Outcomes inventory

Leadership Inventory Revised 1/25/2010 1

LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT

Outcomes & Evidence

Progress Inventory*

MINOR IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES Center for Student Leadership Development

Memorial Union

University of Rhode Island

Name: Alyssa Hernandez

Date Enrolled: January 2009

Date of Graduation: May 2012

*The Outcomes & Evidence Progress Inventory is the intellectual property of the Center for Student Leadership Development (CSLD)

at the University of Rhode Island and cannot be reproduced in part, or in its entirety, without the written permission of the acting

Assistant Director of the CSLD.


CONTENTS

ABOUT THE MINOR & CENTER FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (information included)

Minor Information

Center for Student Leadership Development Information

Developmental Model

ADVISING INFORMATION (students will include own documentation)

Tracking Sheet / Advising Updates

Syllabi of Minor Classes (Core and Electives)

Internship

o Guidelines

o Syllabus

o Mid-term

o Final

OUTCOMES

Outcomes (Self-Leadership, Interpersonal and Organizational, Leadership Theories, Inclusive Leadership,

Critical Thinking)

Targeted Classes

Experiences

Evidence


MINOR IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES The minor in Leadership Studies at URI is based on a broad, cross-disciplinary philosophy of leadership. The minor will prepare students with opportunities to develop and

enhance a personal philosophy of leadership: understanding of self; understanding of and ability to relate to others; community and the acceptance of responsibilities inherent in

community membership. The curriculum focuses on expanding students’ knowledge, skills, and understanding of specific leadership theories, concepts, models, and modern

leadership issues in applied settings. The goal is to prepare students for leadership roles and responsibilities on campus and in career, community, family leadership roles and field

of study.

SPECIAL FEATURES

FOCUSED CORE-courses that cover a breadth and depth of leadership theories, concepts, and models

SKILLS-leadership training directed at skill development in personal perseverance, effective communication, public speaking, group development, values development, diversity and inclusion,

critical thinking, decision-making, and problem solving

APPLIED LEARNING-academic and co-curricular experiences and reflection intended to empower students to develop greater levels of leadership complexity, integration, and proficiency,

such as group membership and leadership, internships, portfolio development, and journaling.

FLEXIBILITY-electives may be selected from over 60 classes from 14 academic departments

INTERNSHIP-required work in an internship focuses on the application of leadership knowledge and skills in a work-like setting

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING-Each year, students in the minor participate in meaningful experiences, such as the First Year Student Leadership Retreat, the Sophomore Retreat, the Junior

Day (career preparation and etiquette), and the Senior Expedition.

PORTFOLIO-guarantees that students will analyze and synthesize their experiences before they graduate. Serves as visual documentation of their experiences.

ENROLLMENT

Undergraduate students at URI may declare a minor in Leadership Studies no earlier than sophomore year.

Enrollment forms can be picked up during an initial appointment with a Leadership staff member. The Center for Student Leadership Development (CSLD) is located in

Memorial Union Room 210, phone 874-2626

Once a student declares a minor in Leadership Studies, the major Academic Advisor must be informed and sign the Enrollment Form, and the form is returned to the CSLD.

A student will work with a CSLD staff member as their “Program Advisor”. The Program Advisor will facilitate the student’s progress through the minor and help ensure

that the necessary required and elected courses are completed.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

Requirements may be satisfied by completing 18 or more credits related to leadership and offered by more than one department.

To declare this minor, you must have approval of your major academic advisor and a staff member of the CSLD who will serve as your “Program Advisor.” Once approved,

the minor will be listed on your transcript.

Eighteen credits are required for this minor, twelve of which must be at the 200 level of instruction or above. A course grade of “C” or better must be earned in each graded

course. At least twelve of the credits must be earned at URI.

No course may be used to apply to both the major and minor fields of study. Courses in General Education or for other minors may be used for the minor* (*this does not

apply to students in the College of Business). With the exception of internship credit, all courses for the minor must be taken for a grade. The Introductory class must be taken

before the internship and the capstone course.

Application for the minor must be filed in your academic dean’s office no later than the beginning of the final semester or term.

Approval of the minor does not guarantee that the suggested courses will be available to you on a schedule correlated with your graduation plans nor guarantee space in any

required course.


CORE REQUIREMENTS- 9 Credits

One introductory course (3 credits):

HDF 190: FLITE (First Year Leaders Inspired to Excellence) - For first year students in the spring semester only

HDF 290: Modern Leadership Issues - For sophomores and juniors only; offered in the fall and spring semesters

One capstone course (3 credits):

HDF 412: leadership Capstone - Historical, Multiethnic, & Alternative - Preference given to seniors; fall only

COM 402: Leadership & Management (Leatham) - Spring and summer only

BUS 441/MGT 402: Leadership and Motivation (Beauvais/Cooper)- Spring only

HPR 412: Honor’s Seminar (Beauvais) - Spring only; 3.5 GPA requirement

Internship (minimally 2 credits; 80 hours):

HDF 417: Leadership Minor Internship - Spring, summer, and fall

Internship approved through the student’s academic department or through the Office of Experiential Education - must also be approved for credit in advance by a CSLD staff

member

Portfolio class (1 credit):

HDF 492: Leadership Minor Portfolio – Spring only

MINOR ELECTIVES-9 credits

*Additional classes may be appropriate and therefore added to the list; see CSLD for the most updated list or bring a class that you think should be an elective

AAF 300: Civil Rights Movement in the US

BUS 341: Organizational Behavior

BUS 342: Human Resource Management

BUS 441: Leadership & Motivation (capstone option)

BUS 443: Organizational Design & Change

BUS 448: International Dimensions of Business

BUS 449: Entrepreneurship

COM 100: Communication Fundamentals

COM 202: Public Speaking

COM 208: Argumentation and Debate

COM 210: Persuasion: The Rhetoric of Influence

COM 221: Interpersonal Communication

COM 250: Small Group Communication

COM 302: Advanced Public Speaking

COM 308: Advanced Argumentation

COM 322: Gender & Communication

COM 351: Oral Comm. in Business & the Professions

COM 361: Intercultural Communication

COM 383: Rhetorical Theory

COM 385: Communication and Social Influence

COM 402: Leadership and Motivation (capstone option)

COM 407: Political Communication

COM 415: The Ethics of Persuasion

COM 421: Advanced Interpersonal Communication

COM 422: Communication and Conflict

COM 441: Race, Politics and the Media

COM 450: Organizational Communication

COM 461/462: Managing Cultural Differences in

Organizations

CSV 302: URI Community Service

HDF 190: First-Year Leaders Inspired to Excellence (FLITE)

(introductory course option)

HDF 290: Modern Lead. Issues (introductory course option)

HDF 291: Peer Leadership - Rose Butler Browne Program

HDF 412: Historical, Multi-Ethnic, & Alt. Leadership

(capstone option)

HDF 413: Student Organization Leadership Consulting

HDF 414: Leadership for Activism and Social Change

HDF 415: FLITE Peer Leadership

HDF 416: Leadership in Organizations

HDF 417: Leadership Minor Internship

HDF 437: Law & Families in the U.S.

HDF 450: Introduction to Counseling

HPR 118: Honors Course in Speech Communications

HPR 203: The Prepared Mind

HPR 412: Honors Seminar (capstone option)

MSL 101: Introduction to Military Leadership

MSL 201: Leadership & Military History

MSL 201: Military Skills and History of Warfare

MSL 202: Leadership & Team Building

MSL 301: Leadership & Management

PEX 375: Women in Sport-Contemporary Perspectives

PHL 212: Ethics

PSC 304: Introduction to Public Administration

PSC 369: Legislative Process and Public Policy

PSC 504: Ethics in Public Administration

SOC300/WMS350: Women and Work

THE 221: Stage Management

THE 341: Theater Management

WMS 150: Introduction to Women’s Studies

WMS 310: Race, Class, Sexuality in Women’s Lives

WMS 350: International Women’s Issues


CENTER FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Office: Memorial Union Room 210 Phone: (401) 874-2726 Fax: (401) 874-5317

The Center for Student Leadership Development has a two pronged mission:

1. To engage in research and assessment in order to contribute to the field of leadership studies.

2. To provide developmental opportunities for students to become informed, inclusive, and effective leaders in their careers, communities, and family lives.

We strive to help our students become: Action-oriented, Courageous, Creative, Critical, Empathetic, Ethical, Honest, Inclusive, Informed, Optimistic, Passionate,

Patient, Proactive, Self-disciplined, Tenacious, Thoughtful, and Trustworthy.

We work to help our students develop and refine the following skills:

The ability to analyze, criticize, synthesize and utilize information to their career, community, and family leadership roles.

The organizational and interpersonal skills to implement their knowledge.

The ability to utilize historical / multicultural / alternative theories and methods

The ability to be inclusive, not by being an expert on all cultures (race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, ability), but by having a general knowledge and

respect difference and varied perspectives, and by being able to consider and include cultural differences in membership and leadership roles.

The ability to think critically; neither to manipulate when communicating nor to be manipulated.

Supporting Values and Theories:

We believe that all students, no matter what the GPA or previous leadership/membership experience, deserve a chance to engage in leadership development opportunities

We believe that students should create their own definitions of success

We believe that “no one person has all of the truth, we each have a piece of it”. We strive to broaden the base of sources from which students draw their knowledge by exposing

them to as many types of leaders and citizens as possible.

We believe that students learn best in their chosen contexts (constructivism), so we create classes, programs, and services that meet students where they are; are programs are

organized into tracks:

a. Emerging Leadership (HDF 190 & 290)

b. Organizational Leadership (Greek Life – HDF 416, ROTC)

c. Leadership for Activism and Social Change (HDF 414)

d. Experiential Leadership (Challenge Course, HDF 413)

e. Outreach and Peer Leadership (HDF 415)

The CSLD teaches a variety of leadership theories, but focuses on three: Social Change Model, Astin et al; Relational Leadership, Komives, McMahon & Lucas &

Servant Leadership, Greenleaf

We know that students have different learning styles, and therefore, our methodologies/pedagogies must reflect these styles.

We believe that students are better educated with a balance of challenge and supportive mechanisms (Sanford)

We must assure an effective framework by providing programs and services in four delivery categories (Robert’s & Ullom):

a. training (preparation for current roles)

b. education (regarding leadership and leaders in general)

c. development (skill improvement)

d. experiential learning (practice)


BECOMING A POSITIVE LEADER THROUGH DEVELOPMENT & INVOLVEMENT

Wilson, 1998 (URI Memorial Union / Center for Student Leadership Development) Revised after the publication of Exploring Leadership: for College Students Who Want to Make a Difference by Komovies, McMahon and Lucas, 1998.

You need to have your own act together before you can lead others:

1. Know Yourself Strengths Weaknesses Values Needs Styles

o Learning o Teaching o Personality o Membership o Leadership

2. Lead Yourself Time management Organization Self care Self discipline Perseverance Develop and maintain family,

interpersonal, and intimate relationships Academic, social, personal goals and

objectives

4. Develop and Refine Skills

Leadership theory and

practice Communication Group Development Inclusion Citizen Activist Skills Critical Thinking Teaching and Programming

3. Broaden Your Perspectives… Understand others Hierarchy of needs Racial, cultural, gender, sexual orientation,

religious, class, ability, etc. diversity and commonalities

Power, privilege, oppression, liberation; individual and institutional discrimination

RE-EVALUATE former stages as

you progress

P R O G R E S S

PROGRESS

PROGRESS

P R O G R E S S

Lead Others


OUTCOMES

In this section, you will track your progress toward the outcomes. Each class in the minor targets different outcomes; all of the classes list these

outcomes on the syllabi (the words “goals” or “curriculum areas” may be used instead). In many of our classes, the assignments can serve as your

evidence. Periodically, and not less than at the end of each semester, you should update your outcomes progress. In the “additional experiences”

column, name additional classes or experiences that contributed to you becoming proficient in that outcome. As the semesters pass, you will think of

things from recent semesters and semesters further in the past, or people or jobs, etc. in your past that also influenced your progress on that outcome.

Do not let that ambiguity upset you. Reflecting on development is not a linear process, but it does help to reflect often. In the “descriptive notes”

column, share insights about your growth, lack of progress, successes, stumbling blocks, etc. At the end of each section, you need to include evidence

that supports your development toward the outcomes. Copies of papers, grading sheets, evaluation letters—anything that shows that someone has

determined that you have demonstrated proficiency (or not, or are making progress). Make sure to keep electronic copies of all of your evidence to

include in your Portfolio.


Outcome Category: Self-Leadership

Outcome Target class Additional Experiences Descriptive notes regarding learning and practice

1. Student will demonstrate autonomy and a minimized need for approval

HDF 190 HDF 414

Dorm Life I consider myself a grounded leader. I do not seek the approval of everyone around me. I do not believe it is important or necessary to worry about what everyone is thinking of or feeling about you. Ethical leadership is powered by values and the understanding of right and wrong. In order to be an ethical leader I need to know my own values and morals. I also need to respect the idea that others may not agree with me entirely and may have their own views and reasoning behind them. An example of my own personal leadership style, as well as not seeking the approval of others (avoiding peer pressure) is my college attitude. The stereotypical college student drinks and parties however, I refuse to do either. I do not feel I have the right to do something that is illegal (drink underage), it goes against my morals. However, while I think it is wrong I understand and accept that others do not. By believing in my values and morals I resist the peer pressure from my friends, hall mates and roommates, and I believe that having one less incapacitated teen is a step towards the greater good. As is explaining my point of view on drinking, drunk driving and other illegalities the people have questioned my neglect to participate in. Being an activist, it is important that I am not concerned with what people think about me, or if they approve of my methods. I should only be concerned with making sure I make my point and find a way to get others to understand and commit to a movement with me. As an activist I cannot change everyone’s opinions on my own and cannot get bogged down by people who are ignorant or misinformed. I need to push forward and change what I can and focus on the roadblocks as learning experiences in order to truly begin to mobilize change.

2. Student will demonstrate personal, organizational, and academic examples of self-discipline

HDF 417 This spring semester I took the most academic credits that I have ever taken in a single semester here at URI. My course schedule was comprised of sixteen credits worth of my core business/accounting classes and a three credit internship for my leadership studies minor. In addition to my academic work, I also held two jobs and volunteered for multiple leadership functions on campus. Managing my schedule was one of the most difficult things to master this past semester. My core business classes required more of my time and effort in order to grasp the material which made the time I spent relaxing less and less. I needed to use my strengths of focus and achiever avidly in order to come out of this semester successfully. Using my achiever strength I would spend some time each night making a “to-do” list for the next day/week/month in order to keep myself on target with all of the assignment s I had. I also needed self-discipline on the days that I was not required to wake up early for class, in order to wake up early to get ahead on schoolwork, go to work or meetings. I used my focus strength to keep my “eye-on the prize”, the prize being a successful semester. By focusing on what I really wanted to accomplish, I was able to motivate myself to study for longer hours, do extra practice problems and get homework done sooner rather than later. Without using these strengths successfully, I would not have been able to manage stress, maintain academic, personal or organizational discipline.

3. Student will demonstrate the ability to manage emotions

HDF 190 HDF 414

Resident Assistant When applying for a job as resident assistant I believed I was a shoe-in for the position. I have leadership experience, ethical behaviors and values and a positive up-beat attitude that would make anyone want to work with me. I was so excited to hear back from the committee because I wanted the job so badly. I was convinced should I not get the position there was nothing here for me at URI. That is why I was utterly shocked when I was chosen as an alternate. I was flooded with an immense amount of emotions; shock, sadness, disappointment and questions of ‘why was I not good enough?”.


In addition to that I was in the middle of midterms and writing papers for all of my classes. It was initially difficult for me to buckle down and accomplish my work when I was overwhelmed by disappointment and questioning my capabilities. I needed to manage my emotional chaos and concentrate on what I needed to get done. Although I was upset about the results I ultimately did not let it affect my work in my classes. I also realized that I did not need to be a resident assistant on campus in order to make a difference and have a place here at URI. I went on to find a multitude of opportunities that I would not have been able to experience had I gotten the position. When working on these projects we picked topics that we were passionate about. However, I have realized that while it is important that I am passionate about what I am trying to change, I cannot let my emotions cloud my judgments. I cannot allow my emotions to overshadow what I am trying to accomplish nor what will benefit the people I am trying to help. If I get too over emotional I may not be able to make clear decisions that are in the best interest of others and are not just emotionally satisfying. Therefore, management of my emotions is an important part to progressing and staying focused.

4. Student will demonstrate knowledge of stress management methods

HDF 417 Stress management is something that everyone does differently. Over the past year my stress management methods have changed drastically. I have learned that not having a concise plan creates stressful scenarios for me. Through my achiever strength I have been able to create many different plans for many scenarios therefore I can always feel prepared for any situation. This reduces stress for me dramatically. Additionally, I have found that when getting stressed from homework or other school related problems it helps for me to take a break from the situation and return to it later. Then, at the later time I can really use my focus strength to buckle down and figure out what I do not understand. These two stress management methods have developed through the constant use of my strengths this past semester.

5. Student will demonstrate the ability to manage stress

HDF 417 BUS 355 BUS 401

In two of my core classes I have been required to do a lot of group work. In my BUS 355 (Supply Chain Management) class, I am part of a group of six people. Of those six people I am the only member who goes to class regularly. Therefore, whenever a paper or project comes up in that class, the rest of the group looks to me to tell them what to do because I am the only person who knows what is going on in class and the only person who is actually taking the time to learn the material. Similarly, in my BUS 401 (Accounting Computer Systems) class, my group members leave their parts of our projects to the last minutes, and look to me for clarification on concepts or ideas. It has been extremely stressful especially because the week before spring break I had three exams, and then the week after spring break I had four group projects due. I did not have time to micromanage my groups nor did I have the time to do all of the work myself. In order to ensure I got all of my studies and projects done, I needed to both manage my stress levels as well as motivate my group to complete their portions of our projects in a timely fashion. If my stress was not managed I would not have been able to successfully study for my finals because I would have been plagued with migraines making it impossible to concentrate. Using my achiever strength, I create and prioritized many lists for my classes, exam study goals and project goals. I also used my activator strength to motivate my group members to complete their parts of the projects sooner rather than later so I could plan for time to revise or have time to spare before the due date in case the group needed to get together last minute to fix something. These strengths helped me to manage my stress effectively throughout the semester.

6. Student will express a personal code of leadership / membership ethics

HDF 417 BUS 441 My personal code of leadership ethics is focused on integrity, respect and accountability. I feel that as a leader you need to you need to have integrity and be an honest person in order for anyone following you to trust your decisions. I also believe that mutual respect between leaders and group members is a vital part of leader follower interaction. Without mutual respect nothing can get done. Lastly, I believe a leader must always be held accountable for their decisions and actions. If leaders are not held accountable then their decisions are worth less and taken less seriously. This equates to being an ethical leader because being ethical means that you should have everyone’s best interest in mind when making decisions as a leader. I identify a lot with the stakeholder’s approach to ethics. Under the


stakeholder approach to ethics, one creates a win-win situation for relevant parties affected by the decision. A win-win situation meets the needs of the organization and employees as well as those of other stakeholders, so that everyone benefits from the decision. It proves that being an ethical leader is difficult but rewarding. Being an ethical leader takes courage to make tough decisions in situations that do not just benefit themselves and that may receive criticism from others.

7. Student will demonstrate practice of the personal code of ethics

HDF 190 HDF 414

Dorm Room Women’s Center

To practice ethical leadership I need to constantly be open minded to opportunities to befriend people who both share as well as do not agree with my own values. I need to understand the difference between right and wrong and explain to others, when I can, my personal point of view in order to possibly spread my influence. I am open minded to those who choose to drink and make myself available as a designated driver (for emergencies only) in case my roommates or friends ever need me. I always advise them to never get into a car with someone who is under the influence and I have no problem, even if it is 4:00 in the morning, picking them up as opposed to them endangering themselves. I practice ethical leadership every weekend in knowing the difference between right and wrong and believing in my values. When first moving into the women’s center I was faced with a roommate conflict. However, unlike my previous experiences with roommates this conflict was between my two roommates, not with me. Many people told me to stay out of it, I had my own section of the room and they did not have a problem with me so why should I get involved. But I still didn’t like the type of living environment that the conflict was fostering. Instead of keeping to myself I chose to utilize my knowledge of the four agreements to mediate the problem. By helping each roommate to not assume or take things the others did personally I was able to create a more cooperative environment to facilitate a roommate contract in. In addition to that each of my roommates was less angry with each other and they understood the reasons and thought process behind the four agreements. I also made sure I made myself available to them to talk to when they were angry about something the other had done. Whether they just wanted someone to listen to them or wanted me to help them come up with a solution, I was there for them and did my best to ensure that the conflict did not directly involve me, I am still a member of the house and it was my duty to help facilitate a happier living environment for everyone involved.

8. Student will express a personal values statement

HDF 417 BUS 390 In my BUS 390 course this past semester we were forced to look at and determine what our personal values were in order to ready ourselves for our future careers. The personal values I expressed were important to me would help me in future job searches; when looking for an employer I could try to align my values with that employers values. This alignment would lead to my ability to perform better for my company because our incentives are matched. I determined that my personal values include integrity, respect and accountability. Integrity and honesty for your actions are an important aspect of who I am as a student leader. I rely on colleagues to be honest and ultimately accountable for what they produce especially if we are working together as a team. I also believe that in a cohesive working environment, mutual respect is necessary to achieve synergy as a group and produce the most effective output. My personal values correlate with my strengths loosely; I can make the connection that my value of accountability correlates with my achiever strength because that strength allows me to be held accountable for my actions, work and projects. By putting together concise lists I have used my achiever strength as a way to measure my accountability for the various things I am responsible for.

9. Student will demonstrate practice of the personal values statement

HDF 417 BUS 355 Working with group members that want to do less of their fair share of the work on a project is not something that is new to me. In my BUS 355 (Supply Chain Management) class I am a part of a group that refuses to do any work until the very last minute, and then blame the poor grade on the projects and papers we turn in on the group as a whole. They refuse to hold themselves accountable for the individual parts that they put together and look at how they can improve and any mistakes that were made are mistakes that “we all” made. It has been difficult working with them because immediately when we receive our projects back I look through the sections that I produced and find out what improvements need to be made for the next project. By holding myself accountable for my own work I am able to produce quality information in a timely fashion. Using my activator strength, in an attempt to


make my group members more responsible for and motivated about their work I send out emails regarding due dates weeks in advance but all my attempts at making contact go unanswered. It is difficult to deal with because to me, completely ignoring my requests is disrespectful to me as a group member. None the less, I must stay true to my personal values and work on continuously improving my portions of the projects so I can produce better projects in my class.

10. Student will demonstrate the ability to lead a project from start to finish (follow-through)

HDF 190 HDF 414 HDF 417

SMILE Strengths Interviews

My learning contract is an excellent example of my capabilities of leading a project from start to finish. When I began to write my contract I did not understand the purpose of it. I asked one of the peer mentors for help in writing it but still did not understand exactly what we had to do. After I has completed my rough draft and received it back I was shocked to learn I had gotten a 3 (meaning needs work). After I asked Robert what was wrong with it he explained to me that while my goals were attainable what I had written as my activity was not something I knew whether or not I was going to experience. I had written down the SMILE program but had not yet received a position as a mentor. I then knew that I needed to make myself a great candidate for the SMILE program in order to move forward with my learning contract. After getting the job and going to training for it I was then able to process in completing my learning contract. In following through in my aspirations of being a SMILE peer mentor I have been able to reach my personal and group development goals to create a unique learning contract. Upon entering HDF 414 I was unsure what to expect. When we were assigned our projects the guidelines were very open ended, something I am not very used to and did not like when I was first faced with it. I felt that I was not as passionate as the other students about my topic, had trouble narrowing down my objectives and truly understanding what was expected of me. Throughout the semester I working on compiling research and taking notes and understand theories however I was still uneasy about the final project. As the semester progressed I switched from topic to topic narrowing it down and changing my focus until I finally found something that I was passionate about. I have followed through on the project, gathering research and interviewing activists with the same passion as me to create my finished project. In finishing the project I have realized how important it is to trust the process, and am able to understand that not knowing all the answers is not always a bad thing. As a strengths coach for the FLITE peer leaders this semester, my partner and I were responsible for conducting strengths interviews of all the peer leaders. The process started with us conducting the interview for ourselves and discussing it with Melissa and Robert; from there we planned and conducted six interviews with each of the peer leaders to help them gain a better knowledge of all of their strengths and answer any questions they may have about them. It was extremely beneficial to us to perform these interviews because we got a chance to interact with the leaders as well as learn a lot more about how they view their strengths and how they use them in various personal and organizational settings. It helped me to gain a deeper knowledge of the thought processes behind a lot of different types of strengths that I do not personally have and gain a greater understanding of how they can be applied.

11. Student will describe goals and objective statements regarding personal issues, career issues, and community issues

HDF 417 BUS 390 Wynternship 2010

In both my BUS 390 class and summer internship with Wyndham Worldwide (Wynternship) I learned the importance of goal statements. I learned about creating S.M.A.R.T goals; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, Time-Oriented. This goal setting technique in addition to my focus, achiever and activator strengths has helped me to create and prioritize my schedule more efficiently. At my Wynternship I was asked to accomplish many different tasks for different sub-sections of the department I was working for. We used an online program that allowed us to upload out S.M.A.R.T goals on the computer for our mentors to view and then discuss our achievement s of those goals at the end of the semester. Knowledge of technique for writing S.M.A.R.T goals was exceptionally helpful to me when I was in my BUS 390 class this past semester. I was asked to create a “Semester Action Plan” of the goals that I had for myself this semester as well as a time-line with details of how I was going to reach them. S.M.A.R.T goals as well as my focus and achiever strengths assisted me with


effective planning and is how I create all of my to-do lists now because it give me to confidence and knowledge that I can attain all of my personal, school and (future) career related goals. This confidence combined with my activator strength motivates me to accomplish my goals in a more time-efficient manner.

12. Student will show evidence of goals and objectives that were planned and achieved

HDF190 SMILE Challenge Course Facilitation

On my learning contract my personal goal was to improve my relational leadership tactics in order to make myself a more inclusive and effective leader. In just a few short weeks in FLITE and SMILE training I believe I have accomplished that. I realize the being a leader is not always about having all of the answers; it is about utilizing the answers and ideas of your teammates to create a truly phenomenal project. During the SMILE institute interviews I was able to demonstrate to my interviewers that I was an inclusive leader in a group setting by stepping back and allowing other people to give their input on how we should go about something, before I gave my own. I also helped to tie all of the ideas together for everyone by restating our final decisions and asking everyone if they had any more input and if they agreed with what I had stated. I planned to join the SMILE program to make myself a more inclusive leader and it has done so even through the interview process. In signing up for the Challenge Course Facilitation training my goal was to learn the skills necessary for me to be able to safely and effectively lead a group of people through the challenge course. Throughout the course my objective as a participant and part of the team was to accomplish each element on the course together. One of the elements I had particular trouble with was called “Swinging Tires” It was a more physically demanding challenge and it was very individualized. I was in charge of getting myself across with little to no physical help from my teammates. The challenge had a lot to do with your upper body which is one of the weaker parts of my body and about half way through I was tired and ready to give up. I kept saying “I can’t do this, it’s too hard”. However, what I lacked in physical strength I made up for emotionally. With the help of my teammates encouragements and the objective to finished every element on the course I was able to persevere through whatever pain or exhaustion I was feeling and went on to finish the element. From there my teammates and I went on to complete every challenge we were faced with the rest of the day.

