Institute turns students into leaders

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The CMU Leadership Institute has provided students with leadership opportunities
since the university founded it in 1997.

The institute helps students develop leadership skills and is the coordinating
body for the university’s leadership-related activities, according to
a Leadership Institute informational pamphlet.

The vision of the Leadership Institute is to become the premier institution
in providing leadership training, education and development to the citizens
of Michigan, the pamphlet said.

“We’re trying to reach out to the middle and high school students,
and provide them with leadership programs as well,” said Dykstra Heinze,
Leadership Institute director. “We have just started a middle-school leadership
program run by the CMU Leadership Institute that will act as a pilot program.”

Programs offered by the Leadership Institute include the Leader Advancement
Scholarship, the LEAD Program, ECLIPSE, Cornerstone, the Alpha Leadership experience,
Leadership Camp and Leadership Safari. These programs are designed to help
students enhance their leadership skills.

“More than 100 students participated in the new Alpha Leadership experience
program that began (Oct. 1). We are excited about this new program,” Heinze
said.

Nathan Westfall, coordinator of student leadership development, runs the new
program as a new leadership training program for CMU students, he said.

A leadership development team includes members from the offices of the Dean
of Students, Residence Life, Student Life and Admissions, and oversees the
Leadership Institute.

Heinze was named the Leadership Institute’s first director. There also
is an external advisory board consisting of community, business, government
and military leaders who assist the team.

The resource center at the Leadership Institute provides online computing
services, as well as space for large and small group activities.

The professional development program focuses on seminars and workshops.

Overall goals of the Leadership Institute, located in Powers Hall Room 101,
include promoting CMU as an institution which values leadership development,
promoting leadership development to internal and external constituents and
developing a partnership with businesses, community agencies, education and
government through leadership programs, the pamphlet said.

For more information, contact the Leadership Institute at 774-1909.