By Janet Athanasiou
Student and Alumni Affairs Liaison
The Office of Student and Alumni Affairs held its third annual Campus Leadership Institute (CLI) conference on September 14 and 15. This virtual conference allows the University’s campus leaders to connect with one another, expand their network and learn from each other.
CLI conference organizers designed this event with several purposes in mind, including:
- Encouraging campus leaders to talk with one another to share ideas and resources
- Developing peer-to-peer relationships
- Broadening participants’ perspective of campus leadership and the work of the Office of Student and Alumni Affairs
Current students and alumni currently serving as chapter officers of our University’s student organizations were encouraged by conference organizers to submit program proposals and share their own leadership experiences. The Campus Leadership program is founded on several competencies, and the chapter officers were urged to create presentations relating to one of these competencies:
- Self-management
- Organizational knowledge and strategy
- Administrative and project management
- Critical thinking and reflection
- Communication skills
- Leadership and teamwork
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Events at the CLI Conference
Our third CLI conference kicked off with a welcome from Amy Everson, Director of Student and Alumni Affairs, and my keynote address. I shared my leadership story with attendees and reminded them that every decision you make has the potential to change someone else’s life.
Sessions on the first day of the CLI conference included roundtable discussions for chapter advisors and chapter officers. These discussions were facilitated by current leaders with a wealth of experience in the University’s student organizations.
There was also a second roundtable on self-management, which was a collaborative effort between several student organizations:
- The R.E.A.D. Book Club
- Active Minds
- The Newman Center
- Students for Life
- The Photography Club
- The Psychology Club
Other events included leadership sessions hosted by the University’s chapter of Delta Mu Delta and the Society for Defense and Strategic Studies and a discussion on marketing your campus leadership experience. There was also a panel on potential career paths in the student affairs field and a discussion on “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Moving from Conversation to Action.”
All of the CLI conference sessions were recorded and are available on the Student and Alumni Affairs YouTube channel.
Campus leaders are an important asset to the University. They can make or break a student’s decision to continue taking classes toward a degree or certificate, find communities outside of the classroom, and participate in networking opportunities. To join the campus leadership program and be invited to next year’s Campus Leadership Institute, submit a Campus Leader Registration form.
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