Students who strive to gain leadership skills have the opportunity to learn how to better serve their communities.

The Office of Student Engagement is hosting a series of Student Organization Leadership Development workshops throughout the semester designed to provide resources for organization leaders.

The workshops held in the Student Union discuss a variety of organization topics including meeting planning, engaging members and how to deal with changing leadership roles.

Nick Elliott, interim assistant director of the OSE, explained that the SOLD workshops are part of an ongoing initiative to provide more student development and resources for organizations.

“We knew there was a need for all student organizations to have the opportunity for professional development but also knew not all student organizations have the funds to attend workshops, webinars and conferences,” said Elliott. “We want every student, whether you hold a leadership position or not, to have the opportunity to build their skills.”

Each workshop will have a different presenter and presentation style. Elliott described that some workshops will be more lecture-based, but others might be more hands-on and engaging.

“The presenters of the workshops will be university professional staff members, who specialize in the area of the presented topic,” shared Elliott. “Many of our university staff members are well educated and trained in their area, so we felt it was best to work with those professionals in these workshops.”

Those who attend at least three workshops will be rewarded with a SOLD certificate. Organizations also have the opportunity to gain a SOLD certificate similar to the individual certificates.

Elliott shared that the awards are meant to acknowledge students and organizations who continue their education outside of the classroom and build their leadership skills.

“This certificate shows that a student went above and beyond to gain the necessary skills to be a successful leader,” explained Elliott. “Since this is the first year these workshops are offered, we will just be awarding them from our office. We hope to incorporate this certificate and award program into the DSA Awards Convocation for future years.”

Elliott believes that the new workshops will benefit everyone differently.

“Some of our upcoming workshops will help individuals better plan events on our campus, and some of our workshops will focus on being empowered to be a leader without that leadership title, such as president or vice president,” said Elliott.

As students learn these leadership skills, Elliott feels that they will work better with others.

“You never know what type of people you will be working with in the future,” shared Elliott.  “Learning about different leadership styles and conflict management now will better prepare you when you work with all different personality types and leadership styles in the future.”

After graduation, Elliott explained the skills that they learn can be applied to a future career and will make students more marketable.

“Once you graduate, the learning never stops,” said Elliott. “You have to stay up to date with the latest topics and trends. Employers are looking for individuals that have the ability to communicate well, motivate their team, handle and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback and have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever-changing workplace.”

The next SOLD workshop “Creating more than just an event, create an experience!” will take place on March 17 at 11 a.m. in Student Union Room 2217.