Cultivating Alumni Engagement in Undergraduate Leadership Education

Ralph A. GigliottiAssociate Director for Leadership

Villanova University

Noteworthy Trends Privilege individualistic behavior and positional

leadership Growing leadership deficit Increased attention on leadership education in

colleges and universities

Villanova University

Focus of Presentation Theoretical and applied focus Conceptual and practical framework for design of

new Student Affairs initiatives, including a collaborative program for alumni involvement Adapting Kingdon’s (2010) seminal model for

public policy to the creation of new initiatives in Student Affairs

Theoretical Overview Leadership as a communicative process

(Fairhurst & Sarr, 1996; Witherspoon, 1997; Northouse, 2013) Communication competencies as a critical

dimension of effective leadership practice (Ruben, 2006) Leadership for Social Change (Astin, 1993) Servant Leadership (Greenleaf, 1977) Authentic Leadership (Avolio & Gardner, 2005) Augustinian values

Kingdon’s (2010) “Streams of Influence”

Window of Opportunity

Problem Identified

Policy Proposed

Politics Favorable

Proposed Model for Student Affairs

Window of Opportunity

Community-wide Need

Institutional Support

Student Interest

Collaboration AssessmentMission Alignment

Community-Wide Need Leadership education as a peripheral goal in

Student Life Emphasis on “getting involved” More engaged student body with increased

rejections from student clubs and organizations “Problem indicators” (Kingdon, 2010) or

“extracted cues” (Weick, 1995) in the organizational system

Institutional Support

“Our ultimate goal is to develop leaders who, instilled with a strong foundation of ethics and Augustinian thought, make a positive impact on society” (University Strategic Plan, 2009) Allocation of resources for staff and programs

Student Involvement Undergraduate students as primary stakeholder Focus groups with undergraduate students in Fall

2010 Considerable increase in student participation in

all leadership initiatives

Proposed Model

Window of Opportunity

Community-wide Need

Institutional Support

Student Interest

Collaboration AssessmentMission Alignment

Overview of Leadership Education at Villanova Student Leadership Forum in Washington, DC Villanova Leadership Academy Emerging Leaders Institute Spotlight on Leadership Lecture Series Leadership Conference At the Half Sophomore Program Villanova Challenge Course

Student Leadership Forum in Washington, DC• A collaborative initiative designed to engage

students in an elevated discussion of leadership, ethics, and integrity in the context of our Nation’s Capital.

• Connections between the University’s mission and their experiences as student leaders

• A model for alumni engagement in undergraduate leadership education

Background Information• DC connections• Interdisciplinary committee • Online registration & $50 deposit• 55 students• End of April

Learning Outcomes• Identify the importance of ethics and integrity in

leadership.• Articulate the mission of Villanova University as

they grow as student leaders. • Reflect on their personal leadership journey at

Villanova and beyond.• Interact with other aspiring and current student

leaders and alumni in Washington, DC.• Create a plan for integrating ethics and integrity into

their student clubs and organizations.

Program Highlights• VIP tour of the U.S. Capitol (including exclusive

access to the Speaker of the House’s balcony!)• Conversations with Villanova alumni from Capitol

Hill• A panel and networking lunch with recent alumni• Leadership workshops & discussions • Down-time to form new friendships with other

current and aspiring leaders from across campus• Great food and hotel accommodations!

Helix Hotel

The Washington Center

At conclusion of program…• Share takeaways• Complete program evaluation • Receive certificate of completion

All 55 student participants indicated that they would recommend the Student Leadership Forum to other

students!

Program Evaluation• “I was reminded how much I love Villanova and how

blessed I am to be a part of such a passionate, connected and supportive community.”

• “I learned so much about myself, my fellow peers, Villanova alumni, and about leadership and ethics in the context of D.C. and at Villanova. It was one of the most valuable and memorable experiences I have had at Villanova.”

• “I learned how connected leadership and ethics are in all aspects of life. Discovering what your values are and never compromising those values are at the core of living with integrity and being an influential leader.”

Positive Alumni Reactions“I more than enjoyed spending time with some of Villanova's

future leaders…[during] what

seemed to be an inspirational weekend.”

Conclusions• If provided a venue for engagement, alumni can play

an active and influential role in undergraduate leadership education - advance both student learning and alumni engagement.

• Imperative of leadership educators to challenge the status quo. If leadership educators are unwilling to demand a more optimistic, collaborative, visionary, and transformative approach to leadership, one where leaders have the trust of their followers to enact positive societal change, who will?

Questions?

Ralph.gigliotti@villanova.edu

Selected ReferencesCook, J. H. & Lewis, C. (2007). Student and academic affairs collaboration: The divine comity.

National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Corbin, J. & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for

developing grounded theory (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Fairhurst, G. T., Jordan, J. M., & Neuwirth, K. (1997). Why are we here? Managing the meaning of an

organizational mission statement. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 25, 243-263.

Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power andgreatness (25th Anniversary ed.) New York: Paulist Press

Komives, S. R. et al. (2011). The handbook for student leadership development. 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Ruben, B. D. (2006). What leaders need to know and do: A leadership competencies scorecard. NACUBO.

Witherspoon, P. D. (1997). Communicating leadership. Boston: Allyn-Bacon.