13. Student will show knowledge of the “Hierarchy of Needs” theory by Maslow

HDF 417 BUS 441 I understand the Hierarchy of Needs theory to be an internal motivation theory. People are motivated by internal needs towards the bottom of the hierarchy as opposed to external wants which is located at the top of the hierarchy. The first two levels of the hierarchy focus on psychological and safety needs. These needs include the need for food, water, sleep, employment, resources, family etc. Towards the top of the hierarchy you have things that I consider to be wanted more so than needed such as love/a sense of belonging, personal esteem and self-actualization. These categories include things such as friendship, confidence, achievement, and creativity. While these things may all be considered needs I look at them for the perspective as being listed in an order that reads “needed in order to accomplish …”. These needs are listed in my opinion in an order from bottom to top as “needed to live”, “needed to be happy”, “needed to be successful”. I believe you can achieve some categories in the hierarchy over others and do not need to achieve them in the order that they are listed. After being a strengths coach this semester I have learned a lot about strengths that may contribute to the hierarchy of needs and strengths that may inhibit progression through the hierarchy. For example, the restorative strength as I understand it, is a strength that focuses on healing. This strength could be very useful in moving someone up through the hierarchy because of its focus on internal and external preservation. However, competition (one of my strengths) may inhibit progression through the hierarchy by limiting opportunities to develop more personal needs such as self-actualization or friendship.

14. Student will show application of Maslow’s theory to own life

HDF 417 BUS 441 In my BUS 441 (Leadership Skills Development) class, we were asked to develop a personal motivation technique that we would use as a manager in order to motivate our employees to want to work for us. My motivation technique combines three theories, one of which was the Hierarchy of Needs theory. “I would combine the hierarchy of needs theory, goal setting theory and the reinforcement theory to create a combination of content, process and reinforcement. As a manager, using the hierarchy of needs theory I would provide the basic physiological needs to my employees to


move them through the hierarchy (adequate salary, breaks and working conditions). By using the combination of goal setting theory and positive reinforcement, I could motivate my employees to continuously set S.M.A.R.T goals for themselves and achieve them. It is also important for me as a manager to make sure I understand that not everyone is motivated equally by setting and achieving goals and may need to be flexible in my motivation tactics to increase performance among my entire staff.” The Hierarchy of Needs theory is an important part of my motivation technique because it internally motivates employees based upon their different needs more so than their wants. To correctly apply this theory to my methods of motivation it would be beneficial for me to know and understand the strengths of my co-workers or the people I am managing. I could then use that knowledge to move people through the various stages of the hierarchy using the proper types of motivation (such as using a reward type of motivation for those whose strength is competition).

15. Student will describe personal leadership style and/or personality style including strengths and weaknesses and examples of application (Sources = Leadership style inventories, the L.P.I., StrengthsQuest, Type Focus (MBTI), LAMP, and other career inventories, etc.)

HDF 190 HDF 414

Rainville Leadership Awards Committee-Student Employee

Leadership Institute Mentor 2009

My L.P.I revealed that I am a “Challenge the Process” leader, meaning I use my creativity and innovative thinking to go about completing tasks in various ways. I am a strong believer that there is more than one right way to get the job done and I believe that working on the group projects in FLITE class is a perfect example of that. I tend to have difficulty working in a group because I have a very “go getter” personality and I look to get things done and completed right away. If my fellow group members are not motivated to work on a certain aspect of the project I step in and do it myself, following the thought process of “it needs to get done even if I am the only one who is going to do it”. However, in dealing with a group of talented leadership students I have found that they all have excellent ideas and it is a matter of motivating them to share their ideas with me rather than just taking my own idea and running with it. I believe that I have had personal growth as a leader by knowing that if I do not do it all myself that does not mean that the project will not get done. And in waiting for my teammates to share their ideas with me I have become a more inclusive leader and truly demonstrate the ideal that there is more than one way to accomplish something. In working as part of the selection committee for the Rainville Leadership Student Employee Awards, I have truly had a unique experience. Being the youngest of the four women making the decision I have a very different view-point than the rest of them, making the selection process a bit difficult. I have learned how to communicate my choices and judgments about the candidates effectively in order for them to understand my point of view but I have also learned to understand how they made their decisions and the variety of standards and criteria that these decisions can be based upon. I took strengths quest the semester before leadership institute. My number one strength was Competition and I remember thinking to myself, “being competitive turns others off to my personality, how can this be a strength?” It took me a long time to understand how to use my competitive mindset to work as a part of a team. When training for institute I was able to recognize what exactly I was able to bring to the team through this strength. By pushing myself to be the best, I was able to motivate my teammates towards that same goal. I realized that I was not necessarily trying to compete with them to be better than them, but I was competing with myself to be the best I could be. My dedication to self improvement in both individual and group leadership has helped to motivate my activism project. As a competitor I can use my strength to build working relationships with group members faster when working towards a similar goal. This will help me to improve my coalition building skills as an activist and aid in my ability to start movements from the grassroots.

Outcome Category: Leadership Theories


16. Student will show knowledge of the


“Authority and Bureaucracy” theory of leadership

17. Student will describe personal application of the above theory

18. Student will show knowledge of the “Scientific Management” theory of leadership

HDF 416 HDF 492

Wynternship 2010 Leadership Institute Coordinator

2011

The Scientific Management paradigm says that managers should concentrate on improving the techniques and methods of the workers. Workers need to adapt themselves to the ideas of management, and managers, should not be concerned with workers' human affairs or emotions. The main focus of a scientific manager is to meet the needs of the organization, not the needs of the individual. This is an interesting theory when you combine it with the L.A.M.P personality test. My L.A.M.P personality test revealed that I think with a management centered mindset which focuses on planning, organizing, controlling, and being job centered. These qualities all coincide with scientific managements’ ideal of the concentration on improving the organization. Meanwhile, the leadership way of thinking involved being organization centered, empowering, facilitating, and creating. This mindset is more focused on human affairs and emotions in the workplace. You need both to run a successful organization. I experienced a variety of management techniques when working as an intern over the summer for Wyndham Worldwide. The department I worked for consisted of a diverse team of both leaders and managers. During company meetings I was able to see how their different ways of thinking and their main focuses coincided to work for the betterment of the department and the organization as a whole. My co-coordinator and I were a great example of the Scientific Management theory as well as the L.A.M.P personality test. As I have taken L.A.M.P before I knew that I am a management focused individual. Therefore, my concerns throughout training were that the group was remaining on task and on schedule and that we did not get side tracked. I ultimately looked towards creating an efficient training week. My partner took care of the leadership aspect and focused on the effectiveness of the training. He catered to the needs of the peer leaders and helped to quell any concerns they may have or how they were feeling. Although our personality and styles of leadership were different, together we were able to run a successful training.


HDF 416 Rainville Leadership Awards Committee-Servant Leader

As a part of the Rainville Leadership Awards Committee for the Servant Leadership award, I have come across many discrepancies of how people define servant leadership based on their background, previous work experience, and exposure to the theory. It was not uncommon for me in the past to look at servant leadership much in the way the scientific management approaches leadership. Looking at leadership from the “traditional boss” view however is the opposite of its goal. In my participation on the committee I have grown to see scientific management as the polar opposite leadership theory to servant leadership. It is intriguing to see two such diverse point of view on leadership because in the past I have seen that there are many different theories and models of leadership, but they have all coincided with each other in one way, shape, or form. However, scientific management looks to create an almost opposite leadership/working environment. I have often wondered if there is a way to combine the two so they clash less and mesh more. However, these two theories are just two examples of many different ways in which leadership beliefs and ideals can clash. I think it is important to know and understand both, and then rework the theory to make it your own.

20. Student will show knowledge of the “Management by Objectives” theory of leadership


22. Student will show knowledge of “Theory X and Theory Y” theory of leadership



24. Student will show knowledge of the “Servant Leadership” theory of leadership by Greenleaf

HDF 190 HDF 417 HDF 492

PHL 212 Strengths Interviews

Rainville Leadership Awards Committee-Servant Leader

In my ethics class we have recently started a discussion of the topic of Self Reliance. How responsible are we for our neighbors? I am able to identify the main concept of servant leadership through a quote that was brought up in class, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime”. This quote represents the main idea of servant leadership, not doing something but teaching something or someone. I realized that I embody some of the qualities of a servant leader because I would rather teach someone how to do something than just do it for them. Watching someone succeed at something that I have taught them or helped them to do is more of an accomplishment for me and in turn makes me feel good about myself as a leader, mentor, or teacher. If I was to do something for someone because they do not understand it I risk the chance of making them feel inferior and they may think more negatively of themselves and their abilities. However, if I am able to help someone to understand or learn how to do something I think they would feel much better about themselves which in turn will make me feel better about myself. Through my strength’s interviews I have learned a lot more about the strength of empathy than I knew before. I used to think that empathy was simply understanding what someone else was going through which I believed to be very easy if you tried. However, one of the peer mentors I interviewed explained how empathy to her is sometimes a burden because when she senses someone bad mood she can be instantly affected by it. It was amazing to see what a strong affect the strength of empathy could have one someone and it was great that I was able to get a better understanding of what it means to be empathetic. As a part of the Rainville Servant Leadership Committee for the third year in a row, I have truly had the chance to learn and understand the Servant Leadership theory. A servant leader embodies ten important characteristics. Listening, the ability to listen to others without judgment to truly understand their needs. Empathy, the ability to put oneself in the position of the person you are trying to help and understand what they are going through. Healing, the ability to recognize the importance of “being whole” and supporting “wholeness” in others. Awareness, being aware of one’s thought mannerisms and actions and how they may be perceived by others. Persuasion, building a group consensus of working towards the greater good and forming a set of organizational objectives. Conceptualization, the ability to derive solution for problems that may not yet exist. Foresight, awareness of how ones actions will affect what occurs in the future and a general awareness of what may occur in the future. Stewardship, concern for both followers and organizations as a whole. Commitment to the growth of people, the desire to support individual growth and achievement. And lastly, building community, a servant leader carves a path for communities to share values, perspectives and ultimately build upon. These characteristics are all important aspects of a servant leader and what we looked for in all of the Rainville applicants over the past three years.


HDF 190 Challenge Course Facilitation I have used many components of servant leadership when facilitating a challenge course. When I learned how to safely run and execute a ropes course it was a gift I immediately wanted to give away. I had learned the values of teamwork, group collaboration, trusting and empowering your team members and much more which I will be able to share with anyone who passes through the course. On the course I learned the importance of listening to your teammates as well as myself before determining how to go about any of the challenges. I also learned the power of empathy, understand what a person may be thinking or why someone may not feel comfortable enough to do a trust fall or be levitated by a group of people they just met. In addition to empathy I learned the power of persuasion when dealing with people who may be scared to trust others and how important it is to attempt to get them to try an element or a trust fall. I was also very aware of the significant contribution not only I made to the team but that every individual made. I have realized that in facilitating a challenge course you are very much


practicing servant leadership because you are working to help groups understand their potential and work more cohesively, not working for your own benefit.

26. Student will show knowledge of the “Principle Centered Leadership” theory by Covey

HDF 416 Principle Centered Leadership is a self leadership concept that focuses on making leadership decisions and actions based upon individual morals and principles. When basing your leadership style on principles, they are not individual principles but rather societal principles. This style of leadership leads to more trust from followers, colleagues and acquaintances and is less likely to lead to dilemmas in decision making. Principle centered leadership leads to a minimized amount of waiver from a defined path by removing a “gray area” in decision making. The societal principles that guide this type of decision making leads to a very “right or wrong” type of leadership style. I believe this type of leadership coincides very much with my focus strength, but is the opposite of my analytical strength. When making a principle centered decision I can focus appropriately on what is right and what is wrong and make a clear decision based on that. However, my analytical strength allows me the ability to analyze everything meticulously; principle center leadership requires little to no analytics and mostly clear cut decisions.


HDF 417 The Principle Centered Leadership theory can be identified to me as a moral compass. It connects really well with my personal values and ethics. I believe that morality is closely aligned with societal norms which allow me to make decisions that may be hard for others to make. For example, when my roommate asked if I would buy her alcohol once I turned 21 (she is a year younger than me) I immediately said “no”. For some that decision would lie in a “gray area” because they would be unable to separate their personal feelings towards their roommate from what is right or wrong. However, using the principle center leadership theory I am able to make a clear concise decision about that because under aged drinking is illegal and therefore purchasing alcohol for someone who is under age would also be wrong. The ability to make these types of decisions without being plagued by emotional dilemma has helped to make me an effective leader as well as morally sound person. This is an example of my ability to make a focused decision based on what is right and wrong with little to no need to analyze the different factors that weigh upon the situation.

28. Student will show knowledge of the “14 Points / TQM” theory of leadership by Deming


30. Student will show knowledge of the “Visionary Leadership” (now often cited as “Transformational Leadership”) theory by Sashkin


32. Student will show knowledge of the “Individuals in Organizations” leadership theory by Argyris


34. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the “4 V’s” theory of leadership by Grace (Center for Ethical Leadership)

HDF 414 HDF 417

Activism Project We learned how the 4 V model is a big part of activism. My core values are my identity, and they are what commits me to a cause. Without my values I would not be passionate in fighting to make a change. My vision of change is the first step towards activism. I must have an idea in my head and be able to see the intended outcome of my actions before I can put into words how I will accomplish it. Without my voice I cannot gain support of my vision. If cannot communicate what I want to change and why I will not be able to make progress. Lastly, my virtue is my commitment to “practice what I preach.” It shows everyone that I truly believe in what I am trying to change. The 4 V’s help me to become a more committed and ethical leader.


The 4 V’s model of leadership involves Values, Vision, Voice, and Virtue. Your values are the things that you feel are most important in life, what you are most passionate about; such as integrity, respect or accountability (for me). Vision is what your plan is for the future, what you can see yourself accomplishing, your goals and or aspirations. Voice is you ability to communicate your values, vision and virtue to others in a way in which they can understand what you are saying. Your voice can be verbal or non-verbal, any mode of communication necessary to explain your ideals. Virtue is a commitment to the greater good. This commitment is mainly to individual or organization growth on a societal level. In being a strengths coach I have applied the 4 V model when working with the FLITE peer mentors and encouraged them to correlate their strengths to the model as much as possible. I explain how their Values in Action can relate to their specific strengths and how those VIA’s and or strengths can correlate to their values, voice, vision and virtue.


