Under one of the facets of the 2011-2012 institutional priorities, a committee has been charged with reviewing the current structure of leadership on Elon University's campus and making recommendations as to how to strengthen academic connections and opportunities for leadership development.
During the fall semester, the committee has studied the current leadership development programs on Elon's campus, as well as those at other academic institutions. In response, specific plans and recommendations will be formulated that are not clear at this point, according to Robert Moorman, professor of business leadership.
"I would like to see us expand our leadership development programs so that even more Elon students choose to become involved in them," Moorman said. "We do a great job providing (those) programs here, but we may be involving a smaller percentage of our student body than we would like."
Ideally, he said, programs that develop leadership would be a part of every student's experience at Elon.
"I am convinced all our students will lead in some way or another," he said. "Why not provide them with as many ways as possible to guide their growth as leaders?"
Some of the specific objectives in the committee's charge include visits to other campuses with "exemplary leadership programs," review of the Isabella Cannon Leaders Program and solicitation of feedback from students, faculty and staff.
A final report must be submitted to Provost Steven House and Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of Student Life, by March 1, 2012.
"Leadership is a process we can use to put our knowledge to work," Moorman said. "Acquiring knowledge along is a lot like collecting — the acquired may look pretty in a display or on a shelf, but the real value of our knowledge is how to use it to change hearts, minds and actions."
The study of leadership can serve as complementary knowledge to information learned about arts, humanities, science, business and communications, he said.
"We expect Elon students not only to be experts in their fields, but to be leaders in their fields as well," he said.