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Amended April 2009
I. Mission Statement
The purpose of the University of Evansville Leadership Academy (UELA) is as follows:
To augment the leadership potential of members through the honing of individual, organization, and community-related skills
To provide a co-curricular education to a select number of promising student leaders through experiential interaction
To be a prestigious and contributing academy on campus as well as in the community
To develop, train, and nurture student leaders who are aware of their personal leadership style, their strengths and weaknesses, the role of servanthood in leadership, current trends in leadership, the important relationship between scholarship and leadership, the necessity to be an example for others, the benefit of ongoing dialogue and mutual learning, the means of motivating others and creating ownership in an organization, and the essential nature of becoming a lifelong leader
To prepare UELA members for future leadership positions
The academy will provide a personal portfolio as a personal marketing instrument. The portfolio will include an official transcript displaying all service and organization involvement as well as the reflective essays from community service and endorsed forum components of the program. The academy will recognize those who complete the program at the University's commencement exercises.
II. Membership
Full-time students of the University of Evansville who are able to make a two year commitment to the program (i.e. freshmen, sophomores, or those who are planning to remain at the university an additional two years as an undergraduate student) and who meet the minimum requirements prescribed below are eligible for application. The application and selection process for Tier One shall be completed by the end of September. Applicants shall exhibit leadership potential upon application. The Advisory Council shall administer applications and conduct final selections.
III. Application Process
The application process shall be as follows:
Applications shall be available in the Student Life Center the first day of Fall classes.
Application process shall be advertised throughout campus
Applications must be accompanied by one letter of recommendation. Any recommendation by college faculty, high school faculty (for freshman only), or orientation leader will be accepted. Family member recommendation letters will not be accepted.
Applications will be received by the Advisory Council. The interview will be conducted by at least one member of the Advisory Council and/or at least one graduated member of UELA.
Final selections shall be determined by a two-thirds vote of the entire Advisory Council. The advisor will be considered a non-voting member.
IV. Requirements for UELA Membership
All members of UELA shall:
Maintain a 2.75 GPA per semester, subject to review by the Advisory Council. In the case of special circumstances, GPA requirements will be handled on an individual basis.
Remain in good standing with the University of Evansville, subject to review by the Advisory Council.
Fulfill all requirements according to each tier.
Have exemplary behavior at all times, subject to review by the Advisory Council and may be appealed to the Dean of Students.
Be a contributing, active member in a Registered Student Organization in addition to UELA.
Membership status is contingent upon the approval of the Advisory Council. If requirements are not met, then the Advisory Council has the authority to remove the member in question by a two-third majority vote. Appeals can be made within five days to the Dean of Students.
V. Advisory Council
The purposes of UELA Advisory Council are as follows:
To ensure that the constitution and guidelines are enforced and followed by all members of UELA
To maintain focus in achieving established goals
To develop, implement, and evaluate programming as required by each tier
To develop and monitor an annual budget
To act as a liaison between the Evansville community, the University of Evansville, the Student Government Association, and members of UELA
To facilitate feedback from members of each tier
To communicate service opportunities to members of UELA
To conduct the selection process
To maintain complete records of member's activities and attendance.
VI. Membership of Advisory Council
Membership of the Advisory Council shall be determined by application of UELA members. The Advisory Council shall consist of five to seven student members unless otherwise deemed necessary. The Advisory Council shall also consist of one advisor who is a member of the faculty or administration.
Members of the Advisory Council shall be required to attend meetings as assigned; be a contributing and active member of the council; and meet minimum requirements set forth by UELA membership. Members are subject to removal by a two-thirds vote of the council or by letter of resignation.
VII. Structure of UELA and Tier Requirements
UELA shall be composed of three tiers:
Tier I fosters personal development of leadership attributes. It will focus mainly on discovering the potential leader within each member. This may include, but is not limited to, ethics, etiquette, creativity, and personality.
Tier I shall take place in the fall semester and shall include and require the following:
Sessions: At least seven lectures, discussion sessions, and special events will be offered per semester. These sessions may feature speakers from both on and off campus. One unexcused absence is permissible before referral to ADCO for possible disciplinary action. Disciplinary action includes but is not limited to additional community service hours, additional endorsed forums, and possible removal from the academy. Excuses must be made one week prior to the event and are subject to approval through the Tier I Directors, and in other cases ADCO. For members who are unable to attend the sessions on a regular basis, members must meet the Tier I Directors once a week. Absences for University approved events are permissible.
Community Service: UELA members are required to perform 10 hours of volunteer community service. Members who are required to perform community service for another organization can contribute those hours to the required amount for UELA. Upon completion, members shall complete a typewritten reflective evaluation of their community service (approximately one page, double-spaced). This evaluation will constitute part of the member's portfolio presented upon completion of UELA.
