Leadership Programs and Opportunities

Leadership Retreats
We offer two outstanding leadership retreats: STRiVE and LATTE.

STRiVE Leadership Retreat

This retreat is great way to become a part of the UMBC leadership community. STRiVE is an intensive, engaging and exhilarating off-campus leadership retreat (5 days, 4 nights) developed by the Office of Student Life to help students become more effective leaders on campus and throughout their lives. The STRiVE planning team (consisting of UMBC students and faculty/staff) believes EVERYONE can develop leadership skills and abilities. STRiVE participants learn about themselves, make new friends, reflect on values and ethics, work in teams to develop practical plans for making a difference on campus and in society, and tackle both simulated and real leadership challenges.

The deadline to apply is typically in early November and STRiVE takes place in mid-January. To learn more about this engaging program and to complete an application click HERE.

L.A.T.T.E. Retreat (Leadership And Teamwork Training Experience)

The UMBC Leadership Consultants invite you to JUMPSTART YOUR ORGANIZATION! LATTE is a fantastic off-campus leadership retreat (2 days, 1 night) developed by the UMBC Leadership Consultants specifically to meet the needs of positional leaders of student organizations. During LATTE, positional leaders (e.g. Presidents, VPs, Treasurers, Officers, etc) from various UMBC student organizations will receive training in several aspects of leadership and teamwork, learn more about the resources available to student organizations and make new and lasting connections with other student leaders.

The deadline to apply is typically in mid to late September and LATTE takes place in October. To learn more about this exciting program and to complete an application click HERE.

Leadership Courses

The Office of Student Life partners with academic departments at UMBC to offer leadership courses that will help you learn a great deal about leadership while receiving academic credit. Through these courses you will be encouraged to unite academic coursework with co-curricular experiences, enhancing your ability to apply your leadership learning to real-life situations.

Foundations of Leadership Development (EDUC 216/PSYC 216)

A 3-credit leadership course offered every Fall and Spring semester. This course is designed to help develop effective, ethical leaders. The principles and practices of leadership will be addressed, incorporating opportunities to implement what is learned. It is a highly interactive course that requires extensive in-class discussion. The main goals are to help students better understand themselves, develop intercultural competence, communicate effectively in group settings, develop an ethical decision-making process, value civic engagement and actively apply leadership skills.

Civic Imagination and Social Entrepreneurship (SOCY 298/POLI 209/EDUC 299/AMST 280)

A 3-credit course offered every Fall semester. By building their theoretical knowledge and practical skills, this course will empower and prepare students to work effectively in their communities, social groups and democracy to initiate and achieve social change. Students will analyze and evaluate prevailing ideas about effective citizenship, activism, service and politics, including conventional assumptions about the limits of ordinary citizensŐ capacity to become agents of transformation.

Leadership Consultants (LC) Program

The Leadership Consultants Program is a year-long leadership development program that trains a select group of UMBC students about leadership and to be leadership educators and facilitators. The LCs have an essential role in creating a vibrant leadership environment for all students by facilitating high quality leadership workshops, developing retreats and consulting with student organizations. The LCs are chaired by a student LC and are advised by a staff member in the Office of Student Life.

Workshop topics: Teambuilding, LeaderStyles, Motivation, Icebreakers, Problem Solving, Conflict Resolution, Group Communication and more.

L.A.T.T.E. (Leadership And Teamwork Training Experience) Retreat: A 2-day off-campus leadership retreat focused specifically on positional leaders of student organizations.

Leadership Week: A weeklong series of events applicable to all students, not just those in positions of leadership. Students learn about themselves and what it takes to make a good team.

Visit http://www.umbc.edu/lc

Leadership Workshop

Workshops are sponsored on various topics based on student interest and requests (e.g. Teambuilding, LeaderStyles, Motivation, Icebreakers, Problem Solving, Conflict Resolution, Group Communication). The Leadership Consultants (LCs) can work with you and help design a workshop based on leadership topics that will be most helpful for you or your organization.

Visit http://www.umbc.edu/lc

Leadership Awards and Recognition

Retriever Black and Gold Awards At the end of the Spring semester there is a chance to celebrate and publicly recognize the contributions and achievements of some outstanding student leaders through the Retriever Black and Gold Awards. There are a variety of great awards that will be given out, usually during the first week of May.

Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK)

ODK is a prestigious and nationally known leadership honor society founded in 1914. ODK recognizes juniors, seniors and graduate students at UMBC who have demonstrated excellence across five major areas of collegiate life: scholarship; athletics; social, service, religious and governance activities; mass media and journalism; and creative and performing arts. Applications are available towards the middle of the Spring semester.

For more information about Leadership Development and Education, please contact us in the Office of Student Life at 410-455-3462, or e-mail Dr. Nick Lennon at nlennon@umbc.edu.