Leadership Programs

Leadership Academy

The Georgia College Leadership Academy is an eight-month program for first-year students. Whether you’re just beginning your leadership journey or already pursuing your passions, the Leadership Academy will equip you for leadership at Georgia College and beyond.

Program Goals and Content. The Leadership Academy prepares students to lead at all levels. Students will learn to:

• Lead Yourself. Leading others and leading organizations always begins with leading ourselves. The Leadership Academy will equip you to clarify your personal values and define your approach to leadership. 

• Lead Others. In addition to the practical skills you'll acquire, effective leadership requires us to recognize and communicate our personal leadership styles. Through the Leadership Academy, you will learn to inspire a shared vision and empower others. 

• Lead at Georgia College. Using GC and Milledgeville as your laboratory, you will practice, reflect upon, and be mentored in your leadership. The Leadership Academy will get you connected to the community and help you build your professional network.

• Lead Beyond. Leadership is needed everywhere. Through the Leadership Academy, you will learn to apply your leadership broadly--to your profession, community, and world.

Registration and Admission Procedures. To enroll in the Leadership Academy, a student must complete the online registration form. The registration deadline is established annually and is the last Monday before first-year students move into the residence halls. To qualify for the program, students must:

• Be a first-year student, beginning in the summer or fall term.

• Maintain Good Academic Standing, as defined by the university registrar, and abide by the Georgia College Honor Code.

• Pay the program registration fee.

Fee Waivers. The Leadership Academy administers fee waivers each year for applicants who (1) Have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and (2) are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. Applicants can apply on the Leadership Academy webpage.

Leadership Certificate Program

Program Requirements and Course Sequence. Successful completion of the Leadership Certificate Program will earn a student a Georgia College Certificate in Leadership Studies. The certificate in leadership studies is a pre-baccalaureate (undergraduate) embedded certificate, according to the University System of Georgia guidelines set forth in the Academic & Student Affairs Handbook, § 2.3.8. As an embedded certificate, the certificate in leadership studies is awarded to a student upon completion of a degree. To earn a Certificate in Leadership Studies from Georgia College, a student must complete the Leadership Certificate Program. The Leadership Certificate Program requires three sequenced, scaffolded steps: the Colloquium, Leadership Practice, and the Leadership Seminar. At the completion of the program, students will have earned Georgia College's Certificate in Leadership Studies, noted on their academic transcripts and coded in each student's academic record.

Colloquium. In Georgia College’s gateway leadership course, “How to Change the World” (LEAD 2010), students learn about principles for effective leadership by examining leadership theoretically and in historical case studies. The theoretical orientation prepares them to make both positive and normative statements about leadership—the practice of mobilizing people to achieve a desired end—and about public affairs—employing effective leadership in the public sphere as a civic good. Students bridge the divide between theory and practice, exploring the relationship between leadership and power, authority, and citizenship.

Leadership Practice. Students may complete one of three experiences.

1. Leadership Practicum. Each semester, Georgia College leadership students complete practica in the community. Practica are projected-based assignments in which students apply their knowledge of leadership and public policy to solving a problem for an organization or community group. Students register for “Leadership Practicum,” (LEAD 2020).

2. Intercultural Leadership Program. Students may complete our summer Intercultural Leadership Program based in Strasbourg, France.

3. GC in DC Internship. Students may complete a Washington-based internship through the GC in DC program.

Leadership Seminar. Leadership seminars fuse theory with contemporary challenges of public and corporate leadership. Always with an eye toward practical applications, students practice strategic thinking and problem-solving and aim to connect their studies in leadership to their individual programs of study. Georgia College offers two options for the Leadership Seminar.

1. Annual Leadership Seminar. Each year, the Office of Leadership Programs offers an advanced seminar, “Special Topics in Leadership” (LEAD 4950). Those seminars feature of range of approaches and approaches and connect leadership to a more specialized topic.

2. Other Course. Another upper division course may be approved by the Office of Leadership Programs and Leadership Faculty Advisory Committee. Faculty affiliates are invited to develop seminars that integrate the theory and practice of leadership with their disciplines.