HDF 417 As a strengths coach, I have had to use the 4 V model when working with the peer leaders. My strengths coincide with my personal values which is why the position of a strength coach appealed to me. I wanted to help other peer leaders discover their full mentoring potential through their strengths and learn how to value and nurture their innate talents. My vision for the peer leaders was for them to be able to truly identify with their strengths and then apply them to their mentoring of the FLITE students in their respective classes. By using my voice I was able to communicate the importance of their strengths and my purpose for being there. I ultimately demonstrated my virtue through making a commitment to the greater good which I define as the students being mentored through the minor. These students will go on to discover new leadership potential which could have in part been influenced by my strengths coaching.

36. Student will show knowledge of the “Situational Leadership” theory by Hershey & Blanchard

HDF 417 BUS 441

Situational Leadership focuses on four different types of leadership styles that fall into two types of leadership behaviors. The leadership behaviors are relationship behaviors (focus on relationship building) and task behaviors (focus on the task at hand). Within these behaviors there are leaders that have a participating style, meaning they are willing to tell you what they think or feel are well as receive feedback from others. Participating followers are able to perform the task but unwilling or not confident in their abilities (high relationship, low task). The selling style of leadership involves leaders that explain the decisions they are making to their followers. These followers are typically confident and willing to accomplish the task but unable to do so (high relationship, high task). Delegating leaders are those who turnover their decisions, their followers are typically able willing and confident in their abilities to accomplish the task (low relationship, low task). Lastly, the telling style of leadership involves the leader just giving instruction to the followers who are unable, unwilling or not confident enough to make their own decisions (low relationship, low task). Based on the situation a leader is faced with they may need to take on multiple types of leadership styles that focus on building their relationship with their followers or focus on accomplishment of the task they have set out to do. Different groups of followers are an important factor in the type of leadership style you choose to use in order to lead effectively. By using my strength of being analytical I am able to interpret which groups need which type of leadership style. This has helped me greatly in using the appropriate leadership tactics based on the specific types of followers I have and the behaviors I want to encourage.


HDF 417 BUS 355 Leadership Institute Mentor 2010

I have used Situational Leadership in a variety of circumstances when working with various groups this past year. In my BUS 355 (Supply Chain Management) class I have had to use a telling style of leadership (achiever strength), mainly focused on telling my group members what to do to ensure we get the task done with a minimal focus on building my relationship with them. However, at leadership instate this past summer I used a participative style of leadership (activator strength) with my students. This mainly focused on building my relationship with them by asking for feedback and participation from the members of my group and then building our leadership journey upon that participation.

38. Student will show knowledge of the “Relational Leadership” model by Komives, McMahon & Lucas

HDF 190 HDF 417


I have been able to identify many aspects of the Relational Leadership Model through various activities I have been a part of. In being selected to be a part of the Rainville Leadership Awards Committee (for Student Employee) I witnessed ethical, process oriented and inclusive leadership. Carolyn Sovet


included a diverse group of people in the decision making process. I noticed immediately how all four committee members had different view points on how to evaluate and award this honor. We had to practice inclusive leadership by making sure everyone’s opinion was heard and respected. In addition to that everyone gave and received feedback on their thoughts which helped to move the process along. I also identified process oriented leadership within the group as we worked hard to complete the tasks before us from start to finish. We met as many times as we could in order to evaluate and interview finalists and discuss our opinions on their eligibilities and qualifications. I as well as my co-workers, also used ethical leadership tactics when conducting interviews and deciding who to choose to receive the award. The Relational Leadership Model is a model focused on putting people first and has five components and three sub-components. The five components of the model are inclusiveness, ethics, process-oriented, purposeful and empowering. The three sub-components to each category are “know, do and believe”. Being inclusive involves ensuring that everyone that you are working with have given their opinion and had a say. You need to know the people that you are working with, believe that they all have an important opinion to add and make sure (do) you ask them to contribute to the group effort. Being an ethical involves making ethical decisions both as an individual and as a group; you need to know your personal values, believe that there can be a common ground between your personal values and those of your group members and make sure (do) work to find that common ground and align your values with those of your group members. Being process-oriented involves focusing on the goal or task at hand. Being process-oriented you have to know what your objective are, believe they can be accomplished and make sure (do) your group members are putting all their efforts forward to accomplish those same objectives. To be purposeful you must know the importance of what you are trying to accomplish, believe you will have an impact and make sure (do) you work towards a common purpose as well as include the opinions of your group to ensure each member feels that they individually have a purpose in the organization you are a part of. Lastly, to be empowering you must encourage not only yourself but all the members of your group to participate towards your common goal. To be empowering you must know what motivates others, believe that you have the ability to motivate your organization towards accomplishment of its goals and make sure (do) you apply empowerment techniques to motivate both yourself and others. These components of relational leadership focus on working towards understanding others to produce a more unified output from a group. As a strengths coach I have used this model to ensure that I put the learning objective of the peer leaders as one of my number one priorities. It was important that they learn how to use their individual strengths within the various parts of the Relational Leadership model. Through coaching I believe I successfully communicated the importance of using them simultaneously.


HDF 190 HDF 414

Household In working in group projects in FLITE class, I need to practice different aspects of relational leadership in order to connect with my team members. I am an inclusive leader by understanding my own limits, strengths and weaknesses in addition to those of my group members. Everyone in my group is equal and there is more than one right way to do something. I must listen and participate in order to create a positive group dynamic and move forward in our mission. In order to motivate them I need to make sure I empower them, encourage them to share their ideas in order to better the group and move forward. I understand that everyone has unique and different ideas and I relay positive comments about each one. I must also be willing to give up power to my other teammates and trust that they will pull their weight. To be a purposeful leader I need to know my teams’ mission, and need to create a strategy for achieving it. I also have to be sure to motivate my team to be process-oriented and create team unity. We must be ethical leaders and know the difference between right and wrong and know that what we are doing is for the greater good. I am an inclusive leader when I am home especially by practicing active listening. When any of my siblings or my father needs to talk about something I make myself available to hear what they have to


say. I make sure that I pay close attention to what they are saying to me and ask questions to make sure I understand fully what they are saying as well as let them know I am listening to them intently. I also make sure I adjust my own thoughts and responses based on the age of the person I am talking to because I know that my 8 year old sister, 12 year old brother, and 40 year old father all require different responses. Relational leadership is an important component of my program. Being a relational leader and working hard to ensure understanding and acceptance of different viewpoints and lifestyles is an important factor to being a culturally competent mentor. Through a lens of active empathy I will create a more inclusive environment which will help to be a more effective mentor. It is also the stepping stone I can use to move towards being purposeful and process-oriented; it is the beginning of my movement towards the goals I have set for myself, and will help me to help others realize their goals and commit to reaching them.

40. Student will show knowledge of the concept of constructivism

41. Students will describe personal examples of implementing constructivism

42. Student will demonstrate knowledge of experiential learning in leadership development (Kolb)

HDF 417 Challenge Course Manager Experiential learning in leadership is defined by the phrase “what, so what, now what?” “What” refers to the activity or experience that you have just participated in. “So What” is the debriefing part of the activity, what did this activity meant o you, your group or organization? The so what aspect of experiential learning identifies the importance of the experience as well as what you will take away from experiencing it. “Now What” refers to what you will go on to do either as an individual, group or organization, now that you have had this experience? How will you take what you learned and apply it in a situation outside of this experience? These questions are essential to the experiential learning process because they are the backbone of the growth process that you want to occur from that experience. The experiential learning model coincides with my activator strength. As an activator I like to jump right in to something new and learn from it as I go which is the point of experiential learning.

43. Student will describe personal application of experiential learning in leadership development (Kolb)

HDF 417 Challenge Course Manager For the past two years I have been the challenge course manager and worked closely with my boss to plan the ropes course facilitation trainings hosted in both the fall and spring. In the fall semester we ended up only having a group of five people to train to be facilitators because we had a lot of people back out at the last minute. We typically require ten people for training because that is how many people we require to take a group out on the challenge course. However, it was too late to send everyone home so we did the training with only five. Unfortunately, I felt the training was not at successful as it had been in the past because the students training were not able to participate on the elements on the challenge course. They did not receive the same experiential learning aspects as other groups had in the past which is an essential part of the training. From that experience, I as a manager learned and determined that in the future I would not run training with any number of people less than what we typically require for a course. In the spring semester I planned out another training and two days before the training we only had eight people who had signed up to be trained. Looking at the list of participants I saw they were mostly freshmen and had never experienced anything like this before. Recalling my personal training when I was new to the course I remembered that physically being able to participate in doing the elements really helped to solidify the important concepts behind them (such as listening, communication, trust, group development, etc.) . This knowledge of the importance of the experiential learning aspect to our training, coupled with the experience of the training in the fall semester led to the cancellation of facilitator training in the spring. Without the experiential concept of the training the participants would not fully benefit from it.

44. Student will show knowledge of the “Social Change Model of Leadership Development” by Astin et al

HDF 414 HDF 417

Leadership Institute Coordinator 2011

The Social Change Model of Leadership focuses on producing change through three aspects, individual, group and society. There are 8 “C’s” associated with movement through these three aspects. Within the individual aspect there is consciousness of self, commitment, and congruence. Consciousness of self involves knowing and understanding your belief values and goals and how you


will motivate yourself to work towards the change you are looking to implement. Commitment is the dedication to those values and beliefs and congruence is making sure your actions represent those values. Within the group aspect of the model there is collaboration, common purpose and controversy with civility. Collaboration is essential within a group, you must collaborate to agree on your common purpose, what you will focus on and how you want to go about accomplishing your goals. It is not uncommon that controversy with civility will occur within a group at first, people may not agree with the main goal, or how important the specific aspect you want to focus on is to the greater good. This controversy is helpful to the group process because it solidifies goals and values among members. Lastly, within the societal aspect of the model there is citizenship and change. Citizenship is a commitment to the greater good of the community you are working with and change is the ultimate goal of the model. These aspects of the model are all connected by the feedback loop, the constant source of feedback from individual to group, group to society and vice versa. This feedback loop helps individuals and organization’s reanalyze their purpose for existence and constantly improve their methods of implementing change. As an activator, I chose to propose this year’s Leadership Institute be based around the Social Change Model of leadership. I felt it was important for students to jump right in to leadership aspects that we teach in the minor their first weekend here that way when they return to campus they can be ready to focus on or become a part of social change movements on campus. Using my activator strength I will motivate and mentor this year’s peer leaders to be knowledgeable about the Social Change Model in order for them to pass on that knowledge and motivation to the freshman students in their groups.


HDF 190 HDF 414

Activism Project The Social Change Model of leadership is focused on how leaders initiate and evoke social change within a society. I recently learned about a blanket foundation one of the classes on campus has started that I identify as a step towards social change. The foundation focuses on having people donate blankets to a group of gathered homeless people in “Tent City”. However, while it is a great idea, it is only the start to attempting to solve the homelessness problem in the state of Rhode Island. Had the class advertised more and involved other classes I think they would have been much more successful in raising blankets and even money or food for these people. Social change starts with an idea from and individual. In this case that individual is represented by a class. But in order to truly start the process the class needs to involve the entire URI community, then I think they can truly move forward in their goals. As my project for HDF 414 I created a program that revolved around implementation of the social change model from the grassroots of a specific issue. My chosen issue was the nutritional needs of children. I focused on the creation of a program that taught people working minimum wages jobs and living in poverty how to make healthier choices when it comes to feeding their families. The ultimate goal of my program (through nutritional education) would be to stop the cyclical effect of poverty. Children who attend school malnourished are less likely to pay attention and retain the information they are learning. This leads to lower test scores and potentially the same futures as their parents’ i.e. “cyclical poverty”. My model began with the individual, myself, wanting to make a change in the lives of two separate classes of individuals, parents and children. It moved into the stages of group by my implementation of a program that would involve students and individuals with vast knowledge of nutrition and budgeting techniques in order to aid these families in finding a healthier alternative at the same price as the unhealthy option. The community aspect of the program involves local food stores and supermarkets participation in the educational aspect of the program as well as contributions to the program either monetarily or through donations of food.

46. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the “Leadership Identity Development Model” by Komives et al

47. Students will describe personal


application of the above theory.

48. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the Strengths-Development Model by Hulme et al



Outcome Category: Inclusive Leadership / Diversity and its Application to Leadership


50. Student will demonstrate how cultural anthropology / paradigms relate to leadership

HDF 415 A paradigm is a way of seeing things i.e. a "point of view." Everyone sees and experiences things differently. How we view and understand things determines our reactions. This is especially important in leadership development. A leader should seek to understand before they react because the more people who feel that you understand them, the more people you will have who are willing to follow your lead and trust that you are guiding them in the right direction. This is an essential part of leadership because without anyone to follow you, who/what are you leading? It is especially important as a leader to respect these cultural paradigms as well. You must give respect in order to receive it. If you have all the followers you could ask for but they have no respect for you, any movement that you try to initiate will take longer (if it even happens at all). A little respect goes a long way in the eyes of everyone and being respectful and understanding those who are different than you is critical to your success as a leader.

51. Student will describe personal example of using cultural anthropology / paradigms as a leader

HDF 415 HDF 492

FLITE Peer Leader Women’s Center

As a FLITE peer leader, it is important that I understand the diverse class that I am teaching and be sure to mentor them accordingly. I do not want to accidentally insult someone with something I say in class or in a one-on-one mentoring session because I did not make an effort to understand their cultural background. It is also very important that I am culturally competent when I teach the class in order to gain their respect as a mentor. Without their respect I would not be able to successfully lead them towards accomplishing their goals because they may not listen to me. This year, being my third year living in the Women’s Center, we have a new graduate assistant. This women is very soft spoken and from a different cultural background than myself. Her style of leadership is of course different than mine because she has had different experiences. As a leader among the residents in the house it was my job to make sure I showed her my respect so that other girls in the house would follow my lead. This was something I had difficulties with in the beginning of the semester because our views clash on many different occasions. I felt that having lived in the house for so long, that my view-point was better or more important because she was new and did not yet know the ropes. Looking back that was an awful way to approach the situation. I should have made a better effort to understand who she was and how she leads and then make an effort to mentor her (although she was technically my superior) until she felt more comfortable in the role she was in. The clash of view-points could have destroyed our relationship had we not discussed our differences and made a mutual effort to understand where the other one was coming from.

