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.