Bethany A VanBenschoten
Bethany A VanBenschoten
Assistant Director for Leadership Development
(315) 792-3037
Leadership Programs at Utica University
"If your actions inspire others, to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more...You ARE a leader." - John Quincy Adams
Utica University offers all students the chance to learn more about themselves and how they can make an impact in their community. By developing basic leadership knowledge and skills, students will positively contribute to their own and each other's development, gaining respect for each other and others.
Learning / Development Programs
We welcome any student to take advantage of leadership development and skill building programs on campus.
A Leadership Foundations Program for Any and All UC Students
*Pilot Program beginning Spring 2020 pending approval*
Mission
The P.I.E.C.E.S. Leadership Achievement Program encourages students to attend events and workshops hosted by Utica University to educate them in six specific leadership foundations. It is intended to build a base for further leadership development and other educational experiences Utica offers.
Values
The P.I.E.C.E.S. program will educate students in the following foundations:
- Professionalism- career management, social media presence, job searching, professional dress
- Interculturalism- cultural awareness, identity, diversity and inclusion, equity vs. equality, tolerance, acceptance, social justice
- Ethics- integrity, morals, values, doing the right thing, judgement, right vs. wrong, authenticity, purpose
- Communication- verbal, written, virtual, body language, facial expressions, listening skills, public speaking, intent vs. perception, reaction response
- Eloquence- etiquette, expressiveness, articulation, manners, kindness
- Service- social responsibility, community service, philanthropy, political responsibility
Program Outline
Students will be recruited by SLCE to participate in this leadership development opportunity. To complete the program, students must attend at least one event or workshop in each of the foundations and submit a personal reflection in the Pioneer Place Experiences module. Students will also fill out a short assessment evaluation form for each P.I.E.C.E.S. event they attend. The program is free of charge for any Utica student. Any student can start attending P.I.E.C.E.S. events and workshops at any time. First year students will be a focus of recruitment efforts. The SLCE office will provide at least one event or workshop in each P.I.E.C.E.S. foundation per semester. Students can choose to attend the SLCE sponsored events or pick from other advertised events included in the P.I.E.C.E.S. program, such as the Etiquette Dinner, Pio Talks, Leadership Weekend, etc.
The program is designed as a prepatory experience leading students into other leadership activities offered by Utica University. P.I.E.C.E.S. has no prerequisites or required positions for participants, and does not mandate participants to get or be involved in other co-curricular activities. It is meant be a starting place to provide an initial beginner opportunity to engage students in leadership development. This in-house-designed program is intended to teach very basic leadership principles to a student interested in learning more about what leadership means, and students who complete this program to become "P.I.E.C.E.S. Scholars" will be good candidates for leadership positions in student organizations or other leadership programs, such as Student Government Association, Utia Ambassadors, Orientation Mentors, Resident Assistants, and The Alumni Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) Program.
On a Friday afternoon, Utica student leaders will head up the the beautiful Raquette Lake to participate in a weekend long leadership development program developed by student mentors, faculty and staff!
Any Utica student can apply to participate, even if you're not formally a campus leader yet!
On the Leadership Weekend retreat, students:
- Interact with fellow student leaders from a variety of organizations.
- Improve individual leadership skills through experiential workshops, team building games, and low and high ropes adventure activities.
- Brainstorm ways in which student leaders can help to improve campus life.
- Present their ideas to campus administrators.
- Work together upon return to campus to bring projects to successful completion.
Leadership Weekend is sponsored by Student Government Association and the Office of Student Living & College Engagement.
There is no cost to those who participate.
Alumni Leaders Of Tomorrow (ALOT) is a program that gives students the opportunity to explore the many ways they can engage with Utica University now and stay connected as alumni. It provides a forum that empowers students to share information with one another, develop networking skills, and build a positive legacy as leaders of their class.
Skill Building in Leadership Workshops
Workshops are free, attendees must RSVP in advance through PioHub.
Fall Semesters
September: Leadership Styles and Definitions
Become more aware of yourself and how you operate in your leadership position, or how you may operate if you ever wanted to become a leader. Your values and personal goals have a lot more to do with your style than you might think. Learn also how to respect others' opinions and how leaders can join together the thoughts and ideas of many people to come out with a widely accepted common goal.
October: Get Organized!
College is about learning: full of class and papers and homework and studying. It's also about growing: full of friends and activities and sports and new experiences. How are you supposed to manage to remember everything you have to do and when you have to do it?! Organization is more than using Post-Its and binder dividers. Get into the 21st century and organize your life now so you can be successful in the future.
November: Earning Respect & Influencing Others
Being respected is about being authentic, and being authentic is about respecting yourself. It's also about respecting others, appreciating the differences between people, and understanding that we all come from different backgrounds. Only then will leaders be able to reach their followers on a deeper level, and be able to attain buy-in from the people they are leading.
December: Communication and Difficult Conversations
Ever get sad or angry or upset, but don't know what to do or how to handle it? The best thing to do is talk it out. With the stress of academics, piling on personal and emotional stress can be overwhelming. We'll share some tips on how to start difficult conversations, learn what to say and how to say it to the specific person you're confronting, and practice our strategies with each other.
Spring Semesters
February: Managing a Team
Wouldn't it be great if everyone did what you told them to when you told them to do it? We all know that's not the case with most operations though. Learn how to manage your team by using schedules, delegating responsibilities, creating the desire to actually do the work, and giving your team something to be proud of. Don't forget, your team needs to know how proud of them you are too.