52. Student will demonstrate knowledge of the “Cycles of Socialization” (Harro) theory and its uses in leadership

HDF 414 When starting a movement there are many roadblocks and reasons why a lot of people give up or don’t even bother to try. The Cycle of Socialization could be looked at as one of those roadblocks is it is not looked at as a learning opportunity. The Cycle of Socialization begins with being taught by my family members or people who are close to you. It is mainly a cycle based on tradition, norms, and expectations because of things that have already happened. If you are told that you will never be smart enough to college by the people you trust most then you will begin to believe it and that lack of self confidence carries with you throughout your life. However, I see it as a learning opportunity for myself as an activist. I need to be able to understand and work with people who have grown up in that type of environment. I need to be able to look through the lens of culture, bias, and stereotypes and work with them to help reach the goal I want. By not allowing the cycle to reach the stages of fear, confusion, and ignorance. I can help create change agents in people who have been misinformed all their life. If I do not look at the cycle as a learning experience and try to make changes I am just promoting a perpetual cycle of low self confidence.

53. Students will demonstrate personal HDF 414 Activism Project For my activism project I have worked hard to steer the program that I have created in a direction


application of the “Cycles of Socialization”

which will help to eliminate the cycle of socialization effects in poverty stricken families. The programs’ focus is on the education of people to be more nutritionally healthy and show them that they can be better than they believe they can. Through the mentoring program I have devised I look to give self confidence back to adult family members who have lost it and teach them how to instill that same confidence in their children and grandchildren. I have applied the understanding of the cycle of socialization into my program and through this the mentors that volunteer, I hope to guide families towards a more positive way of thinking.

54. Student will demonstrate knowledge of the “Cycles of Liberation” (Harro) theory and its uses in leadership

HDF 414 To move into the Cycle of Liberation I must first begin by raising awareness of the misinformation that has perpetuated in the past. I need to challenge the status quo by challenging assumptions and provide accurate information to all parties involved. I need to help those who have been oppressed and set new rules and regulations for themselves and take action against continuing oppressive behavior. In doing so I will raise self esteem and create a secure feeling in those who are affected by my actions and will be a constant support for them. Together we can influence new policies and move towards a more confident and equal society.

56. Student will demonstrate personal application of the “Cycles of Liberation” (Harro)

57. Student will demonstrate knowledge of the “Configuration of Power” (Franklin) and its relationship to leadership

HDF 414 I believe that Franklin’s Configuration of Power hits upon key points; economics, politics, bureaucracy, and controllers of symbols, but neglects to acknowledge that the order in which those points affect people are different depending on the group you are dealing with. For the purposes of my project I have looked at controllers of symbols as the number one influence on the lives of my focus group. Without media, religious and cultural oppression (however involuntary it may be) it forms a cycle of socialization among people. Secondly, politics focus is on how to help people who believe the sales tax on their plasma screen television is too high. Instead they should focus on those who cannot afford food or shelter. A common belief is that those who are living in poverty “deserve it” and neglect to see that many people living below the poverty line are working twice as hard to make only a fraction of the income the average person makes. Following political power, economic power steps in to further oppress people in the community. Wealth is not evenly distributed through generations and the people who begin in power remain in power, controlling the wealth and means of production in the community. The last layer of oppressive power is the bureaucratic management who protects the corrupt politicians so they can continue to ignore the important issues of society.

58. Student will demonstrate personal application of the “Configuration of Power” (Franklin)

HDF 414 Activism Project I have personally applied the Configuration of Power to my activism project when identifying how the key points of economy, politics, bureaucracy, and controllers of symbols apply to the group I am focusing on. I needed to identify the amount that each of the level of configuration had an influence on the group of women that I am teaching. I determined that economy and politics had the greatest influence on my focus group, while bureaucracy and controllers of symbols had less of an influence. After making that determination I was about to adjust my plans in order to incorporate for potential set backs due to the different configurations of power.

59. Student will demonstrate knowledge of racial identity development via the Cross & Helms models

HDF 414 The Cross model of intercultural competence begins with cultural destructiveness. This destructiveness is brought on by the view and belief that culture is a problem and should be suppressed. The next phase is cultural incapacity. This phase corresponds with the “Denial” stage of the Bennett model and consists of individuals who lack cultural awareness and want to maintain stereotypes. The third phase of this stage is cultural blindness, where there is a belief that culture makes no difference because we are all the same. This phase intrigues me because it seems like a step backwards from the first two. In this phase culture is being ignored completely while in the first two phases it has at least been recognized (albeit as a “problem” but still not ignored). Moving on we enter into cultural pre-competence where people recognize and realize there are cultural differences and begin to educate themselves on them. From there you move on to Basic and Advanced cultural competence where people learn to understand, appreciate, and accommodate the cultural differences that surround them. These two phases are somewhat alike and I believe the only thing that separates them is the


movement from understanding to actions. Taking the action to work with cultural diversity is a sign of advanced cultural competency while simply understanding and accepting it is merely a basic cultural competency level.

60. Student will demonstrate personal application of Cross and/or Helms models

HDF 414 Activism Project/Presentation I really enjoyed learning Cross’ model if cultural competency and this semester we were asked to facilitate a discussion about a specific part of it in class. When going over my materials I saw a lot of similarities between the models of Cross and Bennett. I was able to create a visual model comparing the two and using one to explain the other an vice versa. I was able to create a new seven part triangular shaped model that can be used to understand the steps taken to pre-cultural competency. Starting from the center of the triangle, we have ethnocentrism. An individual or organization denies, refuses to acknowledge, or minimizes the existence/efforts of cultural differences. Moving outward, an individual or organization recognizes cultural differences, realizes their shortcomings and (grows to) respect cultural differences. Then we move into the final phase of cultural pre-competence. This phase is accomplished by acceptance of cultural differences and ethno relativism, experiencing culture on the context of other cultures. I used the model I created in my project to explain the importance of cultural competency when mentoring. It is important that mentors in the program that I have created are culturally competent so they can better understand and help the people they are working with.

61. Students will demonstrate knowledge of McIntosh’s theory of privilege and its relationship to leadership

62. Student will demonstrate personal application of McIntosh’s theory

63. Student will describe the differences and similarities of individual and institutional oppression and relationships to leadership

HDF 414 Individual oppression somewhat follows the path of the Cycle of Socialization while institutional oppression correlates more with Franklin’s Configuration of Power. While both center around the oppression of groups of people, that oppression is accomplished in different ways. Individual oppression is more family, culture, and religion based. It starts at home and may not be intentional but still has a negative effect. Institutional oppression happens in schools, organizations, and society. I believe that while both are bad, institutional oppression is worse because it acknowledges and willingly perpetuate oppression. There are thousands of school systems that have inadequate learning materials that are overlooked yearly because institutions would rather spend their money elsewhere. Knowingly perpetuating the oppression of people is never going to help society. The major difference between individual oppression and institutional oppression is that the first is not intentional.

64. Student will show knowledge of effective leadership as it relates to change agency

HDF 417 Being a change agent closely relates to leading a movement from its grass roots, or taking a very basic problem that may be heavily embedded in our way of thinking or society and building a social change movement from the ground up. To be an effective change agent it is important to understand and communicate your vision as well as understand the seven “C’s” of the social change model and the feedback loop. Leaders are often characterized as change agents because they are often the ones who initiate movements that others are unwilling to initiate. After being a strengths coach this past semester it has become clear that certain strength contribute to leaders being change agents. For example, my activator strength contributes to being motivate to get things done and not wait around to watch if other people will accomplish the things I want to see changed. This has contributed to my knowledge of change agency and leadership because it is clear that leaders can be internally motivated by their strengths which will cause their actions in the external environment.

65. Student will describe personal examples of being a change agent

HDF 492 Leadership Institute Coordinator 2011

My proposal for the leadership institute this year is a small scale example of change agency. I looked to throw out the old way of running the institute and mold the institute weekend to teach the students about social change and what they can do as freshmen at URI. Seeing as we have had many movements in the past (for example, the “Stop the Hate” rally on the quad a couple of years ago) I thought it was important to point the minds of the first year inspiring leaders in the direction of “how can I make a difference for the betterment of this campus?” It is only a small scale example of change agency because I am looking at leadership institute as the grass roots from which we would start a movement. I viewed each of those students and potential activists


and change agents without our URI community and sought to give them the understanding and knowledge (and all the tools they would need) to make a difference at the start of their college careers.

66. Student will create a personal code of inclusive leadership

HDF 190 SMILE I personally believe the most important thing to focus on when being an inclusive leader is the knowledge that there is more than one right way of doing something. I think that most problems in a group setting stem from people having strong opinions that their idea is the right one, I personally used to be the same way. My personal code of inclusive leadership is formed around the basis of ensuring that all members in a group give their opinion on the issue at hand and them we cohesively formulate a solution. When leading the boundary breaking exercise with SMILE I realized that in order to accomplish the task, everyone had to feel comfortable enough to contribute. In making sure I include everyone, I actively listened to their diverse points of view and became a more inclusive leader.

67. Student will demonstrate knowledge of the “Model of Intercultural Sensitivity” by Bennett and its uses in leadership

HDF 414 Like the Cross model, Bennett’s model of intercultural sensitivity contains six steps (that almost mirror the Cross model). The initial step is denial, when an individual refuses to admit that cultural difference even exists. I like that Bennett’s model begins with this stage because I believe it is worse to even admit there are differences among people, than to know they are there and not do anything about them. The second stage is defense, when a individual feels threatened by the differences that they acknowledge exist. The third stage is the trivializations of cultural differences called minimization. Someone in this stage is likely to believe that human similarities are more important and more prominent than differences. Following minimization is acceptance and adaptation, which are two separate stages in the model but I believe they should be one. I feel that you cannot adapt without acceptance nor can you accept something without adaptation. In these stages and individual moves towards respecting cultural differences and the ability to look through a different cultural lens. Finally, you move into integration of cultural differences into your everyday lifestyle (much like Cross’s stage of advanced competency).

68. Students will demonstrate personal application of the “Model of Intercultural Sensitivity” by Bennett

HDF 414 I have used the two models of intercultural sensitivity throughout my project. My integration of the two models has helped to develop my understanding of the focus group I am dealing with. I have applied my own model throughout my project in order to effectively create a program that meets the needs of the women I am working to develop.

Outcome Category: Critical Thinking


69. Student will show knowledge of principles of critical thinking (logic is used in this minor)

HDF 190 Day of Discovery The first thing we did on the Day of Discovery was make a circle in the Memorial Union ballroom as the peer leaders placed different colored stickers on each of our foreheads and told us to “get into groups without talking”. Immediately we all began communicating (silently) to arrange ourselves into groups based on the color sticker that was on our forehead. Afterwards, the peer leaders asked us why we had arranged ourselves that way, they never said to get into groups by color. That is when I began to understand the concept of unlearning. I got into those groups because that is how I had been taught to think. I also realized had someone not had the same color sticker on their forehead (as one girl had) I would have probably done the same thing as the other groups and rejected them. I realized that I needed to think outside the box in order to truly learn about myself as a leader.

70. Student will demonstrate proficiency of critical thinking

HDF 190 Challenge Course Facilitation During FLITE class one day, we got into three groups and the peer leaders were going to give us a change to practice relational leadership making decisions. They gave each group a scenario involving a different aspect of leadership and asked us to draw a conclusion (as a group) as to what we would do. Our scenario involved a student leader attending an off campus party and finding one of their under


aged students there. Immediately my group formulated very diverse opinions over what we should do. We assumed that the party involved drinking and that our student was doing so. Everyone began to talk over one another trying to get their ideas heard. In order to come to an unanimous conclusion we needed to work together to decide what to do. I myself had very different opinions on what tactics should be used and tried to make sure my ideas were heard as well as listen and understand those of the other people in my group. We worked together to come up with a solution to the problem that everyone was happy with and agreed upon. I believe we used many critical thinking skills suck as analyzing the problem, creating multiple solutions and working together to decide what was best. During Challenge Course training, it was necessary for me as well as my team to think critically to determine how to complete the elements on the challenge course. There are various ways to complete all of the elements in which we needed to assess and figure out the more effective and efficient way through critical thinking.

71. Student will show knowledge of at least five decision making methods

HDF 415 Five decision making methods I have used frequently in the past are to first establish objectives or goals. Once those goals have been established it is important to evaluate the methods of which to go about achieving those goals. After those methods have been established, you should evaluate potential outcomes (both good and bad). It is important to ensure that you create alternative plans of actions for potential poor outcomes. The last step of the decision making process is to make a choice of the best course of action in which to accomplish your goals or objectives.

72. Student will describe personal examples of having used five decision making methods

HDF 492 Wynternship 2012 When making the decision of which internship position I would choose this summer. I had a choice between a position in Global Reporting and Consolidations or Internal Audit. I had to use the five decision making methods in order to determine which internship position would be the best fit for my personal and professional goals. The goals I established for myself were to gain an understanding and real world experience in my field of study of accounting. The methods of achieving both goals was to put myself through the interview process for both positions and to see which job descriptions met my personality style and goals. I created alternative plans for potential poor outcome by applying for many more internships outside of the original company I applied for. Lastly, I was able to make a decision of which position I would be best suited for and that would fit my goals the most efficiently.

73. Student will show knowledge of at least five problem solving / conflict management methods, as well as understanding the roots of conflicts

HDF 414 The four agreements in combination with active listening are five key conflicts resolution techniques. Being impeccable with your words, not taking anything personally, not making assumptions, and always doing your best are four things that anyone involved in a conflict should take to heart and utilize. In addition to those, being an active listener is important both for people directly involved as well as people mediating a conflict because attentive listening with an open mind can help move the group towards a problem resolution. When engaged in a conflict it is always important to remind yourself that you may not know the whole story and therefore should seek to understand and clarify, rather than make assumptions and blame.

