ohio state’s center for student leadership & service:

Ohio State’sCenter for Student Leadership & Service:A foundation of traditional skills to meet the needs of tomorrow’s student leaders

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

Welcome and Introductions• Jen Pelletier

– Assistant Director– 7 years with the Ohio Union– Responsibilities with student leadership programs,

overall Center planning• Adam Burden

– Coordinator of Student Involvement, The Ohio Union– 4 years with the Ohio Union– Responsibilities with student organizations, workshop

and retreat resources through the Center

Welcome and Introductions• Who’s Here?

– Name– Institution/Company– Job Responsibilities– Why This Session?

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

What is the Center?• Campus-wide, comprehensive,

centralized point of connection• Involving promotion of existing, and

hosting of new opportunities• Involving in-class and out-of-class

experiences• Will be housed in the new Ohio Union

What is the Center?• We strengthen and transform personal

leadership through a breadth of experiences

• We develop socially conscious individuals in community

• We connect people and resources to create an inclusive environment that fosters innovation and lifelong action

What is the Center?• If the physical structure is the “body”

of the Union, the Center represents the “soul” of the Union– Building relationships and community– Developing leadership skills– Learning civic responsibility– Appreciating diverse worldviews

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

Planning Process• Initial planning retreat in May 2006 with

faculty, staff, student attendees from across campus

• Planning team initiated to continue work from the retreat

• Informational interviews conducted with departments across campus in 2006-07

• Student surveys completed in spring 2007 and winter 2008

Planning Process• Additional informational interviews with

graduate and professional programs in summer 2008

• Center website launch and program marketing in autumn 2008

• Compilation of Student Life opportunities initiated in autumn 2008

• New program design ongoing

Student Leadership Surveys• One administered in Spring 2007 to

student organization leaders and members– Focused on leadership knowledge and skills

• One administered in Winter 2008 to random sampling of all students– Focused on Ohio State experiences as related to

involvement

2007 Leadership Survey• Students identified these leadership

skills as most important to their involvement in an organization:– Communicating clearly, enthusiastically– Listening Respectfully– Time Management– Building Cohesive Teams

2007 Leadership Survey• Students identified leadership skills as

areas where a discrepancy exists between its importance and their skill level:– Publicizing Events– Developing a Budget– Building Cohesive Teams– Goal Setting in a Group

2008 Involvement Survey• 83% of involved students state they feel

connected to the University compared to 61% of uninvolved students

• 74% of involved students feel they are learning as much outside the classroom as in the classroom compared to 66% of uninvolved students

2008 Involvement Survey• 68% of involved students have built

relationships with faculty compared to 56% of uninvolved students

• Involved students state they plan to be a more engaged alumni and donate to the University

Academic Performance• All-Undergraduate Average – 3.07• Of the 940 student organizations:

– Presidents Average – 3.40– VP Average – 3.39– Treasurer Average – 3.38

• Greek Life– All-Greek Average – 3.18

• OUAB – Executive Board Average – 3.40

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

Theories and Trends• Theory

– Social Change Model of Leadership– Servant Leadership– Management v. Leadership

• Trends and Benchmarks– Coordinating leadership on campus– Bridging leadership and service– Combination of academic and co-curricular

components

Academic Trends• From information gathered through

NCLP website:– 44 campuses list their co-curricular programs– Benchmarking report of 176 co-curricular programs

available from NCLP– 17 campuses (of 24) self-report hosting a leadership

minor or certificate program– 8 campuses (of 24) self-report hosting a leadership

major

Trends at Delegate Campuses• Brief and Informal Benchmarking:

– Looked at union/student center websites from 37 campuses (of 187 attending campuses)

– 25 campuses have leadership programs directly tied to, or housed in the union/student center

– 22 campuses have community service programs directly tied to, or housed in the union/student center

Trends at Delegate Campuses• Office Names Included:

– Leadership and Involvement– Leadership or Student Leadership– Campus Life or Student Activities– No office (direct report to the union/student center)

• Linking Leadership and Service– Only 4 campuses directly linked leadership and

service or civic engagement initiatives in one area

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

Successes and Challenges• Great number and variety of existing

programming across campus• Creating new initiatives that would not have

existed without the new Center• Interest and support from alumni donors for

existing and new programs• Building partnerships across campus with

Student Life and Academic Affairs (little bit of both)