Program Governance and Administration. Authority in matters of curriculum, program requirements, course sequencing, and admission and selection shall be vested in the Leadership Faculty Advisory Committee and exercised by the director of leadership programs.

Application and Admission Procedures. To apply for admission, a student must complete the requisite online application form, appending a resume or CV. Application deadlines are October 1st for spring admission and March 1st for fall admission. Transfer students who apply by July 31st will be considered for fall admission. To qualify for application to the Leadership Certificate Program, students must:

• Have completed at least fifteen credit hours by the anticipated start of their program experience.

• Hold a minimum grade-point average of 3.0.

• Be willing and able to enroll in the program's colloquium, "How to Change the World" (LEAD 2010), and to complete the Leadership Practice and Leadership Seminar requirements, totaling a minimum of nine credit hours.

• Maintain Good Academic Standing, as defined by the University Registrar, and abide by the Georgia College Honor Code.

On behalf of the Leadership Faculty Advisory Committee, the director of leadership programs will invite qualified students to accept admission into the program and will register them for LEAD 2010.

Enrollment. The Leadership Certificate Program serves students from every major program of study and with a broad range of academic and professional aspirations. A student will be considered enrolled in the Leadership Certificate Program if he or she (1) has been admitted to the program, (2) has not affirmatively withdrawn from the program, and (3) has remaining requirements for completion of the program. Students may defer their admission to the program for up to one academic term.

For more information, visit www.gcsu.edu/leadership/certificate.

Georgia Education Mentorship (GEM) Program

Program Description. A one-of-a-kind partnership between Georgia College and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the GEM Program prepares the next generation of Georgia's leaders for the public good. A mentorship and leadership program, GEM matches students with senior state leaders for a yearlong partnership that creates mutual benefit between Georgia College and its partners. In addition to frequent meetings and exchanges with their mentors, students enjoy individual consultations, classroom-based learning, and statewide site visits. Central to the program is the belief that effective leadership must come from all sectors of our society—spanning private enterprise, public affairs, and civic life. Across nearly two decades, the program has graduated more than 500 students, who serve as leaders across the state, providing advocacy, service, and thought leadership.

Program Requirements and Course Sequence. To complete the GEM Program, students must successfully complete LEAD 2100 in both the fall and spring terms, earning a grade of “satisfactory” (listed on their academic records as “S”). LEAD 2100 facilitates students’ active learning about their GEM experiences. LEAD 2100 is repeatable for credit. At the end of their fall term in the program, students will receive a grade of “incomplete” (listed on their academic records as “I”). To earn both grades requires completion of the spring term of LEAD 2100. Additionally, students are required to maintain good Academic Standing, as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog and as dictated by the faculty and deans of their individual colleges within the university, and to abide by the GC Honor Code. 

Application and Admission Procedures. To apply for admission to the GEM Program, a student must complete the requisite online application form, appending a letter of application and resume or CV. Application deadlines are March 1st for admission. To qualify for application to the GEM Program, students must:

• Have completed at least sixty credit hours by the anticipated start of their program experience.

• Be a returning Georgia College student, having successfully completed at minimum the previous fall and spring academic term at GC.

• Hold a minimum grade-point average of 3.0.

• Be willing and able to enroll in the program's required course, "Georgia Education Mentorship" (LEAD 2100) in both the fall and spring term of their participation, and complete all program requirements.

• Maintain Good Academic Standing, as defined by the University Registrar, and abide by the Georgia College Honor Code.

On behalf of the Office of Leadership programs, the director of leadership programs will invite qualified students to accept admission into the program and will register them for LEAD 2100.

Application of Policies, Procedures, and Guidance. Policies, procedures and guidance for the Georgia Education Mentorship Program apply to all students enrolled in the Georgia Education Mentorship Program, as stipulated herein, and are subject to change. Petitions for exception should be addressed to the director of leadership programs.

