Transformational Leaders Program

Anne Ellen Henderson, Ph.D., Coordinator

The Transformational Leaders Program is offered to students in the Women's College. It embodies the University's commitment to the mission of its founders, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, to educate women to transform the world. The Transformational Leaders Program prepares students to be catalysts for positive social change. Through a combination of interdisciplinary coursework, internship and service learning experiences, international study opportunities, and professional development activities, students gain the expertise to become leaders who make change happen. Students in the Transformational Leaders Program earn a certificate in Leadership and Social Change. The Program can be combined with any Major, and is designed to complement a variety of Programs of Study.

Students begin the Transformational Leaders Program by completing a one-credit Emerging Leaders Lab, generally during their first year.  This course builds students' project management skills and teamwork capabilities through service initiatives. The Program continues with IDS-200, Foundations of Leadership, which combines theoretical analysis of leadership with practical leadership-building experience. From approved options, students also select three discipline-based courses related to change-oriented leadership. Students participate in an internationally-oriented Professional Connections Experience designed to strengthen their global perspectives, enhance their understanding of cultural diversity, and provide hands-on career development opportunities. The Professional Connections Experience involves six credit hours of study abroad or service learning in a multinational or multicultural organization. The Program culminates in a capstone leadership seminar, IDS-410, which integrates academic research with a social change project. During the Program, students are also invited to participate in professional networking and workshop activities to help them build the contacts and the expertise relevant to their particular leadership interests.

As part of the Transformational Leaders Program, students develop leadership portfolios which, along with the record of their academic achievements, serve to demonstrate their development as leaders. Students' leadership portfolios are submitted to the Program Coordinator in their senior year.  Portfolios must be approved for seniors to receive the Leadership and Social Change Certificate.

Program of Study

(Consult the program coordinator for the latest information on approved courses)

Required Courses (Credits)

       IDS-100L Emerging Leaders Lab (1)
       IDS-200 Foundations of Leadership (3)
       IDS-410 Seminar: Leadership and Social Change. (3)
       Off-campus experience: study abroad or service learning in a multinational or multicultural organization (6)

       Three courses (at least two of which are at the 300/400 level) from among the following:

Social Issues and Values

       Students choose two of the following courses:

       BIO-115 Environmental Science (4)
       BIO-307 Ecology (4)
       ECO-220 Honors: Economics and Contemporary Issues (3)
       ECO-440 Environmental Economics (3)
       EDU-402 American Education in Historical Perspective (3)
       ENG-327 Contemporary World Literature (3)
       POL-324 Women, Politics and Law (3)
       POL-440 Global Issues (3)
       PSY-375 Sex and Gender (3)
       RST-304 Christian Social Ethics (3)
       RST-345 Justice and Peace. (3)
       RST-403 Problems in Discrimination and Prejudice. (3)
       RST-424 Ecology and Theology (3)
       SOC-209 Race, Class and Gender (3)
       SOC-271 Honors: Sociology of Gender Roles (3)
       SOC-301 Social Justice (3)
       SPE-326 Special Education for the Classroom Teacher (3)

Group/Organizational Leadership

       Students choose one of the following courses:

       ART-322 Picture Story (3)
       BUS-394 Organizational Behavior (3)
       COM-303 Intercultural Communication (3)
       COM-331 Public Relations (3)
       COM-382 Gender and Communication (3)
       COM-403 Organizational Communication (3)
       IDS-430 Women in Science and Technology: A Washington Seminar (3)
       POL-317 Civic Participation and Leadership (3)
       POL-370 Honors: Model OAS (3)
       POL-411 Women and Public Policy (3)
       SPE-237 Communication Skills for the Special Educator (3)