Student Activities
Welcome to Leadership and Involvement at Reed
At Reed, we use the Social Change Model of Leadership as our leadership foundation and as a basis for our programs. We agree with the model’s assertion that leadership is not just a position. It is instead a process that should be inclusive and collaborative while promoting the values of social justice, equity, self-knowledge, service, and change. We offer a series of leadership and involvement sessions throughout the semester; each session connects to one of the 7 Cs outlined in the model: consciousness of self, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, and citizenship.
The leadership and involvement committee consists of student activities staff members and Reed students who have demonstrated interest in providing extracurricular leadership experiences and various learning opportunities to students at Reed. The committee meets weekly to plan the leadership and involvement sessions [Link to PDF of most recent ad piece] for Reed students. The leadership series offerings include the following programs:
Leadership Programs at Reed
Dinner Sessions
We sponsor several interactive dinner sessions throughout the year where students can spend an hour or so learning about a specific issue. This is a great opportunity to learn about leadership as well as network with other students interested in leadership. Past topics have included consensus building, marketing, emotional intelligence, institutional memory, and an introduction to social change. A free dinner is provided at all of these sessions.
Leadership Retreats
Once per semester we organize a one-day or overnight retreat that allows students to explore a leadership topic more thoroughly. Past trips have been to beautiful areas of Western Oregon and have focused on ethics, mediation, and time management, among other topics. The leadership retreats are free of charge.
Conferences
Each semester, three Reed students get to attend regional or national conferences that focus on leadership. In the Summer, we send students to the LeaderShape Institute. In the Spring, we send students to the Northwest Student Leadership Conference. We pay all costs associated with these exciting conferences. Information about the application and selection process for attending these conferences can be found at the student activities office. The office also has information on many other conferences that may be of interest to you as a student leader at Reed.
Consultations
We would love to offer you and your group a chance to consult with us on specific issues that are completely tailored to your needs. We regularly meet with groups to discuss topics like establishing a mission, clarifying vision and values, conflict resolution, and maintaining institutional memory. Feel free to come visit us in the student activities office to see the many ways in which we can help your group be successful in achieving its goals.
While you are at student activities, you’re welcome to browse extensive collection of leadership-related literature. In our library, you will find resources to help you further understand leadership. We have books on team building activities, leadership theory, facilitation, and many other subjects.