A retreat for “Emerging Leaders” and a trio of new faculty in residence on campus have enhanced the University’s Westfield State Experience program.
Emerging Leaders
The University hosted 47 first-year students at its first Emerging Leaders Retreat, August 29 -31, as part of its new Westfield State Experience program offerings.
The program provided students with the opportunity to explore their own ideas of leadership, to gain valuable experience through small group activities, and to challenge the status-quo of involvement.
Workshops were geared toward incoming first-year students centered around the social change model of leadership development, which approaches leadership as a purposeful, collaborative, values-driven process, rather than looking at leaders as people with a title or position.
“Westfield State is developing leaders that will eventually improve the groups or communities in which they participate or live,” said Matt Dellea, assistant director of student activities, involvement, and leadership. “Students participating in the program define a “leader” as anyone who wants to work with others to make a difference. The students concluded the retreat by talking about the ways they plan to make a difference at the University.”
For more information, contact Matt Dellea at mdellea@westfield.ma.edu or call 572-8157.
Faculty in residence
As part of the collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs on implementation of the Westfield State Experience, three faculty in residence were selected to engage first- and second-year students with specific attention on providing workshops and coordinating programming opportunities in the residence halls.
Two faculty members, Dr. Jeanette Zaragoza-De Leon and Dr. Timothy Nixon, are focusing their efforts on first-year students while Dr. Joseph Matthews is working with second-year student programming and support.
Faculty in Residence, in partnership with Residential Engagement staff, will plan and facilitate monthly learning-centered and community building programs, while serving office hours in their assigned Residence Hall and acting as an academic resource for students.
For more information, contact Dr. Gloria Lopez, vice president for Student Affairs, at glopez@westfield.ma.edu.