Successes and Challenges• Establishing a new Center with limited and

revolving staffing and financial resources• Marketing a new Center without a physical

space• Facility design completed before Center

concept completed• Gaining buy-in from Student Life

departments, when the Center is largely managed by one department

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

Cohort Programs• SERV Team

– Group of 20+ students who plan community service programs

– Events include Community Commitment, MLK Day of Service, Alternative Breaks, critical issues, and volunteer referrals and placement

– Over 28,000 hours of volunteering each year

Cohort Programs• Mount Leadership Society

– 2-year scholars program focused on leadership and service

– Students participate in regular meetings, monthly service projects, and complete a “year of service”

– Recently transitioned from University Housing (learning community) to report more directly through the Center/Ohio Union

Involvement Opportunities• Leadership & Service Clearinghouse

– Online, searchable database of involvement initiatives and academic courses

– Any department or opportunity may be included– Information compiled from interviews with nearly

40 campus constituents

Involvement Opportunities• Workshop and Retreat Network

– Collection of people and topics available to student groups for leadership development consultation and/or facilitation

– Piloted program with Ohio Union staff, expanded campus-wide in winter 2009

– New retreat guide also available

Involvement Opportunities• Student Leadership Advocates

– New group of students trained as peer facilitators for workshops and retreats

– Group established and trainings began in autumn 2008

– Consultation and facilitation services began in winter 2009

– Ongoing training meetings focus on refining skills, leadership theory

Involvement Opportunities• SAIL Conference

– Single-day student leadership conference– Includes a combination institute- and conference-

style sessions– Presenters included Student Life staff and

graduate students– Transitioned from University Housing to

Center/Ohio Union in 2008-09

Involvement Opportunities• Teach for America partnership

– Emerging partnership to better recruit and prepare Ohio State students for TFA Corps

– Involves jointly-planned preparation workshops, staff advisors for 1:1 meetings, and awareness marketing campaign

Academic Initiatives• Existing and new courses in

partnership with College of Education and Human Ecology– Introductory course offered both for intact groups

and open enrollment– New courses offered in 2009

• Winter: focused on self-assessments, transformative leadership

• Spring: focused on global perspectives on leadership

Academic Initiatives• Initial conversation among Academic

Affairs and Student Life units in autumn 2008 regarding leadership initiatives across campus

• Continuing conversations in January and April 2009 with new “leadership educators” group

• Hope to lead to conversations about a new leadership minor and/or major

Publications• e-Leader student newsletter

– Quarterly, electronic newsletter• Leadership and Service Anthology

– Annual compilation of awards, inductions, research, and other outstanding involvement on campus

• Website– Leader Sheets, online resources

Existing Initiatives• Awards• Retreats open all students and for

intact groups• Service projects and referrals• Student Organization involvement and

resources

Coming Soon!• Ellenwood Leadership Fellows• Board Immersion Project• Coaching and Consultations• Graduate/Professional student

programming • e-Portfolio• Global leadership and diversity

integration

Now Available!• http://ohiounion.osu.edu/csls

– Leadership and Service Clearinghouse– Workshop Network & SLA– Retreat Guide– Event Calendar online– e-Leader publication and resources

Session Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• What is the Center?• Planning Process• Theories and Trends• Successes and Challenges• Center Components• New Ohio Union

New Ohio Union• “Where memories are made and leaders

emerge”• Project planning began in September 2004• Former Union was decommissioned in 2007• New facility on schedule to open in 2010• Features include:

– Ballroom space, meeting rooms, student services offices, campus dining, scarlet and grey branding, LEED certified

View from High Street

Great Hall

Ballrooms

Performance Hall

Conference Theater

Second Floor Lounge

Meeting Room, sponsored by Ohio Staters, Inc.

Senate Chambers

Round Meeting Room

The Center in the new Union• Student Organization Offices• Student Organization Storage Space • Staff Offices• SOURCE (student organization

resource center)• Leadership Resource Library• Lounge Space

Center Lounge

Questions? Need Information?

• Contact us:

The Ohio Union @ Ohio Stadiumhttp://ohiounion.osu.edu/csls

(614) 688-4636

Jen Pelletier.17@osu.eduAdam Burden.37@osu.edu