Organizational & Community Leadership Program
Organizational and Community Leadership Mission Statement
Organizational & Community Leadership majors are prepared to accept the challenge of leadership in an increasingly complex, global and fast-paced world. Organizational & Community Leadership majors use their knowledge of leadership and quality of life issues to evaluate and mobilize collective actions that advance positive change for individuals, communities, organizations and society.Some people were meant to stand out in a crowd, make a difference!
Exciting News About Current Students...
Kimberly Stewart, a senior OCL major, is featured in COBRA magazine:
http://www.bluehens.com/teams/volleyball/stories/2011/november/112811a.html
Highlighting OCL Majors on what the major means to them...
"In this major I really feel that you gain the necessary skills for future employment. Many majors teach you facts, but in the Lead major you are learning facts and theories that you can really apply on the job. Every course teaches you something that you can hold on to."
-Sean Gomes
"The Leadership major is unique and inspirational. It is a chance for students interested in business, communications, and public policy to get one degree in all of the important aspects of these courses. This major has helped me to understand the changes individuals can make in the community and in the world, and has given me opportunities to become involved in many different experiences that have prepared me for the real world and shaped me into person I am today."
-Stacie Colburn
"The Leadership major is a phenomenal experience for growth and opportunity. It helped me to develop a vision for the future."
-Mary Thomas
"My thoughts on leadership come from a famous French Politician named Alexandre Ledru-Rollin who said, "There go the people. I must follow them for I am their leader." I believe this summarizes well how to lead.”
-Kevin Wolf
“I was never the prom queen or the class president but that was ok because I knew coming into the Leadership major at the University of Delaware would help me to find who I was and what I am comfortable with. I now know being a leader does not always mean standing up in front of a room full of people and giving a speech; it is organizing and motivating those around you to create a difference. That is what I love: making a difference and creating change within yourself and organizations.”
-Meghan Kern
“Leadership is many things, but most importantly: it's not about what you do, it's about how you do it.”
-Ben Saxe
"I switched majors many times and I am very proud and happy that I finally found the major for me. It incorporates so many things that you can't go wrong!"
-Amrita Sen
"Leadership is a great experience. You gain a lot of the necessary tools that are required to lead. Leadership is about making change, and in the process of learning how to create a positive change, this major has created a positive change within me."
-Craig Reichold
“The Leadership major isn't about being the next President of the U.S. or a small town politician. It is about learning how to take action and make a difference in your life…and the lives of others. Its small sized classes and hands on nature makes learning fun! Looking for a future career, I have witnessed potential employers become very excited about my major – it’s not the usual Business or English – but something fresh and new.”
-Liz Huegelmeyer
"I came into the Leadership major as a freshmen, which is very rare; most people switch into the major. I believe this was a great choice because it is the perfect major for me. There are no right or wrong answers and I am able to express my views and opinions openly. Leadership is very subjective and is applicable to everyday life"
-Adetol Magbagbeola
“To me Leadership is about realizing, reaching, and going beyond your full potential. It taught me that my opinion does matter, that people do want to hear it, and that others opinions matter as well. It also helped me be effective at decision making, as well as a socially responsible and well rounded individual.”
-Brittany Ignasiak
“Leadership helped in preparing me for the business world. With the unique curriculum, I was able to take the business classes I will need along with the interesting classes like Decision Making and Power and Social Responsibility that the Leadership major provides.”
-Jason Schaffer
“Leadership is about service. The most profound thing I've learned as a Leadership major is that great leaders are first great followers. Prior to my enrollment at UD I worked actively with several non-profit organizations to enlist change in my community. I never actually saw myself as a leader, just as someone wanting to make a difference. Robert Greenleaf states, ‘Good leaders must first become good servants.’ The Leadership major has provided me with the skills I need to be a servant of change.”
“Leadership, to me, is about understanding your environment and successfully adapting to it in order to reach your goals. These courses have certainly taught me this…and have prepared me for my future…in any career.”
-Sammy Carl
"The Leadership major has given me the confidence and leadership skills to be an active member of my sorority. These classes have supplied me with a unique education that will help me succeed in the future. "
-Amie Faigenbaum
"Leaders provide value to society because they give us direction and encouragement. The groups led by leaders can be big or small, they can consist of entire nations (i.e., presidents of countries) or small five-person groups in cooperating learning exercises (i.e., in university classes). Leaders can be systematically chosen but they can also emerge from within lesser defined circumstances. Leaders speak up for their followers just like politicians (are supposed to) speak up for their public. Leaders look out for the best interests of their constituents."
-Wendell Reid
"When I was a senior in high school, I had no idea what career to pursue. Picking a major was so overwhelming and going away to college was stressful enough. That’s when I decided to become a leadership major. Now I am a senior, and I am so happy I made the right choice. When I attended the career fair, I was shocked how many different companies were interested in me, and my major."
-Kristin Peleckis
"Leadership training develops the whole person and is a great foot in the door along many different career paths; including non-profit work, the public sector, business and even the United States Armed Forces."
-Dave Strube
