Integrate a “Leadership” Framework for Intentional Student Development
What leadership competencies do students need to develop to best leverage their capacity for getting a job and being successful in the world of work? For impacting their communities? For engaging in global leadership? The Student Leadership Competencies® have been mapped to a variety of career, service, retention, learning, and leadership frameworks. For example, if you use Servant Leadership in your office, just use the SLC Servant Leadership Framework and design your programs and curriculum around the competencies linked to that model. Using these frameworks allows you to narrow your focus to the competencies that matter for your programs and offers a universal language across multiple frameworks so your approach is consistent regardless of the frameworks you use.
Market the Leadership Development Value of Multicultural Affairs
Students want to know what they are getting with their time and energy when deciding whether to attend a program or get involved. Identify competencies associated with each program and experience and include these competencies in the descriptions for marketing and outreach so students can determine if participating would be a fit for their needs and interests. Create a searchable database or master list of all competencies and associated programs so students can easily find competency-based opportunities. In addition, share these intended competencies in the marketing content for programs and activities by posting SLC Marketing icons on any print or digital media.
Make Interaction and Involvement an Intentional Learning Opportunity
We know that students learn and develop by interacting with key staff and participating in programs in Multicultural Affairs offices. But, how can we help make this learning intentional and then accurately measure it? Have students take the Student Leadership Competencies Inventory to self-assess their competency proficiency and create a competency-based professional development plan. In addition, using the Student Leadership Competencies® assessment tools can provide insight to help advise and coach students on their leadership development.
Assess Leadership Development Through Participation in Multicultural Affairs Programming
Multicultural Affairs programs and events can range from social to educational to recreational to cultural. Yet, we often have a hard time assessing the impact of these programs other than through head counts and satisfaction surveys. What about the leadership learning and development that is occurring with the students who participate? Align your existing programs with the competencies so you know what students should be developing as a result of participation. Use SLC Self-Evaluation Measurements to provide consistency in measurement and compare data across programs.
Help Students Identify Leadership Roles that Fit
We know that some students excel at an employee role at the front desk whereas others find their fit with roles such as Peer Mentors and Tutors. How can we help students determine student leader roles that are a good fit for them? By defining leadership competencies associated with each leadership role, students can be made aware of the competencies they need to be proficient in those roles. This can help them determine which roles align with the competencies they have or would like to acquire, and ultimately select roles that best fit for them.
Intentionally Design, Deliver, and Assess Student Leader Training
How can we make sure that our student leader training is designed to help students be successful in their specific roles? Using pre-established curriculum, you can design and deliver intentional training grounded in the competencies students need for their roles and use standardized assessment measurements to assess learning and development.