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News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, September 25, 2002

Leadership development for students popular at IU

For many students, going to college is an opportunity to develop leadership skills, and this is clearly evident at Indiana University.

Through a mushrooming interest in leadership classes, creation of a leadership minor and the Center for Student Leadership Development in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration, and activities of the popular Council for Advancing Student Leadership, the university is supporting a multi-faceted approach to leadership.

"We want to help students recognize their leadership potential and help them develop the skills necessary to succeed in this area," said Richard Mull, who administers the leadership courses in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

In cooperation with recognized advisers and coaches, Mull serves as instructor for two classes this semester through independent study. The two, Participant Leadership Development and Organizational Leadership Development, are at capacity with approximately 120 students. These two popular courses, along with planned spring classes on Leadership and Your Future, Organizational Leadership Theory, and Coaching and Leadership Development, form the core of a leadership minor that is new this fall.

Mull said the 15-credit undergraduate leadership minor is designed to help students explore and experience multiple frameworks of leadership. "With more than 250 student organizations on this campus, the opportunities for leadership development are considerable. They include the diverse campus groups, club sports, intramurals, fraternities and sororities, team captains and varsity athletics, and student supervisors," he said. Leadership opportunities after college abound in such fields as recreation, business, government, law, medicine, education and the non-profit sector, he noted.

CASL was formed in 1998 to enhance student leadership through campus extracurricular activities and student organizations. Committees direct specific activities in such areas as education, events, fund-raising, marketing, mentoring, newsletters and training.

The goals of CASL are to (1) work with campus student organizations to facilitate and encourage student leadership, (2) provide formal and informal educational experience to student leaders, (3) recognize outstanding student leaders and organizational advisers, (4) involve alumni in the student leadership development effort and (5) communicate meaningful and valuable leadership information.

For more details on campus leadership programs, contact Mull at 812-855-7399 or rmull@indiana.edu. The Web site for the Department of Recreation and Park Administration is at https://www.indiana.edu/~recpark/.

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