College students are often asked to consider the question, “What is leadership?” At Baruch College, we believe that every student should be given the opportunity to construct their own interpretation of leadership and subsequently have access to the resources that will help accentuate these self-tailored skills and behaviors.

In an attempt to bring leadership development to the forefront of the student life experience, the Office of Student Life will be offering a variety of enriching programs, retreats and workshops throughout the academic year designed specifically to enhance the leadership capabilities in every student. To ensure that this endeavor reaches its full potential, Baruch will incorporate the Social Change Model of Leadership into its already expanding vault of student leadership and development programs. Created in 1994 by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the Social Change Model “approaches leadership as a purposeful, collaborative, values-based process that results in positive social change”. With a special focus centered on individual, group and community values, each of these three dimensions of the Social Change Model intertwine to emphasize and promote the 7Cs for Change:

• Consciousness of self
• Congruence
• Commitment
• Collaboration
• Common purpose
• Controversy with civility
• Citizenship

By offering a diverse range of enriching developmental opportunities, students will be able to reflect upon who they are as leaders and closely examine how they can be proactive agents of social change—two essential learning outcomes of the Social Change Model. Students will be able to utilize the tools and skills that they will acquire from these experiences and holistically apply them to suitable opportunities both on and off campus.

In order to fully encompass the scope and value of group leadership development, all active and prospective members of on-campus student clubs and organizations will be required to participate in these specialized leadership training experiences. Students will engage in self-assessment activities that pay particular attention to what their own perceptions of leadership encompass, and will subsequently challenge the expectations that they’ve set for themselves as leaders. Special emphasis will also be placed upon the notion that leadership in practice has the potential to be a dynamic and communal engagement, juxtaposing its traditional individualistic features. To underpin the approach backed by the Social Change Model that a community of socially responsible and committed citizens can make significant advances towards a common goal, purposeful self-discovery and team building activities will be integral components of each program, retreat and workshop.

To positively enhance your leadership potential and to make your overall student experience at Baruch College an enriching and meaningful one, check out Student Leadership Opportunities and T.E.A.M. Baruch to see what’s available to you.