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| Leadership Development Series A Valuable Tool for Students By Andy Elder, Student Affairs Writer In an increasingly competitive workplace, employers are looking beyond simple grade point averages and extracurricular activities to winnow their lists of prospective job candidates. Intangibles, such as leadership, elevate some candidates above others. But how are college students expected to attain meaningful leadership experience? If they are Penn State students, they can turn to the Office of Student Activities’ AT&T Center for Service Leadership and its Leadership Development Series (LDS). "The LDS is a program offered during both the fall and spring semesters to any University Park student,” said Gina Hurny, the program director. “Topics are specifically designed to enhance students’ leadership skills and experiences and, as a result, will enable them to apply those skills and experiences in a broader setting. Students who attend six or more workshops will earn a Certificate of Participation and will be recognized at an end-of-the-year banquet for their commitment to leadership." The Leadership Development Series for spring semester started Jan. 24 and runs through March 2. During that time, 11 hour and a half classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays, culminating with the Etiquette Networking Reception. The list of topics is wide ranging and includes:
Hurny and her AT&T Center for Service Leadership colleagues have an array of qualified, willing campus resources to draw from for speakers. "Believe it or not, we have been very fortunate to get a few professors to actually present at an LDS. These same professors have also been influential allies that have encouraged their respective classes to participate in LDS," Hurny said. "I can tell you from my discussions with my career counseling colleagues that employers are looking at a candidate’s co-curricular experiences along with their academic pursuits as they make hiring decisions." For the past few years, Hurny said, the Leadership Development Series has attracted between 75 and 130 students per semester. Those students enthusiastically endorse the series. "The response has been quite positive from the students who have attended. Some have enjoyed it so much that they even encouraged friends to come back with them," Hurny said. "The participants at each session are asked to evaluate the topic and the presenter as well as to list any future topics that they would like to see covered. The feedback has been very positive and we will incorporate the feedback we have received into our programming efforts as we begin to plan for the fall LDS." With that many students having such a positive reaction to the Leadership Development Series, Hurny said she hopes the ripple effect of that involvement will wash over even more students. "I am happy with the impact that LDS currently has on those who participate, however, we are continuing to strive to have an even larger impact on greater numbers of students with each semester,” Hurny said. “We are currently working on some initiatives with Greek Life and Student Activities that will result in a wide variety of students who aspire to hold leadership positions attending LDS as a training ground for their desired leadership roles." To further that goal, Hurny said she has a two-pronged course of action. First, she would like raise the profile of the program so that more people know about it and, in turn, participate. Second, she would like condense and concentrate the structure. "I would like to see the program more widely recognized across campus. We are currently working with several high profile student groups and organizations in order to try and encourage students to require participation in LDS for their new members and/or those members wishing to run for an executive position,” she said. “I would also like to decrease the total number of LDS sessions per semester in lieu of a more comprehensive exploration of the chosen topics."
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Updated February 17, 2005