March: Creating and Achieving Goals
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 hours? Think of a GPS... you have to tell it the destination first, or else it won't be able to tell you how to get there. Goals work the same way. You need to know where you want to go so you can take the correct steps to get there. We'll brainstorm some general life goals and some more personal goals, then learn strategies for creating the path to achieving the goal.
April: Applying your Skills and Building your Resume
Resumes are unique documents about how you became the person you are advertising to future employers, they are not just a list of the jobs you've had and the schools you've attended. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. They can be confusing and intimidating, but if we take a look at the different parts of a resume, and what information employers look for, you can easily just plug in the puzzle pieces and walk into an interview with confidence.
Request a Workshop!
If at any time, you or your organization needs refreshing on any of the above leadership skills, feel free to request a private workshop! Choose from any of the listed titles above, or request a specific topic workshop and we'll design it specifically for your organization's needs.
REQUEST A WORKSHOP BY EMAILING THE SLCE OFFICE AT LEAST 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR PREFERRED DATE.
Positional Leaders
Leadership is not just positional; you can act as a leader without holding a formal position. However, Utica University does offer lots of positional opportunities for students to be leaders within the campus community. Each position comes with special training programs which enhance students' knowledge and give them a chance to practice skills in real world applications. Here are a few of the training programs we provide.
Practice Your Leadership Skills
See also Student Governing Bodies or Campus Employment
High-Impact Student Organizations
Utica Programming Board (UPB)
UPB is the driving force behind entertainment on campus. We book the FUN! From bringing concerts, comedians, and magicians, to planning dances, pub nights, trivia nights, and much more!
For more information, see UPB PioHub page.
Utica University Emergency Medical Services (UEMS)
The UEMS is made up of students, faculty and staff from the Utica community who are trained EMTs with on-call hours right here on campus. UEMS provides efficient and professional emergency medical care to the students, faculty, staff, and visitors of Utica University. UEMS is recognized by the NYS Health Dept. as a Basic Life Support Agency and respond to medical emergencies on campus. Any person can join UEMS, selected members will obtain their CPR/First Aid Certification (Provided each semester).
For more information, see UEMS PioHub page.
Class Councils
Class officers have a presence on Student Government Association, plan all-class events, raise money for Senior gifts, and encourage class involvement and affinity.
For more information, look up your graduating class year on PioHub.
Specific Student Employment Opportunities
Orientation Mentor (OM)
Mentors work together to help ensure incoming students have a smooth, enjoyable, and enriching transition to Utica University. Mentors will develop skills in problem solving, group facilitation, conflict resolution, multicultural understanding and team building. Additionally, being an Orientation Mentor provides you with the unique experience of mentoring first-year students. The skills you gain will serve you well as you begin your journey beyond Utica University.
For more information, contact Lauryn Moore lamoore@utica.edu.
Resident Assistants (RA)
What is a Resident Assistant? RAs are peer leaders who live in the halls with other residential students and act as a liaison between students and the Office of Student Living & College Engagement staff members. RAs go though vigorous summer and spring training to learn the proper procedures for emergencies, crises, documentation while also carrying the responsibility to develop a sense of community on the floors they manage by holding events throughout the year, being a resource for new students at the institution, and acting in an exemplary fashion for others.
For more information, see job description here.
Utica Ambassador Program (UAP)
The UAP Program is a great way for enthusiastic students to share their love of the campus with prospective students that visit Utica. Ambassadors give tours and share the history of US as well as the daily operations and important features that students will need to know to help them choose if Utica is right for them!
Peer Tutor Mentor (PTM)
The PTMs live on campus in the summer and work with the 5 week long Summer Institute program that is hosted by the Office of Opportunity Programs. PTMs also hold study sessions and serve as the RAs for the Summer Institute program. Typically, PTMs have high grades in the basic math, science, and writing courses so they can also tutor the incoming summer students in these areas.
For more information, contact Kari Beane kabeane@utica.edu.
Student Involvement on Campuse Committees
Student Living & Campus Engagement Advisory Committee
The SLCE Office looks for student input and feedback on new initiatives, student services, programs, and the living-on-campus experience.
For more information, contact Richard Racioppa rraciop@utica.edu.
Campus Theme Committee
Utica's "Campus Theme" is a two-year long opportunity for all members of our community to explore issues of social importance. The committee reviews proposals for theme sponsored events and contributes to the funding of events that foster the campus theme.
For more information, see the Campus Theme webpage.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Collaborative
Representative group addressing issues of diversity on the Utica campus for students, staff and faculty. Provides programming support, recognizes outstanding students and staff, and is involved with a variety of diversity initiatives.
For more information, see Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Collaborative PioHub page.
Bookstore Action Committee
For information, contact Jerry Gallup grgallup@utica.edu
Dining Services Committee
For information, contact Damian Boehlert damian.boehlert@sodexo.com
Campus Safety Committee
For information, contact Musco Millner III mumillne@utica.edu.
Founded by Dr. Dana Hart in 2000, The Leadership Institute of Utica University is an applied research organization dedicated to the development of resources and leaders committed to the positive growth of individuals, teams, and organizations. The Institute is charted to create coalitions and partnerships that expand the professional internal and external organizational capacities of Utica University. Through the linking of Utica faculty and students to research and community consortia, the Institute facilitates the integration of research and applied practice through grant writing and evaluation, project management and change intervention, and education. The Institute also partners with local businesses to assist them with professional development in leadership, project management, and change strategies.
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