HDF 190:

FIRST YEAR LEADERS INSPIRED TO EXCELLENCE

LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO

Connor Gowland

SPRING 2014

cggowland@my.uri.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Strengths SLIDE #3

Opening Statement SLIDE #4Section 1: Self Leadership SLIDE #5Section 2: Leadership Theories SLIDE #6Section 3: Inclusive Leadership SLIDE #7Section 4: Critical Thinking SLIDE #8Section 5: Interpersonal/Organizational Leadership SLIDE #9

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Strengths SLIDE #3

Opening Statement SLIDE #4Section 1: Self Leadership SLIDE #5Section 2: Leadership Theories SLIDE #6Section 3: Inclusive Leadership SLIDE #7Section 4: Critical Thinking SLIDE #8Section 5: Interpersonal/Organizational Leadership SLIDE #9

Signature Strengths FuturisticIncluderIdeationStrategic

Woo

Values in Action StrengthsLeadershipKindness

HumorZest

Curiosity

M

OPENING STATEMENTAs a FLITE peer mentor, I have had the opportunity to see the course from a new perspective. As oppose to focusing on the course material and my own personal

learning of different leadership models, this course has helped me learn how to facilitate and work with small

groups in a professional classroom environment.

SECTION 1SELF LEADERSHIP

#10. Student will demonstrate the ability to lead a project from start to finish (follow through).

Additional Experiences:•Releasing an Album

Description: •I have been playing in a three piece alternative rock band since early in high school. After

recording two albums in my basement and self-producing them, my band was given the opportunity to produce an album with a legitimate recording studio and label. We only had a few songs that were ready to record, so when we went to the studio, we had to write a great deal to

create enough material for the album. Each day we spent from 9 to 7:30 recording with the producers, and then after that we would write and write until we completed more songs. After we

finished recording, we focused on advertising and promoting the album and also designing merchandise such as t shirts and album art. We created “street teams” of our biggest fans to

share and promote as well. We released the album on March 27th.

SECTION 2Leadership Theory and Models

#49. Students will describe personal application of the above theory(Leadership Identity). (Komives et al).

Additional Experiences: •Class presentation, facilitated discussion

Description: My partner and I developed a presentation to help the Flite classes understand and discuss the leadership identity model. We focused on the idea of looking up to mentors, but not trying to be them. We can use mentors as guides to help us learn more, get involved, and better ourselves as individuals, but it is important to use what we learn to create an identity for ourselves. The students came into the classes and were asked to review the model and write down their involvement, strengths, and goals (leadership business cards). Then I presented on mine. Then I asked the class to discuss in small groups who has been the most influential person in their lives since coming to URI. Once they discussed, I presented on who has been the most influential person to me since coming to URI. I then showed the class who my mentor’s mentor was, and that they each used the skills and lessons they learned from their mentors to establish their own clear leadership identities. We focused the lesson around the importance of

having influential people in our lives who we may consider role models and mentors, people who we can follow in the footsteps of as well in terms of involvement. But it is important to understand how to use what we learn to

accomplish our own goals, and establish our own leadership identities.

SECTION 3Inclusive Leadership / Diversity and its application to leadership

#82. Student will describe personal examples of being a change agent.

Additional Experiences:•JOR 110H Final Project

Description: During the Fall 2014 semester, I took a journalism class that introduced students to mass media and how social change

can be reached through utilizing the different media. For the final project, we were asked to find something about URI that we wanted to either change or create awareness of in order to eventually reach a social change. I had always been

disappointed by the music department at URI because it only allows music majors to use the musical facilities. I am a professional musician and a URI student. I had no way of practicing my instrument because there was no space or

equipment available to me as a non-major student. Even in my residence hall, I cannot practice my music without being scolded by the building staff and told to stop playing. There are many URI musicians, I have networked and become friends with several of them. We all have agreed that URI could do a lot more for its musical students. I decided that I

wanted to make a project around the idea of saving the URI music community form dying out completely. I created the name “Save URI Music”, as well as a facebook page, twitter hashtag (#saveurimusic), and I organized and ran an open mic for any students who wanted to perform. At the event, I announced each act as they came, and also explained my mission

several times. That mission was to establish a space for non-music majors to play music on campus and to create an honor code among musicians to work together in creating a new music culture. The event was a success and many people were talking about “Save Uri Music.” Since the event, there have been many more performance events and at the events,

there have been even more performers than there used to be.

SECTION 4Critical Thinking

#89. Student will demonstrate proficiency of critical thinking.

Additional Experiences:•FLITE Retreat

Description: During the 2015 flite retreat, I was a peer leader and facilitated a discussion of different topics for my small

group of students. The topics included gender, socio-economic status, race, and sexual orientation. These are touchy subjects that require sensitivity while being discussed. I presented each topic to the students and asked one student to speak first for each topic, and then we would each add something, and once everyone spoke, we

would have an informal discussion. Knowing that each of these students comes from very different backgrounds and understandings of these topics, I knew that I would have to think critically about how I would

go about discussing them myself, and also be prepared in case a student was to make an inappropriate or offensive comment. I tried to pull myself out of the situation and look at each of these topics with fresh,

unbiased eyes. In doing so, I was able to explain that each of these topics represents things about us that we have no control over. I explained each topic objectively, and then what it meant to me personally (making it clear

that it was only my personal view), and lastly said when I discovered each about myself. We got into long discussions over different issues and events where we have seen these topics abused in ways that hurt us and others, and this required me to think on my feet about why the events occurred, and about how we as a group

and learn from then and move on knowing that we have the ability to think critically about these topics and vocalize our beliefs.

SECTION 5Interpersonal and Organizational Concepts and Skills

#110. Student will describe personal examples of organizing meetings / setting agendas / leading meetings.

Additional Experiences:•Leadership Ambassador Training

Description: For my HDF 415 learning contract, I co-coordinated the new student ambassador trainings for

the Center for Student Leadership Development. I emailed the first year leadership students who were interested in being ambassadors for the leadership department at the URI welcome days

for prospective students. Then I figured out training times and emailed sign up sheets. I worked in Robert Vincent and Dan Levesque in developing the training plan, and Robert gave me a

power point presentation to use as a training aid. Dan and decided to split the training into two parts, learning information and then practice speaking about the minor and programs. We

thought that this tactic would help the students figure out how to best represent themselves and the minor. For the students who were unable to make the meeting times, I set up one on one

trainings. In the group and one on one meetings, I would have the students sit around me in a circle as I show a powerpoint behind me. I wanted this to be a discussion of how to be strong

ambassadors, not a lecture from myself. I consistently asked the students about facts and techniques before telling them what I thought. I also kept the welcome day sign up schedule at

all ties in case a student needed to change their dates.