Leadership Development

Student Centers and Activities provides the following opportunities for leader development.

• Atlantic Coast Conference International Academic Collaborative: Student Leadership Conference Student Centers and Activities plays a role in the annual student leadership conference sponsored by the International Academic Collaborative. This conference, funded by a portion of the revenue from the ACC football championship and hosted on a rotating basis within the ACC, emphasizes engaging students from all 12 ACC institutions in the conversation of leadership development. Virginia Tech hosted this conference in 2009.
  
  
• University Student Leadership Award (USLA): Each year, Student Centers and Activities coordinates the recognition of achievements made by our university’s students, student organizations, and advisers. Students, faculty, and staff are given the opportunity to submit nominations for 12 prestigious awards. Nomination packets are reviewed by the USLA selection committee, which is comprised of representatives from across campus. When evaluating nominees for an award, the selection committee looks for the extent to which nominees have contributed to the university community through leadership, service, and involvement.
  
  
• Leadership Tech Certificate Program: This co-curricular program fosters student leadership development through experiential learning and student involvement. Each fall and spring semester, the program convenes to allow students to engage in an extended learning experience through small peer and large group workshops and activities. There are three components:
  
  
  • Exploring Leadership: First-year students work with upper-class student leaders serving as group facilitators. Content includes learning about self and the foundations of leadership. Students participate in small group activities that connect to a common book, seminars, and shared service learning goals.
    
    
  • Expanding Leadership: Sophomore students join a small group, facilitated by seniors, based on their interest in a specific theme: multiculturalism, health and wellness, or community and sustainability. Students participate in weekly small group activities and larger group seminars and events. Each group works as a team to create a community service project related to its theme area, to be completed in the spring semester.
    
    
  • Engaging Leadership: Students with junior or higher standing join one of four small groups, each based around a theme: multicultural communities; health and wellness; global social change; or society and environmental sustainability. These students work closely with graduate students, faculty, staff, or community members serving as group facilitators. Students participate in weekly group activities that connect to their theme area and work as a team to create community engagement projects.
  
  
  
• Speakers on Leadership and Skills in an Hour (SPLASH): This leadership seminar series is open to students who wish to learn more about leadership and develop their leadership skills. Students who attend at least 8 seminars during the year will receive the Leadership Seminar Series (LSS) certificate.
  
  
• Summer Leadership Employment Program: Targeted toward officers of Virginia Tech student organizations that comprise the Commission on Student Affairs, this leadership opportunity involves student leaders in a variety of meetings and activities held on campus and in the Blacksburg area. The students provide developmental support to ongoing programs while interacting with peers and university leaders. Student leaders engage in case studies, project implementation, and serve as a voice for the student body when faculty and staff need representation from students during summer sessions.
  
  
• Virginia Tech Undergraduate Man and Woman of the Year Award: This leadership seminar series is open to students who wish to learn more about leadership and develop their leadership skills. Students who attend at least 8 seminars during the year will receive the Leadership Seminar Series (LSS) certificate.
  
  
• Who’s Who Among American Universities and Colleges Award: "Who’s Who Among Students" exists as part of a long-standing honors program. For students, national recognition by the "Who’s Who" program marks a pinnacle of scholastic achievement. Nominations to "Who’s Who Among Students" are made each fall by a selection committee convened by Student Centers and Activities. The campus selection committee, created to nominate the upperclassmen eligible for the program, is composed of a variety of representatives from Virginia Tech, including faculty, administrators, and members of the student body. Eligible graduate students are nominated through the Graduate School.
  
  
• Venture Out Trip Leadership Program: Held five to eight times each year, this opportunity is a sequenced training program based on leader prequalification. It is designed to prepare students for Venture Out trips.
  
  
• Student Centers and Activities Student Employee Training: Provided as a means of professional development for student employees working within Student Centers and Activities, these interactive training sessions are held throughout the academic year. These training sessions are ways for student employees to learn collaboratively, network with other Student Centers and Activities staff, and develop valuable skills.
  
  
• Commission on Student Affairs: One of ten governing councils on campus, the membership of CSA consists of representatives from the Division of Student Affairs, Council of Academic Deans, Staff Senate, Faculty Senate, general administration, academic support, Extension/public service, and student organizations, both graduate and undergraduate. The charge of the Commission on Student Affairs is to study, formulate, and recommend to University Council policies and procedures which affect graduate and undergraduate student life and morale. These meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend.
  
  
• Order of the Gavel: Founded in 1984 by Dr. Sandra Sullivan, the then Vice President of Student Affairs, the Order of the Gavel is Virginia Tech’s student leader honor society. The purpose of The Order of the Gavel is to recognize the important contributions of the leaders of the major student organizations on campus. Each year 25 undergraduate and graduate student members from governance, media, leadership, the corps, and programming organizations are inducted into this leadership honor society.