Center for Leadership and Transition Services

Dana Ponsky, Director
Gina Joseph, Assistant Director
Landon Student Union 202
Phone: 305-899-3992
e-mail: cleats@mail.barry.edu

PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose of the Center for Leadership and Transition Services is rooted in the university's mission of providing a quality education, the assurance of a religious dimension, service to the community, and presence within a more caring environment. The Center is responsible for developing comprehensive transition support, retention, family outreach, and leadership development programs for the Division of Student Affairs.

Additionally, the Center will foster collaboration among campus departments, individual students, and student organizations toward the goal of presenting a comprehensive transition support and leadership development program that facilitates social, educational, spiritual, cultural, cognitive, and ethical development.

Objective

• Offer a comprehensive orientation program that enhance a student's success during the transition period and beyond.
• Offer a variety of training programs that enhance leadership skills among students.
• Assist students in developing their own personal leadership style.
• Engage students in reflective discussion/exercises about their own leadership experiences.
• Facilitate interaction between student leaders and community members to foster the concept of leadership as service beyond self.
• Provide a varied program that responds to the diverse needs of all participants.

TRANSITION & RETENTION SUPPORT
StART Team – undergraduate student leaders who lead new students and families through StART - the Student Advanced Registration and Transitions program. The StART Team also presents the Transition Skits during the July StART programs.

Orientation Team – undergraduate student leaders who assist in the implementation of the fall and spring semester orientation programs for new students and families. Orientation Team members are an integral part of the orientation program, serving as facilitators, hosts, and resources for freshmen and transfer students and their family members.

First Year Programming Board  – undergraduate students who desire to make significant positive contributions to Barry University and to the first-year student population. Board members work to create programs that will assist first-year and transfer students with their transition to Barry, identifying and coordinating specific programs to meet their needs, and assisting with the development and implementation of the spring and fall orientation programs.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Emerging Leaders – this program focuses on first-year student leadership development based loosely on the Social Change Model of Leadership. The Emerging Leaders program provides experiential opportunities enhancing leadership skills, raising social awareness, and stimulating intellectual growth. To further expose students to campus resources and provide transitional support, this program offers direct interaction with current student leaders, university staff, faculty, and senior administrators.
 
Leadership Library – if you are interested in researching educational resources on leadership topics, the Leadership Library stocks books, journals, videotapes, and a wide array of handouts, all of which relate to leadership, including topics such as leadership theory, meetings, delegation, networking, publicity, diversity, ethics, ice-breakers, and other topics relevant to leadership and management. Anyone with a Barry University student ID card may review the materials in the library or check
out an item for 48 hours. The Leadership Library is located in the Landon Student Union, Suite 202.

Leadership Conferences – the purpose of these conferences is to provide student leaders with the opportunity to interact with their peers from Barry University and/or surrounding institutions, allowing them to form friendships, gather ideas and promote intercollegiate cooperative program planning. Most conferences will feature a keynote speaker and a series of breakout sessions aimed at addressing issues that are pertinent to both established and emerging student leaders.

Leadership Speaker Series -are designed to provide students with the opportunity to understand and explore the concept of leadership, assess your interests, improve your skills and learn more about working with others. Seminar topics will vary each semester and suggestions for new topics will be researched and provided as needed.

Vice President’s Roundtable and Leadership Luncheons - these luncheons provide an opportunity for the primary student leaders of Barry University to have lunch with administrators to ask questions and gain insight from one of the University's leaders.

Leadership Recognition - the Center and the Division of Student Affairs recognizes student leaders for their positive contributions to campus life by hosting an annual leadership awards banquet held in April. This program is designed to emphasize the importance of student leaders and recognize outstanding individuals, student organizations and advisors for their leadership contributions to Barry University.