The Congress, the Administration, corporate America,
the educational community, the defense establishment,
national churches, service agencies, foundations and
national trade unions have the same concerns: Who will
lead? What will it mean to be a leader in the pluralistic
world of the twenty-first century? Can leaders be trained?
Are there special characteristics which define leadership
and how can these be encouraged?
As an institution committed to distinction in the liberal
arts and sciences and to the education of persons who
will assume significant leadership roles, The College
of Wooster believes that within the liberal arts curriculum
an essential first step can be made in determining how
to address the understanding and practice of leadership.
Wooster's program is a model for a balanced investigation
of leadership; it was initiated by a grant from The Henry
Luce Foundation. Since 1990, The College has chosen to
continue the program because it encourages the full exploration
of both the theoretical and practical aspects of leadership.
In Wooster's Leadership and Liberal Learning Program:
- The concept of leadership is studied in an interdisciplinary
seminar examining the complexity of leadership from diverse
points of view.
- Leadership skills are observed, assessed, and evaluated
in a field experience with leaders in industry, government,
education, the arts, military, and other contexts.
PART 1: The Seminar
The semester-long seminar is structured to show how various
disciplines may contribute to the study of leadership.
Wooster students participating in the seminar bring to
discussions a variety of perspectives from diverse disciplines
including: Political Science, Black Studies, Women's Studies,
Economics and Business Economics, History, Sociology, Philosophy,
and literature.
Seminar topics include:
- Understanding what it means to lead
- Historical and idealized forms of leadership and the
characteristics of noteworthy leaders
- Structures and the organization and psychology of leadership
The skills of leadership (how do leaders lead?)
- Leadership and related values
- The relationship of creativity to leadership
- Leadership in an environment of global interdependence
PART 2: The Field Experience
Students who participate in the leadership seminar receive
a stipend to cover expenses while spending two days over
spring break observing a recognized leader: a U.S. senator,
a chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 company, or
the editor of a national magazine, for example. This field
experience, or "acquaintanceship," serves as
the laboratory for the program and offers each student
the opportunity to monitor the practical context in which
leadership is exemplified. The "acquaintanceship" suggest
a difference between this experience and an internship,
which usually involves a longer period of association and
specific tasks to be performed by the intern.
Leaders participating in the field
experience come from areas such as the following:
industry and government agencies, presidents of colleges/universities,
communication networks, symphonies, museums and performing
arts, service agencies, military organizations, foundations
and other funding agencies.
In general each experience involves:
- An introductory period, including review of materials
provided by the host leaders and discussion with the
host's staff on the working environment of the organization;
- A segment of direct observation of the leader's activities;
- A review and critique of the field experience;
- A report of the experience to the seminar upon the
student's return to campus.
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