In the leadership studies minor, students combine classroom knowledge with campus involvement. Opportunities at Appalachian include nearly 300 clubs and organizations, such as Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Developing future leaders
Posted Jan. 13, 2010 at 4:02 p.m.
BOONE, N.C. — Today's employers demand strong leadership skills, and getting involved in campus life isn't the only way to develop them. At Appalachian State University, students can actually pursue a minor in leadership studies as they participate in clubs and organizations.
"It's not a question of whether you're going to lead or not. The question is, Will you be ready when it's your time to lead?" says Dr. Jim Street, associate director of Appalachian's McCaskey Center for Student Involvement and Leadership. He has coordinated the minor in leadership studies since its founding in 2007.
"When a student minors in leadership, it sends a strong message to employers that the student is ready to take on the challenges associated with leadership."
Senior Kate Stucke feels she's "ahead of the game" for pursuing a minor in leadership studies. "I think Appalachian gets set apart from other schools based on the leadership studies minor because it's just truly a unique program," said Stucke, whose major is communication studies. "You can take classes in so many different departments and you really get that hands-on experience."
Developing future leaders
Today's employers demand strong leadership skills, and getting involved in campus life isn't the only way to develop them. At Appalachian State University, students can actually pursue a minor in leadership studies as they participate in clubs and organizations.
Transcript
Dr. Jim Street, Associate Director, Center for Student Involvement & Leadership: The Leadership minor is an 18-hour program. Students take two classes. They take a principles of leadership class, then they have to take a senior capstone in their final year. In between, they take twelve hours of courses related to leadership. The Leadership minor is very interdisciplinary in nature. We want students to look at this phenomenon of leadership, but we want them to look at it from different perspectives. What do the social psychologists tell us about leadership? What do the applied sciences of business management tell us about leadership? By looking at leadership from all of those different perspectives, in the end we have a better understanding of it.
Kate Stucke, Senior, Communications Studies Major: The Leadership Studies minor has allowed me to take classes in different disciplines. I'm currently in a Social Psychology class and I wouldn't have taken that otherwise if I hadn't been doing the minor.
Patrick Holder, Sophomore, History & Secondary Education Major: I want to be a teacher, so I started looking at all of the different classes that they offered, and they were all really useful, not just for teaching, but for any kind of real-world application where you're going to be working with other people. Personally, it's given me a lot more confidence about my ability to lead. The classes that I have taken have taught me how to really use everyone's skills and talents in a group to maximize the benefit and get that group goal.
Kate Stucke: It's really been beneficial because it's helped me explore my certain interests and it's confirmed to me that I would really like to go into the area of student development. And it's helped me grow as a person overall. It's truly a unique program and you really get that hands-on experience which I know Appalachian truly strives for - as being a bigger school but still having that small-school feel, and I really feel like the Leadership Studies minor falls within the whole aspect of the Appalachian family.
Dr. Jim Street: When a student minors in Leadership, it sends a strong message to potential employers that that student is ready to take on the challenges associated with leadership. We believe that leadership is open to everyone. I ask all of my students, "Are leaders born or made?", and we have a lively debate about that. In the end, I tell them that if you're an Appalachian student, it's not a question of whether you're going to lead or not, the question is will you be ready when it's your time to lead.
The minor requires students take 18 credits relating to leadership. There are two required courses: Principles of Leadership and a Senior Leadership Capstone Seminar. The remaining 12 credits come from related courses in various disciplines to broaden students' perspective, such as psychology, business and communication.
Students talk about different leadership styles in class and then practice them in their leadership roles on campus. They see what works and what doesn't, and then come back to the classroom to "talk about their frustrations and the successes that they experience," Street said.
In the leadership studies minor, students combine classroom knowledge with campus involvement. Opportunities at Appalachian include nearly 300 clubs and organizations and charity events like Dance Marathon.
Sophomore Patrick Holder is an example. He's active in the university's impACT leadership team, motivating students to participate in major service events like the annual Dance Marathon fundraiser and MLK Challenge.
The program "has given me a lot more confidence about my ability to lead," said Holder, who wants to be a teacher. "I'm not exactly a very outgoing person, but we've learned about all different styles of leadership. I would defiantly recommend the leadership minor to anyone that wants to get involved."
There’s a leadership program that’s right for you! We provide leadership learning and development opportunities for all students. We work with you to create leadership experiences that foster integrity, collaboration and self-awareness. Our programs are geared to grow your capacity to lead and to inspire action. As part of the Department of Student Engagement and Leadership, there are multiple ways to be involved with a group, organization or service opportunity.
App State is about developing leaders. Whether you’re interested in taking one leadership course or earning the Leadership Studies Minor, we have excellent learning opportunities that prepare you to lead. Our leadership courses help you to develop life and career skills such as critical thinking, team development, conflict resolution, problem solving, decision making, communication, and consensus building.
App State gives each student their own unique “Transformational Experience.” What does that mean? Students tell us that when they work towards academic success in the classroom and take part in diverse opportunities on campus - they become critical thinkers and effective leaders. Because the Department of Student Engagement and Leadership “lives” in the student union where many on-campus programs happen, we develop relationships with students. Overtime, we see students who are successful both in and out of the classroom accepting preferred internships, pursuing graduate programs and finding full-time positions that reflect their values and aspirations.
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
There’s a leadership program that’s right for you! We provide leadership learning and development opportunities for all students. We work with you to create leadership experiences that foster integrity, collaboration and self-awareness. Our programs are geared to grow your capacity to lead and to inspire action. As part of the Department of Student Engagement and Leadership, there are multiple ways to be involved with a group, organization or service opportunity.
App State is about developing leaders. Whether you’re interested in taking one leadership course or earning the Leadership Studies Minor, we have excellent learning opportunities that prepare you to lead. Our leadership courses help you to develop life and career skills such as critical thinking, team development, conflict resolution, problem solving, decision making, communication, and consensus building.
App State gives each student their own unique “Transformational Experience.” What does that mean? Students tell us that when they work towards academic success in the classroom and take part in diverse opportunities on campus - they become critical thinkers and effective leaders. Because the Department of Student Engagement and Leadership “lives” in the student union where many on-campus programs happen, we develop relationships with students. Overtime, we see students who are successful both in and out of the classroom accepting preferred internships, pursuing graduate programs and finding full-time positions that reflect their values and aspirations.
Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.
If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:
Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.
If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:
Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
