TOWER REEF

UNIVERSITY:
LEADERSHIP IN A
GLOBAL SOCIETY
Alyssa Arroyo,
Anthony Sis,
Erin Solley,
& Laura Reiter
Institutional Context
Tower Reef University is a private,
liberal arts university with a national
reputation for producing graduates
who excel in their fields
Located in Northeastern U.S.
Has a strong sense of identity in the
community and sense of belonging
among students and alumni
Total enrollment is 7,500
undergraduates
8% of students identify as students
of color
Gender is balanced
Most students are of a high socio-
economic status
 Accreditation Challenge

Dinged for misalignment between a stated mission-directed goal and

evidence of how it is intentionally targeted in the curriculum and co-
curriculum

The institution is given three years to address the accreditation teams

concerns regarding this omission and demonstrate progress on identifying
how educational gains in this area are cultivated and measured

As the Dean of Students, we are asked to develop a course and/ or series

of courses that are not discipline specific and that address the concerns of
the accreditation team as well as a way to tie the courses to a series of out-
of-classroom learning opportunities
Our Mission: Leadership: A Lighthouse
As currently stated: on a Rock
Building men and women
Students need a firm
prepared for leadership in a
foundation (bedrock) in
diverse society
diversity education so they can
shine as leaders
Issues:
University programming has not
been aligned with mission

Mission statement includes

gender binary
Life is a storm, my young
friend. You will bask in the
sunlight one moment, be
shattered on the rocks the
next. What makes you a man
is what you do when that
storm comes. You must look
into that storm and shout as
you did in Rome. Do your
worst, for I will do mine! Then
the fates will know you as we
know you
Alexandre Dumas, The
Count of Monte Cristo
Our Process
Steps Taken
o Create logic model
o Review current TRU assessment data
o Review and compare similar
institutions' programs
o Identify diversity requirements
Who is Involved
o Students
o Administration
o Program development team
o Accreditation board
o LEAD committee
Types of Information Used
o Implementation from other
institutions
o Input from university students
o Existing accreditation guidelines
 Logic Model

Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide

 The Tie That Binds
TRU
Revised Mission Statement

"Fostering relationships to
cultivate leaders in a global
society."

By emphasizing values such as

equity, social justice, self
knowledge, personal
empowerment, collaboration,
citizenship, and service the
model encourages students to
understand their own talents
and interests so they can
mobilize themselves and
others to serve and work
collaboratively. (HERI, 1996)
 Social Change Model of Leadership
Development
The Social Change Model of Leadership Development approaches
leadership as purposeful, collaborative, values-based process that
results in positive social change.

Positive social change can be defined as helping to make a difference

within yourself or the community.

By emphasizing values such as equity, social justice, self-knowledge,

personal empowerment, collaboration, citizenship, and service, the
model encourages students to understand their own talents and
interests so they can mobilize themselves and others to serve and
work collaboratively. (HERI, 1996)
 Leadership is socially
responsible, it LEAD
impacts change on Courses
behalf of others.

Integrated
Assumptions Leadership is
collaborative. Required
Courses
of the Social
Change Leadership is a
process, not a
Senior
Seminar
Model of position.
Course

Leadership Leadership is
inclusive and Senior
Development accessible to all
people.
Symposium

Community
involvement/service Service
is a powerful vehicle Learning
for leadership.
The Foundation: LEAD Initiative
 Leadership Engagement and Diversity (LEAD)
Curriculum
First Year Second Year Third Year Fourth Year
Fall: Intro to Integrated Integrated Senior
Read A Hope in Leadership Course (Fall or Course (Fall or Seminar (Fall
the Unseen prior to Class Spring Spring or Spring
attending college semester) semester) semester)
Invite author Ron Finish Express approved by OR
Suskind and novel I by end of LEAD Internship
subject Cedric semester Committee approved by
Jennings to campus LEAD
to speak with entire Committee
community
Spring: MLK Ethics & Senior
Service Learning Diversity in Seminar
Event Leadership Symposium
Class
Complete
Express II
Curricular Component
Broad Plan: Highlight: Senior Seminar
Create Three new courses: Capstone course for seniors
Intro to Leadership (LEAD 101) Create Express II
Ethics & Diversity in Leadership (LEAD Reflects learning from Express I
102) (created Fall semester, first year)
Senior Seminar (LEAD 400)
Work with faculty to modify select
existing courses to be integrated with
LEAD initiative for second and third
years
Capstone assignment:
Express II
Incorporate with presentation at
Senior Seminar Symposium
Curricular Component
Goals Target Audience
Build leadership efficacy Accreditation Team