74. Student will describe personal examples of having used five problem solving / conflict management methods (if student has been trained in mediation, that information goes here)

HDF 414 Women’s Center When faced with my roommate conflict this semester I helped to mediate the situation by teaching my roommates the four agreements. When Ashlee was too loud I taught Diamond not to assume she was doing so purposefully to annoy her. When Diamond snapped at Ashlee I taught her not to take it personally because she did not know what kind of day Diamond was having. When facilitating a roommate contract I made sure I kept and open mind and did my best to make sure I kept an open mind to make sure both parties’ needs were equally represented in the contract. Most importantly, although I was not directly involved in the conflict, I made sure I was always there to be an active listener and aid them in finding a solution.

75. Student will describe what it means to analyze, criticize, synthesize and utilize information as a leader

HDF 414 Activism Project This year I was first introduced to synthesis charts in class. I was not used to working with research that way but I found that they were very helpful in determining what components I could use for my project, what research I had already accomplished and what I had yet to accomplish. It was a very organized way for me to write down everything I thought was relevant to my topic, narrow down, and analyze that information to put it in a cohesive format. Using the synthesis chart I was able to


communicate to my classmates the information I had in a concise manner and get feedback from them as well as ask clarifying questions about things I did not understand.

76. Student will demonstrate knowledge of leadership that is used in crisis

77. Student will describe examples of leadership in crisis situations

78. Student will describe how power applies to leadership (Franklin)

HDF 414 Power is an extreme influence on leadership. Understanding the configuration of power and how power applies to a leadership position is crucial in being able to begin and carry through a movement. As a leader of a movement, if you do not correctly identify the configuration of power that you are dealing with in order to adequately lead a group within a movement.

Outcome Category: Interpersonal and Organizational Concepts & Skills

Outcome Target

class

Additional Experiences Descriptive notes regarding learning and practice

79. Student will demonstrate knowledge of active listening techniques

HDF 190 I can identify many active listening techniques just by sitting in FLITE class. I believe I try to use many techniques such as eye contact, open body language, and asking questions to clarify when either Robert or one of the peer leaders are talking. I have noticed that they do the same. The peer leaders show they are listening to you through their body language such as making eye contact or nodding to show they understand or agree with what you are saying. When Robert is speaking and they sense we are confused they help to clarify it in a different way or ask us questions to help us understand. These listening tactics help to make FLITE a more comfortable and informative class.

80. Student will describe examples of using active listening skills

HDF 190 Day of Discovery During the Day of Discovery at the beginning of the semester we were taught the importance of active listening in our small groups. During our time in the Union I tried to listen as actively as possible to my peer, and ask questions if I did not understand something or wanted to know more. I believe that when people know that you are truly listening to them and they are not afraid of being judged you are able to have a much deeper conversation because you create a great level of trust. Active listening helped me to bond with my peers on a different level, allowing myself to open up and step outside my comfort zone.

81. Student will show knowledge of techniques regarding giving and accepting of feedback

HDF 190

When I began applying and interviewing for various jobs and positions on campus I decided I needed to update and work on my resume. I have had one since the beginning of the year but I had not looked at it since then. I asked one of my mentors to help me revise it (not thinking that it needed much work). She started by rearranging the format, then the way I had written the information, and before I realized it, I had to change my entire resume. I went home that night to work on it and brought a copy of it to class the next day. This time I asked two different mentors to take a look at it. I thought that I wouldn’t have to change much because I had already changed everything that night before. I was wrong. I received my resumes back with constructive criticism all over them. After writing about four or five drafts of my resume I have created a list I am proud to send out to employers. After receiving so much help with mine, I felt confident enough to relay that same help to my friends looking to boost and revise their resumes. I am now bale to give feedback to others as my mentors have provided me.

82. Student will describe examples of giving and accepting feedback.

HDF 414 HDF 417

Strengths Interviews BUS 441

Kevin and I have very similar project focuses therefore, I have spoken to him on many occasions about the direction he is taking with his project. I have asked him for ideas on how I should present my


information as well as give him suggestions on how to make his program more solid. I appreciate any input he is willing to offer me because in receiving feedback from him I am able to make my project better. Having someone look over my work and give me feedback helps me to catch things I may have over looked or did not think of. I have also talked to Bekki on several occasions who has asked me questions which have helped me to go back and rethink my approach to certain parts of my project. By being open minded to receiving feedback on my work, I have been able to strengthen my project and clearly get my message across. As a strengths coach I have conducted many strengths interviews. Before the interviewee came in to speak with me they would fill out the strengths interview packet and send it to me. Having the packet in advance I could then ask appropriate questions and provide feedback on their responses in the interview. In BUS 441 (Leadership Skills Development), individual sets of students are responsible for teaching the different components of the class. After a student has presented the material that were are going over for the day, we are required to write a reflection paper on how well they did. I use my analytical strength to create my reflection papers which are based mainly upon the lever of difficulty of the material, how prepared they seemed and how cooperative/receptive the class was to their information. The reflection papers are then compiled and taken into account when our professor grades their presentation.

83. Student will demonstrate knowledge of facilitation and de-briefing techniques

HDF 190 Challenge Course Facilitation I believe it is very important to be in command of a group when you are facilitating and activity. You do this by having a confident presence, speaking loudly, and clearly so everyone can hear you. When facilitating a challenge course I must be aware of the group I am working with, their strengths and weaknesses, so I can properly choose elements for them to attempt. As a facilitator I must also foster a trusting relationship and explain the policy of “challenge by choice” which shows the students that they are encouraged to participate, but are not obligated to engage in anything they feel completely uncomfortable with. To de-brief a group on the challenge course I ensure that I ask questions to make the participants elaborate on their responses and think deeply about their accomplishments. I make sure I end any de-briefing on a positive note and try to make sure students do not put themselves or their teammates accomplishments down. I create an environment where the participants do not belittle themselves and make sure they take pride in what they have done together as a group.

84. Student will demonstrate proficiency of facilitation and de-briefing techniques

HDF 414 Challenge Course Manager This year I was offered the job as one of the student Challenge Course managers. One of my jobs as the manager is to train new facilitators. I needed to teach them the safety regulations, ice breakers, the functions of the elements, but most importantly I needed to teach them de-briefing techniques. Whenever there is a group out on the course one of the most important things is de-briefing in order to find out what the group thinks about what they have just accomplished. There are many different types of de-briefing activities for different elements as well as both individual and group goals. It is important that I know different techniques for different situations and am able to effectively communicate those techniques and their purpose to new facilitators.

85. Student will show knowledge of organizing meetings / setting agendas / and leading meetings

HDF 416 In personal and organizational leadership we learned the importance of meeting organization especially within large groups on campus. Parliamentary procedure was one way of organizing and leading meetings. Parliamentary procedure is a set of guidelines for leading and conducting a meeting in which all participants leave actively informed on the organization. While parliamentary procedure may not be an effective way of running the meeting, using the guidelines it provides such as what to be sure to include in each meeting to ensure that everything you want discussed is brought up. It is important to set an agenda of the meeting you intend to run with estimated time slots for each topic you wish to cover. Without an agenda it is very possible things could get out of hand during the meeting and discussion of one topic without concern for time could lead to ignoring other things on your list. As the meeting leader it is important for you to control the tone of the meeting and be the time keeper to ensure everything that needs to be said is said.

86. Student will describe personal examples of organizing meetings / setting agendas /

HDF 492 Leadership Institute Coordinator 2011

As a leadership institute coordinator this past summer, it was my job to organize and lead both the small training session we had with the peer leaders before the summer break as well as the


leading meetings training week before. It was important, given the limited amount of time we had to cover a large amount of material, that we be efficient, clear, and as concise as possible during each session. The planning for these meetings occurred mostly during the summer months, via email or phone communication with my co-coordinator. This added an extra challenge to our already difficult task because we would not have meeting times ourselves to finalize meeting agendas and topics to cover. Therefore, a lot of the training was done on a “trust the process” basis. This experience was recently brought to the forefront of my mind in portfolio class one day when Dr. Leatham asked us if we ever feel like frauds as a leader. As the coordinator of the leadership institute I sometimes felt this way during the program when plans would change and my peer leaders would look to me for guidance. I could feel their confusion but I couldn’t offer any answers because at some points during the weekend even I did not know what was going to happen next. For this reason I have learned that adequate organization and proper planning of meets are of vital importance to effective leadership of meetings.

87. Student will show knowledge of Parliamentary Procedure

HDF 416 HDF 492

BUS 315 Parliamentary Procedure is a method of running and organizing meetings. There are ten specific steps that are to be followed. The first is to call the meeting to order. This is done by the meeting “chair person”. The second step is to note is the quorum is present. A quorum is the number of members that must be present in a meeting in order for decisions to be made. This number is located in the bylaws of the organization. The secretary then reads the minutes (notes) from the previous meeting. The officers such as the treasurer report on the standing of the organization and the committee reports follow. The sixth step is to discuss special orders or important business that needs to be addressed in the current meeting. Following that is the discussion of unfinished business from the previous meeting and then new business. In my opinion, “new” and “important business” follows the same guidelines and should be within the same step. I also think that unfinished business should precede those considering it was new or important business at the last meeting. The last two phases of a parliamentary meeting is to go over any announcements of events and then finally the chair person adjourns the meeting. In parliamentary procedure, people who have something to say or are looking to get something done typically make a motion to do so. Motions are presented, seconded, debated and then voted on by the quorum of people present at the meeting. This system is much like the American legal system is today. In my business law class we had the chance to reenact a trial case in which motions (such as a motion to dismiss or a motion for summary judgment) were presented. It is interesting to see the correlation between that and how these procedures can be applied to an organizational setting. When in my organizations on campus, it is not uncommon that we have an item (such as a pen or pencil) that is passed around which grants the person holding it the right to speak without interruption. This method is similar to the parliamentary method of motions and is an organized way to conduct meetings efficiently and ensure that everyone is respected and has the opportunity to speak.

88. Student will show knowledge of techniques for working with difficult people

HDF 190 In class we were grouped off by the peer mentors into five different groups for our social change projects. I was put into a group with four unusually difficult people. Three of my group members had intentions to transfer after the semester, one no longer wished to continue with the minor, and all four seemed to equally dislike FLITE. I believe that while this was a difficult situation it was also a chance for me to grow as a leader. When we originally got into our groups I was voted “gate keeper”. However, the group members did not have any interest in listening to what I had to say when I told them about the importance of working on the project. When given time in class to work on the project they used it as time to socialize. While normally I would just work on the project myself, I do not believe that would be an effective leadership tactic on my part. I needed to motivate my group members while understanding that they do not feel the project or the class is important. By being actively involved in class as well as making attempts to connect with and understand the way they were feeling, I was able to work more cohesively with them. A particular way of dealing with difficult people is to understand why they do not want to do the thing you are trying to involve them in. By making the effort to


understand why they were uninterested in the class/project I was able to use that knowledge to make them more interested in what we were doing and why.

89. Student will describe personal examples of using techniques to work effectively with difficult people

HDF 414 Leadership Institute Mentor 2009 As a mentor this year, I had one student in my small group who was particularly difficult to deal with. It seemed to me that he wanted a lot of attention and by being boisterous, condescending, and rude as well as interrupting others, he was able to get that attention from me. I was having difficulty dealing with him because I was so concerned about it that every time something else would happen he would get a reaction out of me. I first went to my partner Shaun for help dealing with the student. While he was able to help me during our large group activities, he was unable to be there for our small group activities. I asked both coordinators for advice on what I should do. Ultimately, Elise advised that I do not react and play along with attention grabbing stunts and eventually he will lose interest because it will no longer be fun. I also spoke to Kevin who had had a student like this in his small group the previous year. He suggested the same thing and also helped me to realize that I cannot control how everyone acts but I control the way I react. For the rest of the institute I was able to calmly deal with the student by simply not reacting to his sarcastic comments or playing along with his jokes about me. I “killed him with kindness” as some would say, making sure I had nothing but a smile on my face even if what he said got under my skin.

90. Student will show knowledge of the stages of group development (Tuckman, Bennis or others)

HDF 190 Before we learned about Tuckman’s theory, we played a game in our FLITE class called “Farkel”. It is a glorified rocks, paper, scissors game in which you move up and down various stages based on whether or not you win your game. You begin as an egg, which represents forming. As an egg you are still developing and creating new ideas. You move up to become a chicken, storming, where you still have connections with the egg and all your original ideas but you are also moving forward towards your group goal. You then move up to become a hawk, norming, where yes you can fly but sometimes are stuck on the ground trying to hammer out some of your ideas. When playing the game I was unable to move past chicken, I kept losing and devolving back into an egg. I realized how this shows that sometimes groups need to take a step back and reevaluate their goals and ideas before they can move forward which is an important part of working together in a successful group. I also learned that it is important to recognize that you can move up as well as down in the stages. You evolve from a hawk into a dinosaur, performing, when you and your group are moving full speed and hitting hardly any bumps along the way. Afterwards you become a prince or princes, adjourning, where you are now able to take your mission and ideas and spread them around in order to influence others. While many of my friends made it to the top, I sadly never made it past hawk. This originally frustrated me but taught me the importance of really knowing and understanding your group and your mission before you can move forward. If I don’t fully understand how my group works together or what we are trying to accomplish I may be frustrated in the future if something goes wrong. Even though I was frustrated that other people were moving forward and I was not, I learned the importance of patience when developing and working with a group.

91. Student will describe personal examples of group development in use.

HDF 190 I am able to identify the different stages of Tuckman’s group development within my own group for FLITE. I believe that when we originally got together we were in the forming stage. From there we quickly moved to the storming stage where we all brainstormed different possible ideas for our project and desired goals. I found that it was difficult being in the storming stage because if I disagreed with an idea, I didn’t know how to respond to the person who had formulated it. Luckily I believe we settled on our project idea fairly quickly with little argument which moved my group into the norming stage. I think that we are still in the norming stage because we don’t have all of our ideas solidified yet and we are still working out some of the kinks in our project. However, once we move forward into performing I believe that the group will be working well with each other and hard to make sure we complete the project to the best of our ability.