Endorsed Forums: UELA members are required to attend one endorsed forum. An endorsed forum might include but is not restricted to the following: local city/county government meetings, featured speakers/forums/debates on campus regarding issues pertinent to leadership, or shadowing experiences. Members shall create a typewritten reflective essay (approximately one page, double-spaced) exploring how the topic or experience related to leadership in general and to the member individually. This essay will constitute part of the member's portfolio presented upon completion of UELA. Each tier member will present and lead a discussion based on the information gathered at the endorsed forum.
Roundtable Discussions: UELA shall feature at least one roundtable which shall serve as a discussion forum for all tiers. This requirement may be filled by the endorsed forum presentations.
Tier II develops leadership skills within a group setting. Members shall gain tools to utilize in their future leadership positions. Some areas of development may include, but are not limited to, communication, organization, and relationship skills.
Tier II should take place in the spring semester and shall include the following:
Sessions: SAME AS THAT LISTED FOR TIER I.
Community Service: SAME AS THAT LISTED FOR TIER I
Endorsed Forums: SAME AS THAT LISTED FOR TIER I
Roundtable Discussions: SAME AS THAT LISTED FOR TIER I
Tier III Capstone Project: Volunteering at the Tier III event is a requirement of Tier II.
Tier III is designed for the development of community leadership. In addition to community leadership, Tier III graduates should have gained the skills needed for future leadership endeavors.
Tier III shall take place in both the fall and spring semesters and shall include and require the following:
Sessions: Attend weekly planning meetings as well as UELA sponsored events. One unexcused absence is permissible before referral to ADCO for possible disciplinary action. Disciplinary action includes but is not limited to additional community service hours, additional endorsed forums, and possible removal from the academy. Excuses must be made one week prior to the event and are subject to approval through the Tier III Directors, and in other cases ADCO. For members who are unable to attend the planning meetings on a regular basis, members must meet the Tier III Directors once a week, and take on considerable roles in the Capstone Project. Absences for University approved events are permissible.
Endorsed Forums: Tier III members are required to attend one forum per semester. Members shall create a typewritten reflective essay (approximately one page, double-spaced) exploring how the topic or experience related to leadership in general and to them individually. This essay will constitute part of the member's portfolio presented upon completion of UELA.
Tier III Community Service Capstone Project: In the spring semester, Tier III members will implement a Community Service Capstone Project. This project shall originate from and be directed by the members of Tier III. To fulfill this requirement, Tier III members must organize a group community service event in which the other members of UELA and community shall participate. Within the fall semester, Tier III members must present an official proposal and budget for the project to ADCO for approval.
Tier III Advisory Session: Tier III will develop a leadership program within UELA that is designed, marketed, and professionally presented by members of Tier III. The Advisory Session consists of a leadership training seminar designed by Tier III to prepare Tier II for their Community Service Capstone Project. This presentation will include a step-by-step analysis of the planning process of the Capstone Project. Tier III members will include a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threat) analysis. See Appendix A for more information.
UELA members are encouraged to participate in all of the programming, including that beyond the minimum requirements. Members cannot become "inactive" for a semester and still meet the tier requirements. Members who participate in a study-abroad program will continue to be in their tier as long as the Study Abroad requirements are met.
VIII. Study Abroad and Harlaxton
A student stands out when he or she studies abroad. UELA recognizes and supports the attendance of a study abroad program or Harlaxton College as an invaluable asset in fostering a sense of world citizenship.
Harlaxton Requirements:
Attend at least one of the optional lectures offered at Harlaxton. This element will fulfill the endorsed forum requirement.
Serve on one of the student activity committees at Harlaxton or serve as a resident assistant.
Must maintain weekly communication with Tier Director and monthly communication with the Tier.
Study Abroad Requirements:
Attend at least one lecture offered by the study abroad program. This element will fulfill the endorsed forum requirement.
Be an active member in a student organization and try to obtain a leadership position.
Must maintain adequate communication with Tier Director
Study Abroad and Harlaxton Members of UELA will write a reflective essay and evaluation of their participation in each of the requirements. These essays shall be written per the instructions for the endorsed forum essays as outlined in article VII. It is the responsibility of the UELA member to turn in these essays to the Advisory Council when they return to the University. The members of UELA are required to fulfill the above requirements or forfeit membership in their current tiers. In this case, members may rejoin their current tier beginning the following academic year.
IX. Amendments
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of Advisory Council. Constitutional amendments having a petition signed by 20 percent of the UELA may be brought before the Advisory Council.
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