Many students may be wondering how they can find a little more time to be involved with the community and to work on gathering some of the skills that will benefit them later in life. Northern Kentucky University’s Leadership University is here to help.

This campus organization, founded in 2010, is designed to encourage students to participate in community service, and also to assist them with learning valuable life skills by offering them a variety of educational workshops they can attend.

In order to successfully complete Leadership University’s program, students must put in a minimum of three hours of community service throughout the year and attend at least eight workshops.
Tiffany Mayse, director of Leadership University, said the program seems to be well received by students who take part in it. “We started out with about 50 students involved with the program in the first year we did it,” she said. “Now, we have almost 200 participants. So it’s safe to say we’ve definitely been growing in popularity.”

The program aims to offer students a more comprehensive schedule of speakers and events on campus, Mayse said. The workshops help them “hone in on professional skills,” and provide them with insight on how to succeed after college, she said. Some of the workshops students can attend are Interviewing Techniques, Resumes and Cover Letters, Co-Op Search Strategies and Taking Charge of Your Time.

Workshops are offered at various times, so students are able to find some that are convenient for them, regardless of class schedules. Participants in Leadership University are welcome to attend more than just their required eight workshops if they wish.

Shonna Barnes, a former participant in Leadership University, said that she found the topics of the workshops to be very beneficial for students who are preparing to soon go off into the professional world. “The resume building workshop was probably the most useful,” she said. “I think a lot of the workshops like that one highlight why we’re here in college in the first place, and they help us to figure out how to take the next step after graduation.”

As for community service, there are plenty of opportunities for students to get involved with events on campus. Diversity Week, International Education Week and Business Week offer ways for students to accumulate community service hours. Students can also go off campus to find volunteer opportunities that count toward the Leadership University program.
Julia Fleischer, a former member of Leadership University, said requirements of the program are fairly easy to achieve.

“You have so many workshops and community service opportunities to choose from, all offered at so many different times, so the program really shouldn’t be that time consuming or that difficult for anyone to complete,” she said. “Plus, it’s worth it. You learn about such a wide array of topics, from working with other students, to figuring out how to better manage your time.”

Students who finish the Leadership University program are awarded with a certificate of completion and are given a special cord to wear during graduation. For more information, visit Leadership University on Orgsync, or contact Tiffany Mayse at mayset@nku.edu.