The Office of Multicultural Student
Development, along with the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership
(CSIL), recently developed a new program for first year multicultural
students called the Legacy Leadership Program.
The purpose of the Legacy Leadership Program
is to help multicultural students transition easily as well as equip
them with information and tools for leadership.
“Some of the things we are hopeful will
happen is that we will be able to cultivate some outstanding campus
student leaders,” said Wright. “That all the students
will come to see that they are leaders and that the students will
become active members of the campus and larger community.”
The 10-week program is the first of its kind
outside of programs sponsored by Housing and Residence Life, said
Anwar S. Cruter with CSIL and Multicultural Student Development.
Cruter and Tracey L. Wright, director of Multicultural
Student Development, decided to develop the program, along with
Dr. Jim Street Jr., associate director of Student Involvement and
Leadership, after personally seeing the need.
“Anwar and myself have had a lot of conversations
with students about [multicultural] students not finding their place
at Appalachian and not getting involved,” said Wright.
Cruter and Wright hope the leadership program
will attract those students least likely to involve themselves in
Appalachian State University’s myriad of organizations, said
Wright.
The program was created in order to provide a
non-threatening environment for multicultural students.
“What we’d like to do is create leadership
programs for all Appalachian students,” said Street. “We
also like to create programs for specific populations because we
can create an environment where some students will feel comfortable
… If they feel more comfortable in a particular program, we
want to have that program.”
The Legacy program requires students to join
an organization of their choice, participate in a community service
project and attend a retreat.
“It’s critical because it allows them
to bond and talk about goals, notions of leadership and areas they
hope to work on her at Appalachian,” said Wright. “It
allows us to assist them in coming up with a realistic plan of action”
Student Development provided the funding in order
to start the program. The Office of Multicultural Student Development
applied for a grant for additional funding for the next three or
four years, said Wright. If they receive the grant, they will be
able to take students to regional and national conferences on multiculturalism,
diversity and leadership.
Wright said she will know the program is successful
when she sees multicultural students involved in the program involve
themselves in organizations.
“If some of them decided to take on traditional
leadership roles in those organizations, that would be wonderful,”
said Wright. “But we hope to have this group of students understand
that each of them has the opportunity to leave a wonderful legacy
here at Appalachian State University.”
The program will begin Tuesday, Sept. 10. First-year
multicultural students can sign up for the program in the Center
for Student Involvement and Leadership, located on the second floor
of Plemmons Student Union. |
