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MSP Academic Enrichment

woman in a headscarf listens to speaker along with other male and female students

Diversity, Service and Social Justice: A Blueprint for Dynamic Leadership

This 3 credit, in-person course will expose students to the key elements and character traits that influence dynamic and successful leadership. Students will learn that diversity, service, and social justice are inextricably linked and fundamental to the development of an effective leader. Participants will engage in interactive activities and discussions led by the instructor and visiting lecturers. In specific, the class will journey through five instructional modules that include four developmental stages on the path to dynamic leadership:

Stage 1 - Unlearning and realizing what you do not know
Stage 2 – Self-awareness and re-discovering who you are and how you move through the world
Stage 3 – From ally, to advocate, to accomplice: where privilege is understood, and support begins
Stage 4 – Continued education and the cycle of learning

Along the journey, students will explore a diversity of topics, including fragmented vs. holistic worldview; intersectionality; implicit bias; Leadership Style Theory; Impostor Syndrome; systemic and systematic racism; privilege; microaggressions; equity, equality and access; compassion fatigue and radical self-care; digital activism; service learning; emotional intelligence; cultural appropriation; and many more. In addition, students will complete 4 self-assessments: the Implicit Association Test, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the VARK Learning Style assessment, and the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment.