TRU President Dr. Alan Shaver hands an award for Community Leadership to Rien Okawa
Newly appointed Thompson Rivers University president, Dr. Alan Shaver presented the first ever Personal Leadership Certificates to TRU student leaders today in the Campus Activity Centre.
TRU students were recognized for the volunteer efforts that have qualified them for the new Personal Leadership Certificate, the first of three levels of leadership development formally offered through the Student Leadership Program. It was the first time the university has officially recognized students for meeting all of the requirements for the “Personal Leadership Certificate”.
Forty students met strict requirements for receiving the certificate for the first tier of the program that focuses on self discovery as the students explored their strengths, values and personal leadership style. To practice leadership, students were also asked to volunteer at TRU or in the community. The student leaders participating in the program offered more than 950 hours of volunteer time to build student clubs, encourage environmental stewardship, celebrate diversity, build awareness of homelessness in the community, and to support community social service programs. This morning they were invited to breakfast and to receive their certificates from Dr. Alan Shaver, TRU President and Vice-Chancellor.
“One of the most important things we can do at TRU, is encourage our students to use their education to improve our communities and our world,” Student Leadership Program Coordinator, Alana Frymire said. “Students who participate in the Student Leadership Program are learning skills which will help them first to realize that we are all capable of being leaders and then to discover how they can use their knowledge to better our world.”
There are 3 levels – personal leadership certificate, team leadership certificate and community leadership certificate. In levels two and three of the Student Leadership Program, students will learn foundational skills to help them be effective leaders of teams and finally to be leaders in the greater community. This term, students will be able to earn a “Team Leadership Certificate”.
Contact:
Alana Frymire
Phone: 250 828-5171
Email: afrymire@tru.ca
[...] to 2011 and new semester of studies here at TRU. A highlight of my week was the Tuesday morning breakfast event at which 24 students were awarded the first-year TRU certificate in personal leadership. It’s [...]
I did not know TRU even had a program like this? What is it? How do you get involved?
Just get ahold of Alana Frymire, I’m sure she’ll be happy to let you know how you can take part!
afrymire@tru.ca
It seems highly ironic to me that one would have to apply for such a program or certificate. Such an honor should be given to those who are showing their involvement in a practical matter, should it not? Anyone can learn to be a leader (in every sense of the term), but few take the initiative themselves to actually lead or get involved.
This is a big problem at TRU: reward for superficial action; and ignorance, suppression even, of real action – the kind that does not ask for a certificate or a pompous affair. There are grand hurdles/issues to tackle at our school and if we continue to talk about them rather than act they will continue to pile up until action is forced upon us [or some later group of TRU students].
One way this can be rectified is to work towards eliminating the prevalent ‘tunnel vision’ with regards to certificates and GPA. There are many ways to put this ideal forth, but in my humble opinion, handing out certificates for those who want to learn about leadership as opposed to getting involved is not the way to do this and sends the wrong message.
I appreciate the comments of KDew and agree that leadership requires intitative on the individuals part.
As part of the non-credit Personal Leadership Certificate, students not only spent time learning about their strengths and abilities and what they have to offer as leaders, but also demonstrated their leadership by volunteering at TRU and in the community. More than 1000 hours of service was honoured at this breakfast. In fact this was the focus and these students did not know going into the program that they would be recognized for their service but contributed their time none the less.
TRU recognizes that everybody has the capability to lead but great leadership requires life long learning in practice and theory which is the foundation of this program.