Program Governance and Administration. Authority in matters of program requirements, program experience, and admission and selection shall be vested in the Office of Leadership Programs and exercised by the director of leadership programs.

Enrollment and Withdrawal. The GEM Program serves students from every major program of study and with a broad range of academic and professional aspirations. Students may defer their admission to the program for up to one academic year. Withdrawal from the LEAD 2100 course does not necessarily constitute withdrawal from the program. Thus, students seeking to withdraw should consult immediately with the director of leadership programs. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the university’s Student Code of Conduct.

For more information, visit www.gcsu.edu/gem.

Affiliate Leadership Programs

Affiliate Programs.The Office of Leadership Programs maintains institution-wide responsibility for management, coordination, and development of all Georgia College leadership programs and initiatives. The Leadership Programs staff works collaboratively with members of GC's faculty and staff, providing resources, support, and advocacy for leadership-development opportunities at Georgia College. In addition to Georgia College's core leadership programs, which are directed and administered by the Office of Leadership Programs, the Leadership Faculty Advisory Committee invites collaborations with other courses and student programs at the university for designation as Georgia College leadership programs (internally as "affiliate leadership programs").

Proposals for Affiliation. Proposals for certification as an affiliate leadership program should be initiated by the faculty or staff member who oversees and administers the course or program. Such programs should engage with leadership-related topics, broadly conceived, including mentorship, civic engagement, social justice and inclusion, strategic thought, and global citizenship; and have a goal of developing students as citizens and leaders for the public good.

Office of Leadership Programs Responsibilities. In that process, the Office of Leadership Programs will:

• Offer consulting and collaboration to university programs, courses, and initiatives interested in leadership development.

• Support faculty and staff members drafting certification proposals, helping them to identify measurable outcomes that can be documented and reported for assessment and accreditation purposes.

• Support faculty and staff members, helping them to integrate LEAP High-Impact Education Practices into leadership-development opportunities.

• Evaluate proposals from university programs and courses seeking certification.

• Coordinate with the Offices of Institutional Effectiveness and the Registrar to tag approved leadership courses and experiences in students' academic records.

Affiliate Program Responsibilities. The Affiliate Program maintains the following responsibilities and requirements.

• Affiliate Program will designate a course or program sponsor of record who will serve as the point-of-contact for the Office of Leadership Programs. Certification as an affiliate leadership program is tied to the instructor or program sponsor of record.

• Students' activities in the program should adhere to a defined scope of work, determined in advance and accounting for how the program integrates each of Georgia College's core leadership competencies into the students' learning experience.

• Affiliate Program will support the Office of Leadership Programs' commitment to Leadership for the Public Good.

• Affiliate Programs that are academic and/or course-based must designate a course or program sponsor of record who meets SACSCOC accreditation requirements necessary for instructional responsibilities, as stated in SACSCOC accrediting standard 3.7.1 (2012 edition).

• Affiliate Programs that are extra-curricular (i.e., non-course based) will not claim or in any represent their program as offering a degree, diploma, certificate, certification, or other academic or professional credential.

• Affiliate Program agrees to be identified as such and to have its name and/or logo or other institutional mark displayed on the Office of Leadership Programs website and in other publications.

Certification of Affiliation Proposals. Proposals for certification will address the following criteria:

• Proposals should detail the terms of satisfactory and unsatisfactory completion of the experience.

• Proposals should account for how the program integrates each of Georgia College's core leadership competencies into the students' learning experience.

• Proposals should provide for artifacts of students' experience, which can be documented and evaluated in an electronic portfolio.

• Classes and programs should provide for at least two one-on-one leadership development consultations between each student and a member of the Leadership Programs staff or a program partner.

Such proposals are received and evaluated by the Office of Leadership Programs. The director of leadership programs will offer a recommendation to the Leadership Faculty Advisory Committee, which will determine if the program meets institutional requirements for designation as an affiliate leadership program. The committee evaluates proposals according to its "Course and Program Evaluation Rubric," published online at gcsu.edu/leadership/affiliate.