Spring 2006
T he Leadership Academy has experienced tremendous growth since it was launched in fall 2004. The academy has an average workshop attendance of 23 students and a total program attendance of 2,898. The academy is providing a much needed service to the campus community and continues to build momentum.
Preparing students for the future is a primary goal of the Leadership Academy. The success of the program is a testament to the impact it has had on student learning and retention. The interactive workshops offered through the academy teach students the importance of leadership development on a personal, academic and professional level.
The program works to support the university’s mission by developing students’ personal leadership. The skills learned help to support a holistic education that generates a seamless learning environment to improve the intellectual life on campus. The community service element of the Leadership Academy also directly connects with the university’s mission. Students in this program learn congruence of words and actions. Leaders give back to their communities and graduates of this program must demonstrate this through example.
The program curriculum was initially based on a student needs assessment that was taken from college council leaders. Topics were formed through collaboration from a meeting held by student affairs professionals on “what skills students should learn for college and professional success.” Focus groups and workshop evaluations were used to determine the workshops most desirable and beneficial for students.
One factor used to determine the success of the program is the range of student participants from freshmen to graduate students, from traditional students to non-traditional students, from the involved to the uninvolved. The Leadership Academy reaches out to ALL students. At a large, urban, commuter campus such as CSULB, the flexibility of open enrollment throughout the semester, along with ample evening and weekend options, provides students with optimal success for completion.
“I am very proud that students of every major are taking an active interest in the development of their skills and their future. I strongly feel that the Leadership Academy has succeeded in meeting its goal to shape today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders. We have been introduced to the ideas, knowledge, skills and passion that are a part of leadership. Most importantly, we have been inspired to lead ethically and morally,” says Dharna Patel, member of the Leadership Academy’s first graduating cohort.
The Leadership Academy continues to adapt to student needs. With its unique program design, commitment to leadership and student-first philosophy, the Leadership Academy demonstrates it has the potential to be one of the top certificate-based leadership programs in the country.
