Qualifications and Requirements
Qualifications
To be considered for the Leadership Certificate, a student must:
- Be a currently enrolled UW-Madison student in good standing.
- Be actively involved in leadership roles in organizations, work experiences, and in service to the community while on campus
- Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 at time of application
- Be able to document 100 hours of education and experience focused on leadership development
- Complete three online modules focused on leadership development from established list
- Complete and submit an educational artifact indicating the learning and growth gained through the educational and experiential activities documented in the Record of Activities
- Submit application within established deadlines
- Attend an orientation session offered by the Center for Leadership and Involvement to prepare for the submission of the Leadership Certificate Application process
Requirements
To be eligible for the Leadership Certificate, a student must provide documentation of a minimum of 100 hours total of experience in leadership roles, civic engagement, and work experiences and also engage in educational activities within and outside the classroom focused on leadership. These hours of education and experience are in five different "Activity Areas" across three "Content Areas." Any single student activity could contribute hours toward both an Activity Area and a Content Area but it is important to note that there are maximum numbers of hours in every category.
The hour maximum is intended to encourage each student to have a breadth of leadership activities across experiential contexts (60 hours maximum in leadership roles, civic engagement, and work experiences) and educational contexts (60 hours maximum in academic courses or out-of-class learning). The fact that a student could not have more that 60 hours in either one of the contexts (experiential or educational) forces each student to have at least 40 hours in the other context. An example is that a student could have served in a leadership role (for which s/he can use 20 hours), worked in a tutoring role at a community agency (20 more hours), and been a House Fellow in the Residence Halls (20 more hours) for a total of 60 hours that would then have to be supplemented by 40 hours of educational activities either through classes or through out-of-class learning.
In addition, each student must complete:
- Three online courses
- All items requested for verification of activity areas
- A capstone educational artifact
- Sign an ethics statement
Activity Areas
The five Activity Areas are: leadership roles; academic courses; civic engagement; outside the classroom learning including workshops, seminars, and conferences; and work experiences. For each Activity Area there are a maximum number of hours to be used toward satisfying the certificate requirements. This was developed to encourage student leaders to develop in a number of areas rather than focusing personal leadership development in a single area. The student must complete a Record of Activity (Appendix A) as a part of her/his application for the Leadership Certificate. This Record of Activity also requires verification of the activity. Specifics of each Activity Area follow.
Examples:
Leadership Roles: Student Leadership Program Committee Chair, Army ROTC, Teach For America, Sorority Rush Recruitment Counselor, ASM Representative, Engineering Expo, Dance Elite Coach, Polygon Officer, WUD Chair
Academic Courses: Sociology 496 Leadership Seminar, Communication Arts 260 Communication and Behavior, MHR 420 Organizational Management, EPD 265 Teams & Engineering Professions
Civic Engagement: Alternative Breaks, Service-learning courses, service-related student organizations, Youth Camp Counselor, Kerry/Edwards Campaign, Blood Drives, YWCA Volunteer, United Way, Toys for Tots, High School Classroom Volunteer
Workshops/Seminars: Student Leadership Program All-Campus Leadership Conference, LGBT Leadership Institute, LeaderSHAPE, Emerging Leaders Program, WUD Retreat, UW Housing Leadership Conference, Women's Leadership Conference
Work Experience: Student Leadership Program Coordinator, House Fellow, ASM, Intramural Student Supervisor, SOAR Guide, Morgridge Center Staff Position