Leadership Certificate
The Leadership Certificate Program
The Western Oregon University Leadership Certificate Program is designed to provide each student with experiences in a variety of leadership areas. This program allows students to tailor the certificate to meet their needs and ensure a core base of learning competencies applicable to many different leadership areas.
Eligibility
The following are the requirements to be considered for entry into the Leadership Certificate Program:
- Completed resume, application, and student record waiver
- Current enrollment as a full-time WOU student
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative WOU GPA and good academic and judicial standing
- No more than 135 credits earned at time of application, unless a transfer student
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and can be submitted through Involve.
If accepted into the program, the new admit will complete an intake interview with their assigned program advisor. Past, current, and future interests and leadership experiences will be discussed, and a personalized leadership certificate checklist will be created for each student. Topics will include areas of focus, areas of challenge, and a discussion of avenues that tie in majors of study to existing campus leadership programs.
Leadership Certificate Requirements
The Leadership Certificate consists of 8 core competency clusters. Each student accepted into the program is required to complete a designated number of points in each of the following six core competency areas. The point totals are:
- Communication 45 points
- Interpersonal Interaction 45 points
- Group Dynamics 30 points
- Strategic Planning 25 points
- Personal Behavior 45 points
- Learning and Reasoning 45 points
Additional core competency requirements of the program include:
Civic Responsibility
- Identification, planning and execution of a program-approved service project
- Participation in the WOU Ethics of Leadership workshop
Self-Awareness and Development
- Completion of the Leadership Certificate Capstone E-Portfolio and Presentation
How to Complete the Requirements
Program Points
Students complete the program points requirement by engaging in leadership experiences during their academic career at Western Oregon University. These experiences can be located on- or off-campus. Points are earned on a term-by-term basis and are based upon standardized point totals determined by campus professionals most familiar with these leadership experiences.
Points in each category are based upon: the level of responsibility that the experience has relative to each core competency, how much time was spent upon that experience in a given term, how well the experience ties into the definition of the core competency, and other relevant factors.
Program participants will have their points tallied electronically. It is strongly recommended that participants check in with their Program Advisor at least twice each academic year, and must check in at least one term prior to their expected graduation date for recognition of completion.
Service Project
Participants are required to identify, plan and implement a service project in their final two years in the program. The focus of this aspect is on creating civic responsibility while showcasing the foundational skills developed throughout the program. Students are encouraged to work alone or with teams, and follow a defined process in selection of their project. Staff and advisors are available to facilitate the creation of teams of students at this stage in the process who can work together to meet the requirement.
This work may be performed independently or in collaboration with an existing agency. Based on their interests and skills, participants must begin by defining their target community and performing a needs assessment to determine the issue they want to address. They then conduct background research to build contextual understanding and create a vision that provides a sense of direction. Specific goals are set, and students then follow out their plan. At its conclusion, a number of questions are posed for reflection. More details will be provided by program advisors.
Ethics of Leadership Seminar
Participants are required to attend an Ethics of Leadership Seminar, which is offered by Student Engagement at least once per year. This seminar will discuss the importance of ethical conduct in leadership, a core value of the program. Dates for these seminars will be advertised to participants well in advance. It is encouraged to attend any one of these sessions when they are offered.
Leadership Capstone E-Portfolio
The program comes to a close with the development of an E-Portfolio as a capstone project. During this culminating phase, students are asked to actively reflect on their experiences and build a robust online portfolio showcasing what they have learned. In addition to a simple introduction, they are asked to identify their core values and develop a personal leadership philosophy. They articulate why they lead, identify their unique leadership qualities/abilities/identities, and give thought to the future. They’re asked “What Comes Next?” to encourage reflection on how they will continue to develop their leadership abilities and encourage self-awareness and the implementation of continuous learning principles. This portfolio also includes sections dedicated to each of the program’s core competency areas and the service project. In each, students must detail and reflect on their experience. They justify how it meets the requirements, as well as provide suggestions for what they would have done differently if they could do it again.
Questions?
If you have any questions, contact the Program Director: Benjamin Barlow | he/him | barlowbd@wou.edu | 503-751-4127 | Werner University Center 210H
