phase 2
Friday, October 30th-Saturday, October 31st
The Fall Leadership Retreat will serve as the second phase of the leadership experience. This program is designed to meet the leadership development needs for all students, and covers topics at a deeper level than the phase one Emerging Leaders Program. The retreat is a two-day program held at a retreat center off campus. At the retreat, you will have the opportunity to explore leadership values, ethical decision making, advanced problem solving, and social justice & diversity, and leadership styles. In this retreat, we go more in depth with the leadership topics that are covered. The retreat will include advanced group problem solving activities and a low-ropes course led by the Sherman Lake YMCA Retreat Center staff.
Spring Leadership Retreat
Leadership Experience Phase 3
Spring 2010 (Date TBD)
The Spring Leadership Retreat will be designed to be a continuation of the Fall Leadership Retreat. The program will be open to all students, although students who have attended the Fall Leadership Retreat will be targeted to participate. The retreat will include a high ropes course led and facilitated by the Sherman Lake YMCA Retreat Center staff.
RSO Leadership Conference
Phase 4
Summer 2010 (Date TBD)
This program is currently being developed by a committee of university staff and student leaders. This program will be the largest of all leadership programs that we sponsor and will take place at a local hotel and conference center. We have over 300 Registered Student Organizations on campus and executive board members from all organizations will be encouraged to participate. There will be a number of training and skill building sessions as well as organizational planning time for the upcoming school year (the program will take place during the summer). We realize the importance of this type of training because many of our organizations are training themselves with little or no experience in leadership development. This program will be held in late July or early August of 2010.
Student Leader Facilitation Experience
Phase 5
On-going
Phase 5 of the student leadership experience will give advanced student leaders the opportunity to assist in the facilitation of phases 1 through 4. In this phase, you will assist in the planning process as well as the implementation process of leadership and service programs. You will have the opportunity to utilize the skills gained through phases 1 through 4 of the leadership experience, as well as skills obtained through other involvement and campus leadership opportunities. In the current leadership curriculum offerings, it is possible to complete all phases of the leadership curriculum before your third year. The facilitation experiences will provide junior and senior students with the opportunity to continue to develop your leadership skills for the remainder of your time at Western.
Leadership Luncheon
Supplemental Leadership Experience
Spring 2010 (Date TBD)
The leadership luncheon is a leadership designed to supplement the phases 1 through 5 of the leadership curriculum. This luncheon will feature a keynote speaker and a seated lunch for students. The keynote address will cater to students at all levels of leadership development, including the graduate student population.
Women in Leadership Conference/Retreat
Supplemental Leadership Experience for women
Spring 2010 (Date TBD)
The Women in Leadership conference will launch in the spring of 2010. This leadership experience will be designed to meet the unique needs of women leaders, as it relates to your leadership development at the collegiate level and beyond. Benchmarking for this program is currently taking place.
Leadership First-Year Seminar Course
Supplemental Leadership Experience for first-year students
Fall 2009—Tuesday/Thursday 2-3:15 p.m.
Course numbers 43452 & 43903 (2 sections)
The First Year Seminar leadership sections (2) will be launched in the fall 2009 in a partnership between the First Year Experience Program and the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Programs staff. Two sections of the course will be offered, giving approximately 50 first-year students the opportunity to take advantage of these course offerings. Each section will be facilitated by a professional staff member from the Student Activities & Leadership Programs office, and an advanced level student leader. Learning outcomes for this course will remain consistent with the other FYS sections, but will include select outcomes that are specific to the two leadership development sections.
Volunteer Services
The Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute) explicitly promotes the values of equity, social justice, self-knowledge, personal empowerment, collaboration, citizenship, and service. Through a collaborative environment where you will interact with others, “service” provides a powerful means for developing student leadership capabilities. Learning happens when you make meaning of various life experiences.
Volunteer Extravaganza
Friday, September 11, 2009
Volunteer Extravaganza (VE) is an annual event, taking place during Bronco Bash. VE allows for up to 30 non-profit organizations and agencies to expose Western students to their services and volunteer opportunities in the Kalamazoo area. Agencies also have the opportunity to recruit student volunteers to serve with their agencies.
Fall Into the Streets
First Year Seminar (FYS) Service Experience
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fall Into the Streets involves a partnership between the Student Activities & Leadership Programs office and the First Year Experience office. Fall Into the Streets is designed to assist FYS instructors with the planning of their required co-curricular service requirement. In addition, there will be education and reflection components that are integral to a successful service project. The SALP office will serve as a liaison between the FYS class sections and local non-profit agencies and organizations. The program will consist of pre-education, a kick-off event on the day of the event, the service project, and in-class reflection following the event.
Spring into the Streets
Service Experience
Spring 2010 (Details and Date TBD)
Spring into the Streets takes on a slightly different format that Fall into the Streets, and involves teams of students from registered student organizations and from the fraternity and sorority community. Individual students may also register, and will be placed on teams. In addition to the service experience for students, there will also be leadership opportunities for students interested in serving on the planning committee (see phase 5). The event includes a kick-off, service, pre-education and reflection at the service sites. New for the 2010 SITS, university faculty and staff will be encouraged to participate alongside students.
References
Astin, A.W. (1993). What matters in college: four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Astin, A.W. (1985). Achieving educational excellence: A critical assessment of priorities
and practices in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Higher Education Research Institute. (1996). A Social Change Model of Leadership Development: Guidebook Version III. Los Angeles: The Regents of the University of California.