UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students interested in learning valuable leadership skills can now enroll in an online leadership development program. "Leadership Education And Development" or LEAD is offered through Penn State Student Affairs. In this program, students work through self-paced online modules to gain an understanding of key leadership concepts, personal leadership styles and strategies to become better leaders. After completing all of the required modules, students will earn a non-credit certificate of completion.
"Employers in today's job market are looking for leadership, communication and teamwork skills beyond specific job proficiencies,” said Matt Barone, assistant director for service and leadership in Student Activities. “The LEAD certificate will equip students with a comprehensive understanding of these skills and partner each student with a mentor to discuss the implications of these skills in their daily lives."
As part of the program, students will also be paired with a faculty or staff mentor. The mentor will provide feedback and guidance throughout the course of the program.
LEAD has four required learning modules: Engaging in Leadership, Leadership Theories, Ethical Decision Making, and Multicultural Competency. Each module looks at a different aspect of leadership and contains interactive elements for the students to reflect on their own leadership experiences.
Registration for the non-credit certificate program is open and students can register at studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/leadership/certificate.shtml. After registering, students will be contacted by a program coordinator with instructions for the course and information on their mentor.
There is no cost to participate in the certificate program, and students interested in receiving the certificate must complete all four modules by April 14. Modules take 45-60 minutes to complete and students can complete the modules at their own pace.