Four dozen Towson students returned to campus Sunday after spending six days exploring leadership styles, setting goals and creating a vision for change.
TU Vice President for Student Affairs Debra Moriarty, a strong advocate of leadership education, knew she wanted to bring LeaderShape to Towson before she arrived on campus in August.
"I feel so strongly about the power of this program, and the positive impact it can have on students -- and ultimately, on the whole campus community," she said.
LeaderShape is a national non-profit student leadership program. It will be held on 50 campuses this year, Moriarty said.
On-site coordinator Hara Henshell said most schools spend a year or two planning a LeaderShape retreat. Towson's team prepared in one semester.
The six-day retreat was held at the Bishop Claggett Center outside Frederick, Md. On Thursday afternoon, the common area in Powell Hall was plastered with posters listing visions for change.
Barbara Baker, a junior special education and elementary education major, said each student individually formed their vision before the group circled the room adding comments and ideas on Post-It Notes.
"We formed visions for where we want Towson's campus and community to go in the future," she said.
Some of the sentences listed specific goals for campus groups, while others envisioned change on a global scale.
Ashley Abel's vision described creating opportunities for outreach on campus. The freshman nursing major organized a fall food drive, and hopes to follow up with other projects.
"I'm looking for other ways to be a leader," she said. "I'm working on being more assertive."
Prettyman/Scarborough Building Council president Danielle Unruch's vision entailed enabling women to accomplish their goals and dreams.
"It's good that everyone is really involved and working together," the freshman athletic training major said. "This group is very diverse...and there are a lot of freshmen and sophomores."
"It's supposed to be that way," sophomore finance major Ken Polsky said. "We'll be around longer," he joked.
Polsky said he plans to get more involved on campus. Henshell hopes other freshmen and sophomores do the same.
"They have the most time and most opportunity," Henshell said. "Our goal was to bring in fresh new leaders and help give them the skills to make a difference at Towson."
The large group sessions and smaller family cluster meetings discussed how each individual has the power to affect change.
"What we're trying to get students to think about is how the world might be different because they're in it," Moriarty said.
Students discussed types of leadership and developed SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) to help fulfill their visions.
On Thursday evening, a guest panel shared leadership advice with the students. When asked to define leadership, Bill Riley said: "Leadership is being able to take a disparate group of people -- who probably want to do their own thing -- and being able to bring them together for a common cause."
That's the challenge the LeaderShape attendees face back in Towson. Moriarty believes they're up to the task.
"I believe in my heart that if we're able to consistently do this program for the next few years, the culture of campus life and student life will be different," she said.
LeaderShape's promotional materials promise participants that "you will change." It seemed to come true for Towson's leaders. Unruch called the week "inspirational."
"The best part of the week was seeing what everyone's vision is, and hearing their goals," she said, "and hoping that they all come true."
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