Leadership & Community Involvement
Strategic Plan
Mission Statement | Departmental Highlights | Departmental Challenges | Departmental Goals
MISSION STATEMENT
To create responsible civic leaders and active citizens through community engagement and initiatives that develop the individual student.
2009-10 DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS
A number of great accomplishments were achieved in 2009-2010 by the Leadership and Community Involvement team. Service- and Community-Based Learning forms of Experiential Education continue to grow in popularity as a pedagogical tool at SMU. Service-Learning was one of the topics presented and discussed during the Teaching Effectiveness Symposium for faculty members, at the beginning of the academic year; three Service- and/or Community-Based Learning-related proposals were submitted for consideration as the University’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP); and several new Service-Learning-based courses were created and taught during the Fall term. We at Leadership & Community Involvement helped to facilitate the development of those courses, worked with the Symposium faculty member, and continue to advocate for Service-Learning use throughout the University.
Students Promoting Awareness, Responsibility, and Citizenship (SPARC), organized and facilitated the 41st Annual Community Service Day on October 31st, 2009. 848 student volunteers were placed at 28 different agency and organization sites throughout the City of Dallas, which shattered all previous records. These students contributed over 2,500 hours of direct service activity in a matter of hours! The Alternative Break Program planned and developed one winter break trip and 5 spring break trips, which included our first international trip to Xalapa, Mexico.
The Emerging Leaders program underwent a number of improvements this year, including the addition of a reception during Family Weekend, a formalized curriculum including texts to supplement development efforts, partnerships with five local nonprofit agencies, and enhanced opportunities to develop leadership skills and self awareness. Program changes have been well received by the 52 students selected to participate. A ten year anniversary celebration was held during Homecoming to honor participants of Emerging Leaders, the only leadership development initiative for first-year students.
1,039 undergraduate students participated in the Multi Institutional Study of Leadership, theoretically grounded survey of college students involving more than 100 campuses nation-wide. Significant findings included: 69.6% of students indicated their leadership/campus involvement influenced their decision to stay and graduate from SMU; 49.1% are likely to participate in an academic leadership program if offered; 70.2% believe that community engagement enhances leadership skills and abilities; and a significant number of students believed that their extracurricular involvement assisted (“very much” or “quite a bit”) with the development of job skills (53.5%), analytical or problem-solving skills (60.4%), leadership abilities (63.4%), interpersonal skills (71.9%), and critical thinking ability (63.1%). SMU’s results indicated there were statistically significant findings in our undergraduate students in the areas of consciousness of self, congruence (in daily living activities), commitment, collaboration abilities, interest in creating change, leadership efficacy and complex cognitive skills.
DEPARTMENTAL CHALLENGES
- Compared to benchmark institutions, the ratio of programs to staff members for SMU is the highest at 1.03 programs per staff member while the benchmark average is .35.
- It is essential to develop and implement a comprehensive approach that clarifies the purpose of our office. Our department’s name tends to be confusing as “community” often represents the campus – while within our department it represents the larger Dallas community we are a part of.
- Find creative opportunities (and necessary resources) to collaborate with other departments and faculty members around the university.
DEPARTMENTAL GOALS
Student Success
- Student Service Incentives: The annual CIRP (Cooperative Institutional Research Program) data indicates that thought nearly all of our incoming students have participated in community service prior to enrollment at SMU, very few intend to continue these efforts. We intend to develop an incentive program that would encourage students to become more involved in meaningful community service activities and programs.
- Leadership Certificate Program: It is our hope to enhance leadership development opportunities for more students by growing the Leadership Certificate Program to 150 students.
Student Learning
- Service-Learning: Find resources to continue a faculty development incentive program to increase the number of faculty including service-learning in their courses.
- Curricular Collaborations: Continue to build relationships with academic partners through the development of a new Leadership Studies minor.
Exemplary Division of Student Affairs
- Professional Development: Develop resources through sponsorships or fundraising necessary to enable and encourage LCI staff to be engaged in publication and presentation activities through professional organizations.
- Formal Evaluation and Assessment Measures: Enhance evaluation methods that provide insight and allows for development, promotion and alignment of department programs utilizing the Social Change Model of Leadership Development.