Why Leadership

Participants in the Leadership Co-Curricular Certificate program will be exploring and defining who they are as a leader with the support of their peers and the greater Miami community. Students will be asked to continually reflect upon and revise their own leadership philosophy through participation in student organizations, interactions with leaders in our community, and leadership development programs. The goal of this program is to express the importance of an ever-evolving philosophy of leadership that students can take to the next step of their lives, whether it be in the workforce, military, further education, or service to the community. By continuing to evolve their view of leadership and define who they are as a leader, participants will become active contributors to the world we share.

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." -John F. Kennedy

The Leadership Co-Curricular Certificate is competency-based for a multitude of reasons. Researchers Conger & Ready (2004) found that nearly 75 percent of businesses and many professional organizations focus on competencies when recruiting new professionals and evaluating current employees. Additionally, Dr. Corey Seemiller found that "focusing on competency development in college allows students to become familiar with the process and language of competencies prior to entering their career fields." These eight categories of competencies were identified and are used throughout this certificate:

• Learning and Reasoning
• Self-Awareness and Development
• Interpersonal Interaction
• Group Dynamics
• Civic Responsibility
• Communication
• Strategic Planning
• Personal Behavior

These leadership competencies are playing a critical role in preparing graduates for the expectations of the professional world outside our campus. Miami University Regionals has created this opportunity to better prepare and serve our students on their next steps after graduation.

Leadership development opportunities surround our participants, even with a computer-based population. Leadership can be realized in service projects, student jobs, student organizations, sports, study abroad programs, internships, and, of course, academic coursework. There is a myriad of offices and programs not listed here that will help to develop these all-important competencies concurrently in a student's collegiate journey.

Miami University Regional Campuses firmly believe in the benefits of student leadership development through the above competencies that will enable participants to be immediately successful in their personal and professional lives.