Program prepares students to be leaders beyond their collegiate career

As a designated state leadership institution, the University of North Georgia (UNG) offers numerous opportunities for students to develop leadership skills that they can apply long after graduation.

A recently launched initiative, the Leadership Certificate Program offers students another opportunity to develop and flex their leadership skills. Created with funds received from a 2016 Presidential Innovation Incentive Award and under the direction of the Office of Student Involvement, the program began with 22 students on four of UNG's five campuses in 2017 fall semester.

The leadership certificate is a non-credit, co-curricular based program designed to develop a student's leadership skills outside of a classroom setting. The certificate allows students to create their own pathway through the program, based on personal interests, to fulfill the commitment to their own leadership development.

Mallory Rodriguez, director of student life, leadership programs, said the planning team researched similar leadership programs at several universities and combined the best aspects of each to fit UNG's students.

"The goal of the program is for students to have a better understanding of their own sense of self and be able to clearly articulate their personal philosophy of leadership," Rodriguez said. "We also encourage the students to join other campus leadership programs, reflect on what they offer and examine how it influences their own philosophy of leadership."

Those who successfully complete the program will be able to better develop core competencies in leadership, self-awareness, teamwork, diversity and inclusion, oral and written communication, and civic engagement.

Paul Shorter is a sophomore from Lawrenceville, Georgia, enrolled in the program. The 19-year-old communications major is involved in a couple of student organizations, including serving as Student Government Association treasurer, director of the Student Leadership Resource Team, and as a freshman mentor.

"I decided to participate in the leadership certificate program to have a way to consolidate and synthesize my leadership experience here," Shorter said. "The program has made me look back and connect the skills and topics that I've come across in my involvement in other student organizations."

Students interested in enrolling in the Leadership Certificate Program will be admitted as part of a cohort at the beginning of each semester. Once a student has joined the program and been added to a cohort, he or she will have three semesters to complete the certificate program's components.

To complete the program and earn a certificate, students are required to:

• Attend the program orientation
• Attend one workshop about defining leadership
• Complete six hours of civic engagement
• Attend one meeting or event with UNG's Office of Career Services
• Attend six experiential events (Events are selected by the student based on their academic and career interests and must represent one of the six leadership core competencies.)
• Complete a capstone project
• Complete the program assessment

"We know that companies are looking at resumes for evidence of leadership skills and being able to effectively work on a team," said Rodriguez. "This new certificate program will not only help our students gain those critical leadership skills while at UNG, but also be ready to articulate them to employers and graduate programs giving them a competitive edge over other candidates."  

For more information the Leadership Certificate program, visit the website.