Governing bodies at Tower Reef

Expand awareness of diverse
University
perspectives
Students
Address civic engagement
Faculty

Contribute to a more socially just LEAD Committee

society
Alumni

Administration
Curricular Component
Type of Content
Main Focus: Leadership, Ethics &
Diversity
Social Justice
Inter-cultural competency
Socio-cultural conversations

Justification
Connects to Mission Statement:
Leadership in a diverse society
Socio-cultural conversations are
the single strongest predictor of
socially responsible leadership
capacity (MSL report p. 9)
Co-Curricular Programs: Application
Co-Curricular Programs
Core Content
Heavily inspired by social change
model of leadership development
Encourages students to grow and
succeed as leaders on campus through
a collaborative experience
Promotes awareness and empathy to
issues related to diversity
MLK Service Day Event
Senior Seminar Symposium
Delivery
Invite author Ron Suskind and novel
subject Cedric Jennings to campus to
speak with entire community
Reflection would be incorporated
during MLK Service Day event for
students and student leaders
Express I and II assignments would
further track the students self-
progress through reflection
Senior Seminar Symposium would be
delivered through an interactive
presentation and discussion of prior
co-curricular experience
Co-Curricular Program
Impact Value Added
Focuses on active learning throughout Programs provide examples of real-
the four-year experience world applications of social change
model
Encourages experiential learning
through Senior Seminar and Inspires and strengthens relations
Symposium in order to enhance between campus and local community
culture at TRU
Emphasizes ethics and diversity in
Increase peer leadership where leadership
students are practicing leadership
among themselves through MLK
Service Day Event
 Change LEAD Initiative; Express I & II; MLK
Service Day Event; Senior Seminar
Symposium
Citizenship MLK Service Day Event; Internship
component

Common Revision of Mission Statement

Values of the Purpose

Collaboration MLK Service Day Event; Senior

Social Change Seminar and Symposium; LEAD
courses
Model of Controversy LEAD courses; Required Integrated
Courses
Leadership with Civility

Consciousness Express I & II, further assessed by

Development of Self course evaluations for LEAD courses

Congruence Express II; Senior Seminar; Senior

Seminar Symposium

Commitment Express II; Senior Seminar; Senior

Seminar Symposium

Adapted from Astin (1996); HERI (1996); & Wagner (2007)

Institutions with Similar Initiatives
 Areas to Monitor
Global Perspective Initiative
Creating opportunities for
affordable study abroad
and internship initiatives

Inclusive Curriculum
Monitoring and Revising
Course Curriculum to
Integrate Cultural and
Diversity Components in
General Education Courses

Student and Faculty Input

Formative and Summative
Assessment
Longitudinal Assessment
of LEAD Initiative
Questions?
Comments?
Concerns?
References
Astin, H. S. (1996, July/August). Leadership for social change. About Campus, 4-10.
Connecticut College. (2016). Connections. Retrieved November 22, 2016, from
https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/degree-requirements/connections/
Higher Education Research Institute [HERI]. 1996. A social change model of leadership
development (Version 3). Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles,
Higher Education Research Institute.
Komives, S. R., Dugan, J. P., Owen, J. E., Wagner, W., Slack, C., & Associates. (2011).
Handbook for student leadership development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Loyola University Chicago: School of Education. (2016). Leadership studies. Retrieved
November 22, 2016, from http://www.luc.edu/education/undergrad/minors
/leadershipstudies
Northern Michigan University. (2016). Superior edge. Retrieved November 22, 2016, from
http://www.nmu.edu/superioredge/
Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
The University of Vermont. (2016). General education diversity requirement. Retrieved from
http://www.uvm.edu/provost/diversitycourse/?Page=requirement.html
Wagner, W. (2007) The social change model of leadership: A brief overview. Concepts &
Connections, 15(1), 8-10.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (2004). W.K. Kellogg Foundation logic model development
guide.