March 3, 2000
Contact: Andrew Careaga
573-341-4328
[email protected]
CAMPUS TAKES MANAGEMENT GURU APPROACH TO DEVELOP STUDENT LEADERS
ROLLA, Mo. -- When it comes to leadership, the University of Missouri-Rolla may not be as well known as Peter Drucker, Stephen Covey or Tom Peters. But UMR students are learning the same kinds of lessons on campus that corporate executives seek from such management gurus.
That's because UMR has adopted a new direction for its leadership development efforts -- one that integrates the corporate approach with the traditional academic approach.
Unlike the leadership programs of most colleges and universities, UMR's new Leadership Development Program incorporates elements of programs used by professionals and executives in the corporate world. Students involved in the UMR Leadership Development Program will receive training similar to that professionals get from such leadership organizations as the Franklin Covey Leadership Center, the Hudson Institute or the Tom Peters Group.
According to Dr. Wendell R. Ogrosky, UMR's vice chancellor for Student and International Affairs, this "corporate approach" to leadership will better prepare UMR graduates to move into leadership positions in a variety of settings.
"As we talk to our employers and our alumni, we're finding that more companies are looking for graduates who can assume leadership immediately or soon after taking that first job," says Ogrosky. "Leadership doesn't necessarily mean a corner office, but the ability to lead a team and to motivate others to accomplish a specific task. As businesses look more toward the team approach to problem-solving, employees who have the types of skills we're focusing on will be better positioned to step into leadership positions."
Most college and university programs focus on student involvement in organizations as a means of promoting leadership development, Ogrosky says, while others emphasize "service learning" and courses on leadership theories. In the corporate world, however, leadership development programs for executives and other professionals emphasize personal development, understanding organizational systems and interpersonal skills.
"UMR's program combines these practices -- both the corporate approach and the student organization approach -- to effectively educate emerging leaders for our technological society," Ogrosky says. "Our unique niche among colleges and universities is our corporate leadership development focus for students."
The program begins with UMR's Promise Professional Plan. This program assures students who follow its steps -- requiring involvement in student organizations as well as the corporate leadership components UMR has developed -- that they will either have a job or be accepted to graduate or professional school upon graduation. If they do not have a job opportunity within six months of graduation, UMR will provide another year of education.
UMR's Leadership Development Program includes opportunities to develop skills in teamwork, mentoring and coaching, conflict management, listening, and career management.
Dr. Debra A.G. Robinson, director of UMR's Center for Personal and Professional Development and director of the leadership program, says the UMR approach gives students a "compass" and "map" to develop their leadership capacities.
"Traditionally, colleges and universities have given students a road map for leadership development, telling them, 'Get involved in these organizations, get into leadership positions, and learn how to lead by doing.' We provide a map with the Promise Professional Plan, then go beyond it with a corporate approach to leadership development.
"The corporate approach, with its emphasis on personal development, is the compass," Robinson says. "This helps students better understand themselves so they can find their own unique paths."
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