92. Student will show knowledge of group dynamics and group roles

HDF 415 Challenge Course Manager Being a facilitator this year it is very important for me to understand what type of group dynamic I am working with. There are many different facilitation techniques that can be used to change up group roles and see how others react to changing conditions (such as silencing a group leader). It is also important that I acknowledge what type of group I am working with in order to ensure I choose


appropriate elements for the group to participate on. I never want to set a group up to fail so I would never put a group that cannot speak to each other civilly on an element as high functioning as a trust fall. Therefore, by understanding the group dynamic I can set the group up for success by choosing elements that will challenge them but also leave them feeling accomplished.

93. Student will describe personal examples of group dynamics and group roles

HDF 415 I have personally been a part of many groups on campus that involve a vast understanding of my own groups’ dynamics as well as my groups’ role as a part of the greater good. It is also extremely important for me to know my own role within my group. If I can accurately identify my role within a group I can effectively lead my group to achievement of our goals. I have also found that it is important that I understand my group dynamic in order to be able to judge how efficiently we are working as a whole and find any ways to maximize our time and effort to reach the best possible outcome.

94. Student will show knowledge of effective memberships skills in groups

HDF 417 As a member of an organization several key membership techniques must be used. As a member you should identify what your role is within the organization, and what the objective or goals of your organization are. It is also important for a member to understand completely how their role fits into the overall objectives of the organizations as well as how they can go about achieving their goals for the betterment of the group. It is important, as a member, to attempt to initiate change if you feel that something within the group could be run more effectively. It is your duty as a member of an organization to be loyal and dedicated to the success of that organization. That loyalty and dedication should drive the decisions that you make.

95. Student will describe personal examples of membership skills in use

HDF 415 HDF 492

Leadership Institute Mentor 2009 Women’s Center “D.O.D”

Being a part of a talented group of student leaders, everyone had different strengths to bring to the table. It was important that I made sure I participated and gave feedback during training to help move forward towards our group goals, as well as ask questions and accept feedback to help further my personal development. I recognize that I was an important member of that team and my strengths helped us work towards our team goals. As a member of the Women’s Center Community, we have often tried to implement some sort of system within the house consisting of elected members of the house to help with problems, create fundraising events and so on. We created the “Democracy of Dames” (D.O.D) board of which I was the vice president. As vice president I assisted in planning and conducting meetings along with the co-presidents. Using my activator strength as well as inclusive leadership skills, I also made sure that each girl who had a position on the board had a chance to contribute what they had at each meeting as well as made sure the meetings stayed on point and were conducted in a timely fashion. Had any arguments broken out among members of the board I was responsible for mediation due to my training from various leadership opportunities. The skills from the organizations and teams I have been a part of were sincerely helpful in mapping out my membership responsibilities on the D.O.D.

96. Student will show knowledge of the Challenge and Support theory by Sanford, and its relationship to organizations

HDF 190 HDF 492

Rainville Leadership Awards Committee-Student Employee Challenge Course Facilitation

Graduate Assistant Interviews

While interviewing candidates for the Rainville Student Employee Leadership Award, we came across a young women who when asked “what is your leadership style” responded with “Challenge and Support”. I am now able to identify that leadership tactic because of her response. She proceeded to explain how when working at the challenge course and training new employees she helps them along the way but after a certain point allows them to go on and experience it for themselves. She also makes sure her employees know that she is there to help them but only if they want her help. I can understand why challenge and support would be an effective method to use when training new challenge course facilitators because the people that participate in the course also focus on teamwork and trust. I believe that in teaching he employees, then trusting them to make their own decisions and perform the work they want to makes her an effective leader. When interviewing for the Center for Student Leadership Graduate Assistant position I came across a question I had not previously prepared to answer. The questions I was asked was “Using Challenge and Support, how would you help a student understand social justice.” This question really tested my knowledge and understanding of both the theory as well as the


concept of social justice. I answered that in the following manner: “As the graduate assistant it would be my job to guide students to a path that will reveal their own understanding of social justice. It is not my job to simply give them the definition but find ways for them to seek their own understanding and then return to me with what they have learned. Social justice for everyone is different based on what you are involved in, what you are studying, and what you plan to do in the future. My goal as the graduate assistant would be to guide them on their journey and steer them closer to self discovery and put them back on track if they lose their way. Social justice is more than equality; it is an understanding and a way of life. I would challenge my students to find out how social justice is necessary for their own success and personal development.”

97. Student will describe personal examples of using the theory of Challenge and Support

HDF 415 HDF 417

Leadership Institute Mentor 2010 FLITE Peer Leader


It was difficult for me as a mentor this year to step back and allow the students to attending the institute to figure things out for themselves. During a group activity the students were required to create a skit about leadership using a prop. While they were working on their skit there were many times that I wanted to jump in a offer them a suggestion or idea to help them get their message across but I had to sit back and watch them create their skit themselves. I was there for them to answer questions but resisted the urge to outright offer them suggestions. It was amazing to watch their development and to know that they came up with their entire skit themselves. As a FLITE peer leader I struggled with the same thing in the classroom. However, instead of lasting for twenty minutes, it was a semester long. Having gone through the class just a year earlier, it was difficult for me to offer help and guidance and it not be utilized or listened to. However,, in keeping with the model of Challenge and Support, I made sure I made myself available to student when they needed me and offered suggestions when I could. I did not push them too hard to listen to me which encouraged them to mold their own path. When being a strengths coach this past semester it was important that I utilize Challenge and Support when teaching the FLITE peer mentors about their strengths. It was important that I support them as they journey through the experience of mentoring by not answering all their questions or telling them everything I had done in their situation. But it was equally important for me to challenge them to use their strengths in new ways to make better connections with their students as they taught the material. During leadership institute interviews I had asked an applicant what their personal theory of leadership was. They proceeded to describe to me that their personal theory of leadership was making sure they were there to help the students in the beginning, but then slowly back off to the point where the students come to him to ask for help if they need it. I identified the challenge and support theory in his answer immediately which is exactly the type of peer mentors we are looking for at the institute and exactly how my co-coordinator and I will treat training and working with our team of peer leaders.

98. Student will show knowledge of the construction / elements of informative and persuasive speeches

99. Student will demonstrate proficiency in informative and persuasive public speaking

100. Student will show knowledge of planning and conducting interviews (as the interviewer)

HDF 190 HDF 492

Rainville Leadership Awards Committee-Student Employee Rainville Leadership Awards Committee-Servant Leader

As part of the Rainville Leadership Awards Committee for the Student Employee Award, I needed to understand the criteria for which the award is granted in order to effectively interview and choose the winner. Aside from knowing the criteria extensively I also needed to create questions to ask the candidates that would give me insights into their talents, abilities, and deserving of the award. As an interviewer I need to create questions that can show me the candidates’ creativity as well as how well they fit the criteria for the award. When interviewing someone I must remember to remain professional and actively listen and record their responses to questions because I will not have another chance to acquire the information. As an interviewer I need to understand and empathize with the interviewee regarding their nerves and uncertainties in their answers. However, I must reward confident candidates


who show up adequately prepared for the situation they are placed in. In participating as a part of a Rainville Leadership Awards Committee since I was a freshman, my knowledge of planning and conducting interviews has expanded dramatically. I have grown more confident in my participation and voice with each passing committee membership. Also, having been a part of the Servant Leadership Award committee for the past three years I have grown to understand and appreciate the award more than I initially had. I am able to input questions and help the interviewees feel more comfortable in the interview which allows them to open up and share truly amazing stories about their service. This helps me as the interviewer to get a better knowledge of the candidate and the qualifications and experiences they bring to the table. The Servant Leadership Award is so unique and so is each of the candidates and therefore, in reviewing their applications I make sure to take notes of specific things I would like to ask each candidate in order to understand their mission and vision more clearly. This is different than typical interview procedures because it takes away the basic “cookie cutter” questions that every interviewee would normally have to answer and it allows for a more intimate interview of each person.

101. Student will describe personal examples of planning and conducting interviews (as the interviewer)

HDF 190 HDF 417 HDF 492


Strengths Interviews Leadership Institute Coordinator

2011

In being on the Rainville Leadership Awards Committee, I have had a personal experience of what it is like to interview applicants. After choosing finalists and setting interview dates, Carolyn sent me a list of questions in which to ask the finalists during the interview. While I agreed that her questions were important, I also thought she had not hit upon some of the important aspects of the award and asked her if I could add some of my own. The questions I added helped us to get to know the applicants better than we could have thought in a short time. When conducting the interviews I needed to make sure I remained professionally with the candidate even if I knew them personally. I also needed to make sure I paid complete attention to their responses as to give a thorough evaluation and opinion of whether or not they were right for the award. It was a very different experience for me being an interviewer instead of the interviewee and I think that it will help me in the future to know what is looked at when you are in an interview. As a strengths coach, my partner and I had to plan and conduct the six strengths interviews for the FLITE peer leaders. We would meet about fifteen minutes before the peer leaders would arrive and go over their responses to the questions together and then discuss any follow up questions we would like to ask based on their responses. During the interviews we alternated asking questions and simultaneously gave feedback to the interviewees. As coordinator for the 2011 Leadership Institute, my co-coordinator and I decided it would be best to split the interview group in half. I would conduct the experiential part of the interview, while he conducted the counseling part of the interview. Because we were interviewing students for job positions we meticulously took notes on their responses as opposed to providing feedback, and had pre-determined questions for each applicant as well as follow up questions. After the interviews were finished Josh and I would immediately discuss each applicant while their interview was still fresh in our minds. This was the most effective way to ensure every applicant was thoroughly analyzed and reviewed.

102. Student will show knowledge of preparing for and effective answers in interviews (as the interviewee)

HDF 190 HDF 492

Resident Assistant Graduate Assistant Interviews

When preparing for my RA interviews I asked Bekki (one of my FLITE mentors) to help me prepare for what types of questions I would get, how to respond to them and anything else I could do to make myself a great candidate for the position. I believe that speaking to someone in the position that I desired would help me get a full understanding of the job I wanted to be a part of. She was able to explain to me the responsibilities, time, and dedication that went into her job. I believe that it was a very helpful approach and also helped me to make myself the best candidate for the job I could possibly be. As I head towards graduation I have moved in the direction of attending graduate school at URI.


As I apply for my Master’s program here I have also given a lot of thought to the graduate assistant position that is run out of the Center for Student Leadership Development. I believe that my minor studies as well as dedication to the center qualified me for this position and I therefore applied. The application process was three-tiered. The first part was the submission of a cover letter and resume. From there candidates were narrowed down by a committee and offered and interview if the committee wished to pursue them to fill the job. I was offered a preliminary interview and prepared for it immensely. Having been on both sides of the interviewing table throughout my studies here, I created a list of potential interview questions that I would be asked based on my knowledge of the job description as well as the centers mission and vision. I believe this method of preparation helped me to be a more confident interviewee and ensured that I said everything I need to in the short amount of time I have with committee members who were interviewing me. This allowed me to leave the interview without second guessing my responses or feeling like I left something out or regretting what I had (or forgotten to) said (say).

103. Student will describe personal examples of preparing for and being interviewed

HDF 190 HDF 414 HDF 417

SMILE FLITE Peer Leader

Wynternship

When applying to be a SMILE program mentor, along with the application we filled out, there was a list of questions that would be asked during the interview. In addition to making sure I knew what my responses to those questions would be I also put myself in the shoes of the interviewer. In knowing the type of program it is and the age group I would be working with I was able to brainstorm questions that I would ask students if I were to be interviewing them for this position. It was an effective tactic because it prepared me for many more questions than were originally given. When interviewing for my position as a FLITE Peer Mentor I was very nervous. Having taken FLITE and making a great connection with my peer leaders, I was not sure if I was developed enough as a student leader for the position. I remember specifically thinking about how my strengths will affect my leadership style as a peer leader. While competition is my top strength, I believe I would be looking through the lens of an activator as a FLITE leader. Surprisingly enough I got that question when I was being interviewed and was able to calmly explain why being an activator is an important quality to have in a peer leader; because I am going to be able to motivate the students to get involved in and out of the classroom. I left that interview feeling like I had done the best job possible because I had prepared and thought about possible questions and answers beforehand. My well prepared responses are a part of what helped me to get the position. To properly conduct strengths interviews, my partner and I both had to write out or responses to the questions and go through the interview as the interviewee. This preparation of responses helped me to analyze how I use my strengths in various settings with different people I interact with. Going through the interview I was able to answer follow up questions and receive feedback on how I view my strengths and what I can do to improve upon my use of specific ones. I applied to work for the same company that I had had an internship for this past summer. I remained in very close contact with my mentor from this past summer and he informed me that two new Vice Presidents had joined the company and they would be the people making the decisions about who would be hired as a summer intern for the position. Because I knew I would only be able to be interviewed over the phone when the time came around, I took it upon myself to reach out to both vice presidents and set up an in person meeting with them over spring break so they would be able to meet me and put a face to the name. This allowed me to sit with them and discuss some of my strengths and accomplishments before the actual phone interview. It was a way for me to “lay the groundwork” for the position I hope to be hired for over the summer.

104. Student will show knowledge of effective collaboration / coalition building

HDF 414 Activism Project To build an effective coalition I need to keep my goals in mind and not be discouraged by setbacks. There are many compromises that come with building a coalition, such as inequality of power and unequal recognition for work. I need to understand how to deal with these things and how to explain to the members of my coalition how they are appreciated for their hard work and remind them to keep the


big picture in mind. I must find a unifying issue but understand that groups joining may have a different perspective or focus group within the issue. I must be able to address these perspective and compromise with the group members as well as be able to take a step back and make sure our priorities still align with our intended goal. There are many decisions that need to be made and I must also recognize my own limitation in order to best serve the common good. I must know when to step back and allow someone else to take charge in order to not become overwhelmed by what we are trying to accomplish. I must also not lose sight of my initial passion and the reason I originally started/joined the coalition.

