Diverse and Engaged Students
Students who participate in a program determine the quality of a leadership program. Indeed, students themselves bring to the “leadership learning table” their previous experience and background. Not only the quality of students but also how they differ from each other and their level of commitment play a great role in a successful leadership development program. This notion was repeatedly emphasized in interviews from both students and educational practitioners.
Actions. Stakeholders enlisted diverse and engaged students in the program through two primary means. First, programs utilize an application and selection procedure to select students who are invested in their own and others’ development and are committed to engaging fully in the program. Second, programs recruit from many sources and bring together a mix of students from a variety of backgrounds to create a diverse learning community.
Effects on students. There are two primary leadership development and learning outcomes which students experience from actions taken to enact the diverse and engaged students attribute. First, students learn to form collaborations and a network rich in social capital for their leadership endeavors. Second, students acquire new ideas and an enriched understanding through hearing personal experiences and perspectives offered by diverse students in the program.