BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – A pilot program at Illinois Wesleyan University aims to help students develop leadership skills by exploring personal values, ideas and strengths.
The Titan Leadership Program, which is run through the Division of Student Affairs, is considered the next step in helping students hone leadership skills, according to Dean of Students Kathy Cavins-Tull. “Through students and alumni surveys, we were hearing that students get a lot of content and knowledge in the classroom, but not enough experiences putting that into action,” said Cavins-Tull, who taught classes on leadership through the business administration and sociology departments from 2006 to 2009.
The semester-long program, which enlists 15 sophomores and juniors from campus, combines group discussions, one-on-one meetings, speakers and networking – all with the goal of developing leadership abilities. The inaugural class of the Titan Leadership Program will celebrate graduation on Friday, April 15 at 6 p.m. in the Turfler Room of the Memorial Center (104 E. University St., Bloomington).
“Leadership has usually been a self-guided process for students,” explained Interim Director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs Sara Schaller, who oversees the program. “A student might become president of an organization and only be able to look at what the last president did for guidance. That can be a stressful process. Students let us know they wanted something more in depth.”
With the help of gifts from alumni, the division was able to create the program, which works to build an individual’s strengths and explores ways to bring those strengths to an organization.