The Rocket

Issue date: 9/14/07 Section: News

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Students and faculty celebrated the new Compass Leadership Program with a kickoff party on Sept. 10 with 65 students attending.

Students talked to faculty about the leadership program and were able to complete one of the many workshops for attending the party.

The Compass Leadership Program was created to help students develop their use of leadership skills through a series of interactive levels and workshops.

Students may choose to complete a series of workshops at three levels.

After all three levels are completed the information remains in a student's Co-Curricular Experiences Transcript.

Students may also choose a workshop that fits their own personal needs and can be done at their leisure. All workshops are completed on campus and at the University Union.

"This is more than just another program, it can go on a student's résumé and it teaches them the skills they need to get through life," said Allison Avolio, a graduate assistant of the program.

Each workshop offers something different, from team building to teaching students about what to do if get a DUI at Slippery Rock.

The Freshman Leader Scholar Program is strongly encouraged for freshman as a way to get more involved in campus activities and meet new people.

However, not only freshmen are interested in Compass, both upper and underclassmen are curious about the program and have been visiting the campus office asking what the new Compass program is about.

"We want to increase the number of more quiet students who may not be as involved in school compared to the more involved, vocal students," said Brad Kovaleski, director of the Compass program. "We want to not reuse students but add more new students."

Many off-campus students haven't heard of the program. On-campus students are more familiar with the name because of direct mail to dormitories and posters placed in the dining halls and other public places on campus.

Kovaleski said that the off-campus students are a harder population to target, but that the situation is being worked on.

The Compass program was devised by SRU President Robert Smith.

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