Creating Positive Sustainable Change through a Service Leadership Transition Program - Interest Session

Antron Mahoney, Nathan Bunch & Virginia Byrne - Florida State University

This session was all about how you can develop first year transition leadership programs by integrating service leadership, and specifically focused on Florida State University’s “Service Leadership Seminar (SLS)”, as part of the great Center for Leadership and Civic Education. If students are selected to attend the SLS, then there is no cost. The presenters began the session by sharing a brief overview of their Service Leadership Seminar.  Established in 2001,  this program boasts a four and a half day seminar that takes place the week before the start of fall semester.  The seminar has just expanded to offer spots for 42 incoming first year students who self identify interest in service and leadership. The seminar focuses on transition to college, service, and leadership learning, introducing students to the servant leadership approach. When asked why they only allowed up to 42 students into the program, the presenters responded that it was a purposeful decision to keep the seminar small.  “We were starting to notice some capacity with 42 students, and we think it’s our limit – students like the smaller groups, the attention. There was a limit of 8 people per group in order for purposeful discussions to take place” (Byrne, 2012).  The presenters shared with the audience that they emphasized models such as the Social Change Model (HERI) as it looks at leadership as more of a process.  The presenters suggested that they were noticing that many of the students were coming in with an understanding of leadership as a positional based concept.  “The social change model really serves as an awakening for them – they are leaders, followers, there are interactions, the person at the front isn’t always the most critical piece” (Mahoney, 2012).

The SLS has been a student led student lead and student facilitated program.  They’ve educated students about the Social Change Model, and they’ve taken ownership of the SLS program. They teach coordinators and participants about the model on day one.  FSU works closely with other departments and areas such as Res Life, their student union (helps purchase Strength’s Quest codes), the Student government association, etc. There is a dedicated program planning committee that is composed of student coordinators, facilitators and participants.

In regards to marketing initiatives, the presenters mentioned that they’re institution’s strategic goals are two-fold, in that they are meant to represent the diversity of the FSU population, but to also attract students who are not enrolled in FSU programs as well.  They have extensive partnerships and affiliations with admissions, high school counselors and high school service groups.

At this point, Byrne mentioned that the program’s assessment is based off of Astin’s Input-Environment-Output Model. This is paired with a Social Responsibility Leadership scale.  As part of their session administration, they ensure that facilitators take many notes during the week to aid with the overall assessment.  When asked about the slogan for the program (I create +∞∆, or, “I create positive infinite change”), Byrne suggest that this was “the magic….what is special about this program is that students take ownership of the theory, model, etc.  They really take control, and are passionate about the theme.” The presenters informed us that 99% of SLS alumni complete their first year and return for a second year to FSU.  Through FSU’s ServScript program, alumni of the SLS program have registered, on average, 3213 hours of service - a total of 51, 968 hours.