Applying for the Spring 2012 Semester

Applications for the Spring 2012 semester are now being accepted.  The application deadline is January 8, 2012.  Click here for online application.

The staff and faculty at the Center of Excellence offer undergraduates an opportunity to develop professionally through our Leadership & Experiential Development Program (LeD).  We offer deliberate educational experiences for students that promote Leadership, Cooperative Involvement, and Achievement.  Recognizing the potential for education and growth in all facets of life, our program in conjunction with other campus organizations, activities, and community, provide innovative and experiential learning opportunities.  Through these partnerships, students receive intentional instruction and skill development to prepare them for real life situations.  An individualized approach where students create their own unique path to success is our intent.

Student Outcomes A co-curricular record will be presented upon successful completion to those who exemplify student leadership. Students will maintain a collection of their participation, activities and robust areas of accomplishments in an electronic portfolio that can be presented to future employers.

Why a leadership program? This program helps students develop a strong sense of self. Employers are looking for candidates with good grades but, they are also looking for those that have something outside of the classroom or exposure to broaden perspectives.

The LeD Student Leaders Program will provide a great amount of personal and professional development. Networking opportunities and other connections (student travel, student conferences, cracker barrels, city council) along with skills needed to be successful are offered. Our students have already been recognized and recruited from industry. This program wishes to advance our high caliber students to obtain better emloyment and personal growth.

Four Areas of Leadership Development

The program will be divided into four areas; keep in mind students must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a School of Mines degree. Students who meet or exceed the standards as stated at: http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu/finaid/SAP can be assured of continued eligibility until the completion of their degree. A Leadership Program student must also belong to a CAMP team of their choosing.

Students will Gain the Following:

Communication Skills Integration and working with others is key. One must understand the problem before they can solve it. Through improved oral and written skills students will gain more efficient and greater impact product delivery. One must be willing to understanding others and know who your audience is. We must find the best solution to social problems and be able to communicate results clearly to those that are not engineers.

Self-Authorship Achieving self-authorship requires a developmental journey that is achieved when an individual develops the ability to think complexly and has transitioned from relying on others to relying on self to define one's knowledge, values, and relationships (Kegan, 1994; Baxter Magolda, 2001).

Initiative A leader should function as a motivator or initiator. Students are a vital influence in the organizing and implementing of new activities, programs, ideas and visions.