Class improves leadership
skills
By Lynde Smith
Staff
Writer
For students who are leaders on campus, or those
with the desire to become one, Purdue offers a course that can help
develop better leadership skills.
Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students, instructs
a student leadership development course, EDPS 300A: "Student Leadership
Development," which is a two credit hour course. The course is intended
to help students learn leadership styles and help develop leadership
potential.
"We want to give them the encouragement they need
to become a student leader on campus," Malavenda said.
One of the goals of the course is for students
to gain insight into their own leadership style and see their potential
as leaders, said Malavenda.
"This class is one way in which we are helping
students learn about leadership," he said.
This is the first semester that Malavenda has taught
this course at Purdue, though he said he has taught a similar one at
another institution.
The course has been around for a number of semesters,
but this semester Purdue has unveiled a new approach to it, said Malavenda.
It now has a more practical and contemporary focus.
Malavenda said he kept some of the aspects that
worked in the course and changed some others.
The course begins with the history and study of
theories of leadership. The class then starts exploring leadership from
a real-life standpoint.
Some of the objectives of the course include learning
to think differently about leadership, identifying personal leadership
styles and embracing the belief that the student has the potential to
change his world.
"I went into the course with the attitude that
leaders are born, not made," said Courtney Magnuson, a freshman in the
School of Management. "Through the class, my attitude has changed."
Each class member is required to keep a journal
about what he or she learns about leadership either inside or outside
of the classroom. The student has to write a minimum of eight journal
entries, which must be approximately two paragraphs, throughout the
semester. These journal entries are responses to questions given during
the course. The journal is a way for the students to share their ideas
with Malavenda.
"The journal is not for me. It is for them," said
Malavenda.
Every week the course begins with a group exercise.
The exercises are meant to energize the group and they only last about
10 minutes. Each student is responsible for leading three group exercises
throughout the semester.
Malavenda said he likes to keep the class size
around 20 to 30 people because it makes the group exercises more effective.
Other class assignments include a paper on a leader
that a student knows and also a paper on someone in the community. The
student must meet with the person they choose and ask him or her about
their leadership position and leadership skills.
Students must also do an autobiography, a movie
review, a community service reflection paper and a book review.
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