Penn State Emerging Leaders
About the Program
Penn State Emerging Leaders is a comprehensive and innovative leadership development certificate program designed for high-performing faculty and staff who demonstrate high leadership potential and do not currently have supervisory or management responsibilities. This certificate program increases participants’ effectiveness as leaders in their current roles, strengthens their ability to contribute to organizational priorities, and prepares them for tomorrow’s leadership challenges.
Program Highlights
Penn State Emerging Leaders features:
- A blended learning experience that incorporates leadership development, performance improvement, and instructional technology
- Self-directed informal workplace learning activities, which encourage participants to explore their personal leadership philosophy and beliefs through self-reflection activities, application of theory, and interaction with peers, subject matter experts, and proven leaders
- The opportunity to refine and develop a leadership philosophy and enhance leadership skills
- Conversations with representatives from several University groups about Penn State priorities as well as current and emerging leadership challenges
- Skill practice and emphasis on the integration and application of leadership knowledge
- The creation of an individualized leadership learning plan to guide self-directed informal workplace learning and development of a personal leadership philosophy
- 44 hours of classroom time and approximately 60 hours allotted for self-assessments and self-directed informal workplace learning activities
- The opportunity to earn three academic credits, Workforce Education 410, for completing the program and a few other requirements
- An emphasis on the supervisor’s role in the participant’s professional development
Expectations of Participants
You are encouraged to meet the following expectations that have been established for participants in Penn State Emerging Leaders:
- Attend all seminars and actively participate in discussions and activities
- Complete self-directed informal workplace learning assignments
- Utilize blended learning technologies to complete seminar and self-directed informal workplace learning activities
- Complete any assignments on or before the due date according to program specifications
- Mentor others in areas that are your strengths
- Apply new skill and expertise, and share any progress with other participants
- Maintain a Leadership Learning Log
- Formalize a Leadership Philosophy Statement
Current Program Schedule
The Penn State Emerging Leaders program is scheduled to begin in January 2012. Seminars are scheduled during the 2012 Spring and Fall semesters and during the summer months participants complete self-directed informal workplace learning.
Application Process
The program application process is designed to guide the selection of a diverse cohort of about 25 high-performing faculty and staff who demonstrate high leadership potential and do not currently have supervisory or management responsibilities.
Once the applicant submits a completed program application, a representative from the Human Resource Development Center will contact the applicant’s supervisor for more information. At this time, the applicant’s supervisor will be asked to complete the Supervisor’s Checklist and submit a letter of recommendation.
A selection committee will review all application materials and select a diverse and heterogeneous mix of participants in terms of demographics, roles, years of experience, and areas of the University.
We are no longer accepting applications for the current offering. The application process for the 2013 offering will begin in the Fall of 2012.
Supervisor's Role
Supervisors of Penn State Emerging Leaders participants play an important role before, during, and after the program and are crucial to their employee’s successful professional development.
Before the program, supervisor’s input is crucial to the application process of Penn State Emerging Leaders. They are asked to complete a checklist and submit a letter of recommendation in which they support their employee as a suitable candidate while also acknowledging the amount of time and effort this program will require. Supervisors also attend the Kick-Off Event with their employee. This event provides everyone with more detail about the program and an opportunity to network with peers, project staff, and presenters.
During the program, supervisors serve as mentors and provide time, support, and resources as needed. Supervisors will also review the participant’s leadership learning plan and leadership philosophy statements.
The Capstone Event is an event in which supervisors and participants attend together. During this event, participants showcase their learning and celebrate the tremendous amount of effort they invested in their professional development. Following this event and the end of the program, supervisors and participants are expected to continue leadership discussions and development.
Contact Information
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Brynn Rousselin 814-865-5907 or Jennifer Clouser 814-865-3410.
