Beyond Mission Statements: A Conceptual Model for Getting Serious about Student Leader Development

Abstract

Postsecondary institutions that purport to build leaders are ubiquitous. Graduates need skills for leadership effectiveness in complex, diverse, and dynamic organizational environments. Yet, given this need, the curriculum and co-curriculum dedicated to student leadership development is diffuse. Without specific outcomes, orientations to student leadership learning are inadequate, and the data supporting the success of the student leadership development enterprise is lacking. We propose a model for the leader development of undergraduates that describes what leadership education should exist to accomplish, which includes aspects of leadership skill mastery, adult learning principles, and outcomes grounded both in leadership theory and constructive developmental approaches. We describe each aspect of this conceptual model and illustrate how it might be enacted in diverse postsecondary contexts.