Emerging leaders

Emerging Leaders (EL) is a competitive, prestigious leadership development program for up to fifty of SMU’s top first-year students. The program is designed to develop additional leadership skills and refine those already possessed. Students in the EL program will have weekly meetings to learn and discuss important elements of leadership, and will have the opportunity to network with students, professors, and staff at SMU as well as with influential leaders within the Dallas community.

EL Retreat*

Early in the EL program, a retreat is held to begin the process of leadership growth and to build the relationships that are important to the EL experience.  All participants will travel to a retreat location in North Texas to experience a program facilitated by a professional leadership development specialist and motivational speaker. 

Additional Leadership Training

EL’s are fortunate to be selected to attend the Crain Leadership Conference, a regional program for collegiate leaders at North Texas Colleges and Universities and hosted by the LEAD (Leadership Education, Activities and Development) organization.  EL’s have the opportunity to spend half a day with an esteemed keynote speaker in specialized leadership training.

Twice a semester, President R. Gerald Turner invites a select group of students to attend a President’s Leadership Summit.  These Summits bring to campus distinguished local and national leaders to discuss their experiences with leadership and allow for high interaction with the audience.  EL’s are one of the distinguished groups of students invited each time.

Community Service

As a group, the EL’s will emphasize their commitment to creating positive change in the community (an ultimate goal of leadership) through participation in twelve hours of community service, including SMU’s annual Community Service Day, the kick-off event for Homecoming.  Each EL will be placed into a smaller working group that will volunteer at a local nonprofit organization and work as a group to address a challenge the agency is facing.

Mentors

Each EL is matched with an alumni mentor in the Dallas area who shares similar interests and career paths. Alumni mentors will provide students with insights into their profession as well as advice for success. Student mentors will work with a small group of EL's by coaching them through a community service project, campus leadership and involvement.

The Benefits

Participation in EL provides a select group of first-year leaders the opportunity to develop and hone skills that are essential in the execution of effective leadership.  With a great number of public and private organizations indicating the need for efficient leadership, EL presents students the ideal way to incorporate and enhance the skills necessary for success at SMU and beyond.  They will also have the opportunity to hear from influential guest speakers on a wide range of leadership topics and participate in hands-on leadership training. EL provides SMU’s top leaders the opportunity for immediate immersion in a variety of leadership areas, providing the potential for future campus leadership opportunities.

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