For more than 30 years, the Division of Student Affairs has been supporting student leaders through programs such as the Service Leadership Institute, the Leadership Enrichment and Development Retreat, the Women’s Mentor Network, and the Emerging Leaders Program. There are now more than 6,000 student leadership positions and opportunities available at USC.
Numerous academic units, including the School of Law, the Moore School of Business, and the College of Nursing, have established leadership training programs. For example, the School of Music has created the nation's first and only comprehensive leadership institute of its kind, featuring instruction and experiences in music advocacy, music entrepreneurship and community engagement for all professional music students. Through its nationally recognized USC Connect initiative, the entire university is embracing leadership education as a central component of its vision for the twenty-first century.
The mission of the Carolina Leadership Initiative is two-fold: (1) to inspire in the students of USC a lifelong commitment to make a positive difference in their local communities, their workplaces, their nation, and the world; and (2) to equip the students of USC with the skills needed to make those differences.
At Carolina, leadership is not about telling other people what to do. It’s about who we are and how we relate to our communities. The Carolina Leadership Initiative is about:
- Inspiring change
- Recognizing strengths and opportunities for improvement
- Learning effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Developing integrity and putting ethics into practice
- Valuing diversity and teamwork
- Increasing self-awareness
- Promoting creativity and thoughtful risk-taking
- Developing strategic visions to benefit our communities
More learning outcomes for the leadership initiative are available here.
By exploring the tabs above, you can identify leadership opportunities and speakers, find the answers to frequently asked questions, and provide feedback. We especially encourage you to read about our new Leadership Scholars Program, which provides guidance and funding for students to pursue projects that will develop their leadership skills. The Initiative is also exploring opportunities for developing a minor in Leadership Studies, for creating a funded Leadership Fellows program for incoming students, and for creating an endowed faculty position in Leadership Studies. If you are interested in learning more about these possibilities or contributing to these efforts, please contact us.
