Undergraduate Leadership Development
Through leadership programs and education, volunteer opportunities, internships, and job connections, we promote our goal for Undergraduate Leadership Development within the Division. Here are just a few of the ways that we worked to meet our leadership goal during the 2010 fiscal year.
LeaderShape Institute
The LeaderShape Institute is an interactive, energizing, and unique experience that builds leadership skills no other program can match. LeaderShape is a six-day program filled with non-stop self-discovery and learning experiences that build leadership concepts, skills, and abilities. In January 2011, 51 students participated in LeaderShape and completed a survey immediately before and after the institute. Results indicated that participants deepened their concepts of effective leadership and gained confidence along various dimensions of leadership including:
- Managing and resolving conflict
- Evaluating personal strengths and weaknesses
- Acting with integrity
- Communicating effectively
Living Learning Communities
Living Learning Communities (LLC) enable students with common academic goals and interests to come together and thrive during their time at the University.
"The Career Leadership Academy Living Learning Community is designed for all majors. It helped me focus on the future and what I can do now to prepare for a professional career. Participating in the LLC allowed me to know about many of the resources on campus early on, such as the Pomerantz Career Center. It also allowed me to connect to a group of people who encouraged me to pursue things I didn't think I was capable of just being a first-year student. My favorite part of the LLC was being surrounded of a great group of people who turned out to be close friends of mine. I was surrounded by people who wanted to be leaders on campus, took initiative, cared about academics and their futures. I liked it so much I am now the Resident Assistant for this year's community.”
- Jostna Dash, Sophomore, Career Leadership Academy LLC Participant
2010-2011
The LLC's include: Arts. Business & Entrepreneurship. Career Leadership Academy. Education. Explore, Dream, Discover, and Experience. Global Village. Health Sciences, Healthy Living Network. Honors House. Iowa Writers. Journalism & Mass Communication. Law Study and Legal Careers. Men in Engineering. Political Engagement. Spectrum House. Sustainability. Women in Science and Engineering.
Iowa GROW™
IOWA GROW™ uses brief, structured conversations between student employees and supervisors to help make learning through student employment more “visible” to students. Supervisors from University Housing & Dining, IMU, University Libraries, and Student Health Service/Health Iowa have participated. Results from the project indicate that participating students are significantly more likely to report:
- Forming relationships with other students, faculty, and staff
- Feeling they were contributing to their office or the institution
- Learning about themselves
- Gaining work-related knowledge or skills
Student Employment Opportunities
With nearly 1,800 student hourly employees, the Division is the largest student-employer on campus. Working in the Division provides students with the opportunity to gain professional experience, strengthen their resumes, and harness leadership skills, all while still in college.
"Our department could not function without our student employees as they help to provide 10,000 meals per day, staff our information desks and often serve as a first contact to students and parents, and help foster an educational living experience for the all students who live in our halls and apartments.”
- Rachelle Stewart, Human Resource Coordinator, University Housing & Dining
While many student leadership positions do not receive compensation, there are a number of opportunities that do provide varying levels of fixed compensation. Students may be elected to a specific student governance position such as President of student government or selected for a position because of an interest to increase their knowledge and real world experience in one of the many student-run organizations such as General Manager of KRUI. They may also be selected as resident assistants in University Housing.
"KRUI is the perfect complement to the college education, as it offers real world experience not found in class. Students who work for KRUI are gaining industry-standard knowledge about radio, music, reporting, and (for KRUI Directors) managing an organization. In addition, working at KRUI is just plain fun, and I've met a lot of great people through the station.”
- Dolan Murphy, General Manager, KRUI
"I believe it is vital for a college student to become involved not only within academics, but within campus organizations or employment. By being a part of the Fine Arts Council and its Director I have found that my confidence, organization and communication skills, and discipline have been enhanced and utilized throughout each experience I encounter here as a UI student. I also love working with my FAC co-workers and advisor and have grown to better appreciate and love the arts. My favorite aspect of being the Director of the Fine Arts Council is that my experience here is as close as it gets to working in the real world after college. I am not treated as a student or looked down upon for being younger than the artists I work with, instead I am sought out for answers and looked to for advice which I appreciate greatly and can feel as though I am doing something right.”
- Makinze Meiners, Director, Fine Arts Council
Iowa N.E.W. Leadership Institute
The Iowa N.E.W. Leadership Institute is an intensive 5-day residential experience designed to empower women across the political spectrum and increase participation of underrepresented groups in all sectors of public leadership. In particular, Iowa N.E.W. aims to fill the political pipeline with women prepared to run for and succeed in public office. An interactive curriculum leads to substantial changes in participant knowledge and skills. Participants in Iowa NEW Leadership demonstrate increased confidence in their ability to create change and contribute in meaningful and effective ways to their communities, including significantly increased likelihood to run for elected office themselves, knowledge about public policy and current events, and improved leadership skills such as public speaking, negotiation, and critical thinking.
