Leadership Development within Service-Learning

Leadership Development within Service-Learning Cathy Hamilton--UNC Greensboro Adrian Wurr – Washington SU International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement. New Orleans, October 26, 2008

Study Background Background • NCCC Research & Scholarship Initiative • Focus on nature of service-learning leadership • Extended UNCG study, 2006-2007 • Students empowerment as student leaders in SL

Literature Review Students as Colleagues(Campus Compact, 2006) • Context • National SL & college leadership movements • Positional vs. Emergent Leadership • Rationale • Instrumental student roles • Student empowerment • The time is now!

Literature Review Susan Komives & John Dugan (2006) • Multi-Institutional Study – 50K students • Results • More than 1000 leadership programs in ’04 • Theoretical & conceptual leadership models • Professionalization in Leadership Ed. • Social-Relational Learning Scale (Tyree, 1998)

10 Recommendations(Komives & Dugan, 2006) • Discuss sociocultural issues; • Get students involved in at least one organization; • Get students to join at least one leadership program; • Diffuse leadership programs across the institution; • Focus on members, not just positional leaders;

10 Recommendations (con’t)(Komives & Dugan, 2006) • Discourage too much breadth in involvement; • Develop mentoring relationships; • Design distinct programs for specific groups; • Align students’ self-perceptions of leadership competence and confidence; • Build bridges with K-12 educators.

Research Design • Qualitative research methods • Purposeful sample of participants (current student & alumni leaders; key faculty & community partners) • Semi-structured interviews • Constant comparative analysis to identify emergent themes

Results:Leadership as Process • Leadership Identity Formation • Self-Articulated Awareness • Leadership as Defined by Student • Part of Something Larger • Societal Impact • Personal Impact • Provided Space • Curricular & co-curricular leadership opportunities • Chosen & emerging student leaders identified

Coding Strength & Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR)

Leadership Identity • I was in student government all through high school, and I have always been … a natural leader. • Being a leader is just knowing that being the person you are makes a difference, just being aware of your actions. • I really wasn’t aware that leadership wasn’t just about one person. I think that is the main thing I got out of the class.

Part of Something Larger • … one of the victims one of the survivors, also one of the victims wives approached me about just having lunch and getting to know me; she was inspired by some of the things I said at one of the group meetings. (Societal) • The service-learning experience gave a whole broader view of what I could do. Because I was always business oriented and assumed I would go back into the corporate world. I have no desire to go back to the corporate world. I would much rather deal in non-profits or as an advocate. (Personal)

Part of Something Larger • I see SL as leading an organization; others may see it as planting a garden. With each student that passes through and each experience they share, it broadens the definition. I think we’re continuously changing the institution – it adapts to society. (Institutional) • The impact on the university I would probably have to say maybe … a five [out of ten]

Provided Space • Our main project for the class is each graduate student was assigned a group of undergraduate students to lead in a SL project. (Curricular, chosen) • We were given this open-ended project and it was really nerve-racking at first…. We really had to make it our own … and I think because of that it’s been a much more rewarding experience for everyone’s who’s been involved. (Curricular, emergent)

Provided Space • It’s a challenge to learn how to serve people while leading them…. It’s like, I’m servicing people and I’m leading them: What am I learning from this? It makes you look at leadership more analytically. (Curricular, emergent) • The [OLSL] staff don’t necessarily want to make you feel as if you’re the student and they’re the older adult…. They are constantly engaging you in what they’re doing…. They’re not lecturing, they’re engaging you in dialogue. I think that really shows a respect they have for you as an adult and as a fellow participant in leadership and service-learning.

Implications • Co-curricular & Curricular Models have Strength • SL as Unique Model of Student Leadership Development • Faculty training • “Focus on members not just positional leaders” • Leadership as Process

Discussion • Why & how should faculty help promote student leadership? • How might SL complement existing leadership programs?

Contact Information Dr. Cathy Hamilton, Director Office of Leadership and Service-Learning University of North Carolina at Greensboro 214 Elliot University Center Greensboro, NC 27402-6170 Email: chhamilt@uncg.edu Tel.: 336-256-0538 Dr. Adrian Wurr, Instructor The Intensive American Language Center 116 McAllister Hall, PO Box 643251 Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164-3251 Email: ajwurr@wsu.edu Tel: 509-335-6675

Leadership Development within Service-Learning