105. Student will describe personal examples of working in ollaborative/coalitions

106. Student will show knowledge of Intercultural communication considerations

HDF 190 I am able to identify intercultural communication considerations through the way my FLITE instructor communicates with myself and my peers. Instead of treating us as children he treats and speaks to us as adults. While I appreciate the respect I have also realized that in treating us this way I am much more responsible for my assignments and work than in any of my other classes. I believe that in treating me as an adult my professor has given me the opportunity to grow as a student leader and given me the chance to take my own initiative and mold my own path.

107. Student will demonstrate proficiency in intercultural communication

HDF 414 Activism Project Intercultural communication is an important part to the success of the program I have created. Without intercultural communication there would be a lack of understanding between mentors and mentees and that lack of understanding would be accompanied by not progress. If I refuse to recognize and respect cultural differences then how can I being to influence change? Without a clear understanding of the group that I am focusing on I cannot devise a program centered around their need and therefore cannot begin to understand how to make a difference. If I do not understand intercultural communication considerations, I cannot influence change.

108. Student will describe ways to maintain accountability in leadership / member relationships

HDF 417 BUS 355 I have found new ways this semester to use my strengths to help me to maintain accountability as a leader. As the leader of my BUS 355 (Supply Chain Management) group, we have to hand in written reports every three weeks, for which we receive a grade and feedback. My group members refuse to do their share of the work and therefore do not hold themselves accountable if we receive a poor grade because of something they made a mistake on. However, on the work that I produce, I specifically check and make sure I understand the comments my professor made, ask for clarification if necessary and (using my analytical strength) analyze what I can do better in the future reports. As a strengths coach it is important that I share these experiences with the FLITE peer mentors so they can see that I am remaining accountable; not only for my work in my other classes, but for my position as a strengths coach because I am constantly reanalyzing and looking at my strengths in new ways as well as determining how to apply them in different leadership scenarios.

109. Student will describe personal examples related to maintaining accountability as a leader

HDF 190 HDF 414

In working in our group projects I am in a tight spot because I need to make sure I empower and trust my group members to get their part done; but at the same time if the project does not get finished I will be responsible for the incompletion of the project (as well as my teammates). Whether or not my group is willing to work I am still responsible and can be held accountable for completion of the project. In class this semester we have been given a lot of flexibility towards our projects. Robert has moved things around in the syllabus and changed due dates in order to accommodate our schedules and learning processes. Due to these changes I am completely accountable for the projects I turn in. There are no excuses as to why I was unable to complete the work in the given amount of time because Robert has given us a lot of flexibility. I am personally accountable for making sure that I have everything that is necessary for the final day of class. In addition to that if I had any question throughout the semester it was my responsibility to seek out answers. I have maintained accountability for my work throughout the semester by making sure I asked questions frequently and worked in a timely manner.


110. Student will describe ways to build relationships between leaders and members

HDF 190 HDF 414 HDF 417

Challenge Course Facilitation Leadership Institute Mentor 2009

BUS 441

Throughout many different groups I have been a part of it is very important to foster a good relationship between the leaders and its members. I personally ensure that the members of my group feel comfortable with me and have faith in my abilities to lead them based on the best interest of the group. As a facilitator of the challenge course I need to foster such a relationship with the group I am leading through the course. Although I am not a part of the groups itself I must make sure I lead them through the course safely and only take them through elements in which they are prepared for. In order to foster a trusting relationship I often show the group my trust for them by participating in trust sequencing with them. If I show that I am comfortable with trusting a group I barely know to catch me in a trust fall I instill the same confidence for me in them. This year, being a leadership institute mentor has helped me to understand the importance of building a relationship between leaders and members. The incoming freshmen had no idea what to expect coming into the Institute and were looking for the mentors to help make them more comfortable. I found that one of the most important building blocks to a solid relationship is starting a conversation, and making sure to include everyone. By gathering my group together and simply asking them all where they were from eased the tension between them and eased their minds about the upcoming college experience. I helped to create even a small bond between them and myself by showing them that it was okay to relax, be themselves and jump into the conversation. By helping everyone to feel more welcomed I was able to begin fostering a relationship between myself and the mentees. In my BUS 441 (Leadership Skills Development) class we learned about the Leader member exchange (LMX) theory. The leader member exchange theory is defined as the quality of the exchange relationship between an employee and his or her superior. The underlying assumption for the LMX theory is that leaders do not interact with all followers equally. Followers with strong social ties to the leader are part of the in-group while those with weak social ties belong to the out-group. In-group followers routinely receive high performance ratings while out-group followers have higher levels of turn-over. Similarly, in-group followers give more positive ratings of leaders than out-group followers. To maintain the relationship leaders must continuously pay attention to in-group followers and must remain responsive to their needs (the in-group followers have developed social capital) and have a high influence on the responsiveness, decisions and behaviors of the leader. The in-group has higher follower motivation than the out-group. Knowledge of this theory has helped me to change my approach to my leadership behaviors as strength’s coach. Knowing some of the peer leaders ahead of time could have allowed the “in-group/out-group” persona to be formed. However, being a strengths coach I made an effort to reach out to each individual FLITE peer mentor that I was coaching in order to keep everyone equally motivated and interested in what I was trying to teach.

111. Student will describe personal examples of building relationships with members as a leader

HDF 190 HDF 414

SMILE Leadership Institute Mentor 2009

I believe that I have become a more inclusive and relational leader in my everyday life especially when using basic skills such as active listening. In being a part of the SMILE program I was asked to lead a “boundary breaking” exercise. Besides having no clue what I was going to do, I also needed to take into account that none of the students I was working with knew what to do either. In addition to “flying blind”, I needed to incorporate the understanding that I was leading a very diverse group of students, some with out-going leadership styles and others with shy personalities. The boundary breaking activity focuses mainly on trust and being open with your peers in answering questions that may make you feel out of your comfort zone. In order to make everyone feel comfortable I needed to practice relational leadership skills such as being inclusive and empowering. As my peers answered the questions put forth to them I made sure they felt comfortable, kept eye contact, and at the end thanked them for sharing their thoughts with me. I was extremely nervous about leading boundary breaking as a mentor this year at the Institute; mostly


because I did not feel I would be able to comfort someone adequately should they get upset. I found out afterwards that just participating helped one of my mentees to open up about their own life and the struggles they have at home. They felt more comfortable talking to me because I have experienced the same thing they have. My presence and willingness to listen to what they had to say was all the comfort they needed. It proved to me that you can make a real connection with someone by just being there for them.

112. Student will describe how credibility applies to leadership, as well as the characteristics and skills of a credible leader

HDF 190 HDF 417 HDF 492


Credibility applies to being a leader in many ways. I would not blindly listen to someone if I had no idea who they were or if they knew what they were talking about. If someone is a credible leader then they are respected by people they are trying to lead. I think that respect is the most important thing to have as a leader and is the biggest part of building credibility. U also believe that it is important for leaders to be trusted by the people they are leading. If the people you are leading trust the process and trust you to lead them they will be more cooperative and will not necessarily question your choices and tactics and if they are what is best for the group. Our FLITE mentors are examples of credible leaders because they have been through what we as new students are going through now. I can trust that if I ask for their opinion or help that they will try their best to make sure I understand what they are teaching and why it is important. I would not have gotten the position of a strengths coach if I was not a credible leader. Building my credibility through the leadership department is what allowed me to opportunity to create my internship on something that has not been done before. Because the position of strength’s coach is relatively new, it is important that I embrace it and use my strengths to their fullest potential and leave knowing I have created a position that other peer mentors desire to have. In conducting the 2011 Leadership Institute Interviews, some of our tough decisions have been made based upon leadership credibility. For example, Josh and I both liked a certain candidate that Robert had found questionable pictures on facebook for. After looking at the photos Josh and I re-evaluated out decision based on how credible of a leader that individual may be. Each peer leader that we hired represents our Center for Student Leadership Development. This representation of us must be made by leaders that are credible and will not be found to have any mis-leading photos of them.

113. Student will describe personal examples of building, maintaining, and repairing his/her own credibility as a leader

HDF 190 SMILE I have personally begun to build my own credibility as a leader through the SMILE program. First, credible leaders have multiple leadership experiences. In participating in this program I have started my own leadership resume. I can use my experiences here to help to help students in later years experience the same thing. During one of the training programs I was asked to lead an exercise. This in turn also helped to build my credibility as a leader by increasing peoples trust in me. I was trusted by Robert that I would not back down from the challenge the exercise brought and that I would complete it to the best of my ability. I had also created a trusting environment among my fellow peers during the exercise which helped them to open up to me. It is important that I continue to build my credibility as a leader by taking on more leadership roles and not backing down from the challenges I am faced with.

114. Student will describe principles of effective mentoring, as well as problems particular to the mentoring relationship

HDF 417 Being a peer mentor in the past and now stepping into the role of a strengths coach, I have had the chance to mentor some of these FLITE peer leaders in the past when they were my students. To be an effective mentor you cannot look at those mentees as your friends, which is a particular problem that I believe is associated with peer mentoring. I have developed friendships with many of these peer leaders through other instances where I have had them as co-workers. As a strengths coach it was important for me to make sure I put on my “strengths mentor hat” during the times when I was interviewing them, in the classroom with them or providing feedback to ensure they gained a better insights as to what their strengths are from the experience.

115. Student will describe personal examples of mentoring and being mentored

HDF 190 HDF 492

SMILE Graduate Assistantship

Wynternship 2012

When I started FLITE I was able to make a great connection with one of the peer mentors and build a relationship with her. She helped me prepare for various interviews and gave me positive and constructive criticism on how to improve my leadership and interviewing skills. In my group projects I


try to reflect the same mentoring abilities such as inclusive leadership, openness and approachability. I am able to offer my views and opinions to my fellow peers with regards to their personal and professional lives. They respect my opinions and I in turn respect them and theirs. I have since had the opportunity to mentor other peers and in the future will have the opportunity to mentor smaller children through the SMILE program. In working with my peers during training I was able to recall on my own experiences and approachability of my mentors and then use their tactics to model my own leadership approach in training. In submitting my resume and cover letter for my Graduate Assistant application I wanted to have it reviewed by various professionals in order to get a diverse opinion of any changes I should make and how to appeal to my audience most effectively. I consulted with both my professor and my father. They both used the opportunity to mentor me in preparation of both my cover letter and resume by both acknowledging what was good as well as providing constructive, helpful criticism. The mentoring I received for that application procedure aided my greatly with my applications for the various summer internships (and Wyndham Worldwide) I am applying for. Not only have I had my resume and cover letters reviewed, but I also recently stopped by the company I worked for two summers ago to have lunch with my mentor from that internship. He was able to give me advice about where I should apply and how to diversify my options and ultimately increase my marketability for when I enter the workforce. These mentoring relationships have helped me to develop professionally.

116. Student will describe principles of effective peer leadership, as well as problems particular to peer leadership

HDF 190 HDF 492


In FLITE we are working with a group of our fellow peers to create a project. This created many opportunities as well as difficulties. I have always believed that effective peer leadership entailed me running, organizing and doing everything myself in order to get the project done efficiently. However, in a group with many talented group leaders I have realized that may not be the best course of action. While my group members act disinterested it is my job to lead them through the project without forcing them to do everything my way. As an effective peer leader I need to work hard to ensure that they give input and feedback about what our project entails. This type of peer leadership in turn has its difficulties. While I may not be completely in charge my group believes that I am heading this entire project seems to believe that I am heading this entire project and that they need to do a minimal amount of work. As I have been told “it takes a good leader to tell someone they are not doing their part” I don’t believe I have developed enough to tell all four members of my group that they are slacking and how I am doing all the work. It is difficult to motivate them to get moving on the project because I believe they see me as their equal and should I attempt to take a leadership position within the group it will be met with resistance. Therefore, I need to find a way to motivate them as their peer but also a leader of the group, to get things moving and done. This year I had the opportunity to coordinate the leadership institute with a fellow peer mentor of mine who I have known since freshman year. Throughout training I noticed many differences in our leadership styles which lead to particular peer leadership problems I have never encountered before. I found that between the two of us, the peer leaders gravitated towards him more because he was a lot more social in comparison to me who was more “get things done and get down to business.” This gravitation lead to many issues throughout the training where I found that I was being less respected by the peer leaders as they talked to my co-coordinator while I was trying to teach something. It was disappointing that that was the way the relationship played out because in the long run I felt it had an effect on the institute program as a whole. I believe it was especially difficult because I felt that not only were the peer leaders disrespectful, but so was my co-coordinator in enabling that behavior towards someone who was supposed to be on his level.

117. Student will describe personal examples related to being a peer leader and being

HDF 190 HDF 415

Challenge Course Facilitation During the Challenge Course Facilitation training I worked with a group of peers to learn the basics of running a course. Throughout the training I was given the opportunity to lead my peers as well as be


led by peers led. I believe that I am able to lead a group of my peers most effectively because I can relate easily to them. I am able to understand the struggles particular to our age group and can cooperate to find an appropriate solution. I have some trouble when being led by my peers because I sometimes worry whether or not their method of leadership is most effective in the given instance. However, in learning there is more than one solution to any given problem I have been able to step away from worrying and moved towards accepting and being an active participant in a group led by my peers. As a FLITE peer leader we were each responsible for breaking down a schedule of which classes we would teach to the freshman students. Between the five other peer leaders and I we would pair up, (one leader for Roberts section and one from Tyler’s) and work together to create a lesson plan that we would implement for the FLITE class. In addition to coming up with the lesson plan, we also needed to teach the remaining peer leaders the plan as well as their parts during a roundtable discussion when our class section would meet. This would ensure that each of the pee leaders were ready and able to answer questions throughout the FLITE class and no one appeared unprepared. This method of teaching involved both peer leadership (while in the FLITE class) as well as being lead by peers (in the roundtable discussion of the 415 section).

Outcomes inventory

Education

leadership studiesthe

inclusive leadership

leadership studies center

minor center

leadership staff member

specific leadership

depth of leadership

family leadership roles