UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 23, Page 12
March 7, 1996
New initiative; 'Leadership 2000' training future campus leaders

     Leadership 2000 is a new initiative on campus to train the
student leaders of tomorrow.
     The pilot program, coordinated by Scott Mason, student center,
will offer a series of four, three-hour workshops, on Sunday
afternoons, beginning April 14.
     Nominations of potential student leaders from across the campus
[in different disciplines] were sought from faculty, staff and student
organizations in early February, Mason said. More than 100 nominees
were then invited to apply for the program. From this group,
approximately 40 freshmen and sophomores are being selected to
participate.
     The workshops will be developed around four themes-leadership
style in general terms, leaders as communicators, leaders as catalysts
working within groups, and leaders as collaborators working with
outside groups.
     Such areas as motivation, delegation and ethical behavior all
will be discussed.
     Each workshop will be introduced by a campus community leader and
facilitated by a professional or faculty member. During the week, four
groups of 10 students will meet to explore each topic further with a
student leader and mentor.
     Last fall, Roland Smith, student life, formed a leadership task
force, according to Mason. Marilyn Prime, student center, chaired the
group, composed of faculty, staff and students, representing such
organizations as the Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress (DUSC),
the Resident Student Association (RSA), Greek organizations and the
Black Student Union. The task force examined the need for such a
program and studied leadership programs from other schools.
     The Leadership 2000 program is based on a proposal to the task
force by campus student leaders, including Terri Jeffries and Joelle
Perry, RSA; and Elana Messner, Damian O'Doherty and Mike Sauers, DUSC,
who are now involved in organizing the program.
     In addtion to Mason, John Gil, accounting, and Trisha Roberts, a
graduate student assistant in the student counseling center, also are
working with the students on Leadership 2000.
     Using the student proposal as a springboard, Leadership 2000 was
developed in its present form with input from the student leaders.
"They worked hard, discussed what should be included in the program
and did their homework by researching similar programs at other
schools," Mason said.
     Perry pointed out that the current group of student leaders
learned leadership skills on the job and had definite ideas about the
kind of training that would be helpful.
     "We are not interested in only political leaders on campus, but
students from across campus who will be leaders in their fields. One
area we want to emphasize is coalition building among groups," she
said. "It's exciting to see things coming together, and our hope is
that the pilot program will set the stage for a more formal leadership
program at Delaware," she said.
     Jeffries said she is enthusiastic about the program. "Leadership
2000 is worthwhile and fulfills a need on campus. I don't know whether
leaders are born or made, but the program, which is highly
competitive, will help develop leadership skills for future leaders on
campus," she said.
     "The University has called for more student leadership, and
Leadership 2000 is in reaction to that," Sauers said. "There is great
potential for leadership on campus, and this program will give
students the tools they need to run groups or organizations
effectively."
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure