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Leadership Programs

Programs for emerging leaders.

We know there are many ways to be a leader. In accordance with our Jesuit values, we’re here to help you take your accomplishments a step further by helping you to lead through example and action. By building a bridge between your classroom education and the larger community at Creighton and beyond, you will become better equipped for the challenges and experiences you’ll encounter after graduation.

You chose Creighton to strive for excellence and to make the world a better place. Now it’s time to answer the call to leadership.

Freshman Leadership Program

Freshman Leadership Program (FLP) is a nationally recognized living and learning community. Accepting 60 first-year students, FLP provides opportunities for students to develop their own leadership styles. The members of the program are given sophomore mentors with whom they attend weekly seminars and service projects to explore the pillars of leadership. The members of the program also work on two major community activism projects, attend a ropes course and retreat, and complete a portfolio project.

Mission

The Freshman Leadership Program strives to cultivate leadership and self-development through a living-learning community. Freshmen are empowered through their community to become ethical citizen-scholars through engagement in community service, leadership seminars, peer mentoring and academic coursework. These experiential activities enable the individual members to become leaders for and with others.

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives are based on the three pillars of FLP:

  • Community: Freshmen completing FLP will develop a sense of community and foster relationships. 
  • Development: Freshmen completing FLP will be able to demonstrate a mastery of leadership concepts and theories. 
  • Character: Freshman completing FLP will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the Jesuit mission and philosophy as it relates to their daily lives.

Freshman Leadership Program Details

How to Apply:

Fill out the online application in the student portal.
Applications are due by January 10. Strong applications will include information on past leadership experiences, how you hope to continue to develop as a leader at Creighton and how you will use your gifts/talents to further the FLP mission.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I know if I’ve been accepted?
Application status letters will be sent out by March 1.

How many people are accepted into the program every year? 
60 students, 30 male and 30 female, are accepted each year.

Is it possible to stay involved in FLP after my freshman year?
Absolutely! Upperclassmen serve as mentors, executives and a student coordinator for the program.

What are some of the benefits of being in the program? 
FLP is a great way to be part of a community as soon as you get to school. It provides great leadership resources and challenges you to use your leadership to do service for and with others. The program also helps you build connections with student leaders on campus. Many FLPers go on to hold leadership positions in student and community organizations.

Can I be in FLP and the Honors Program?
Unfortunately, you cannot be in both programs your freshman year. However, if you participate in FLP your freshman year, you can apply for the Honors Program your sophomore year.

Does it cost more to be in FLP?
No. Being in FLP has no additional charges.

What is the time commitment of FLP?
Every Tuesday night from 7:30-9 p.m., students attend a leadership seminar with a guest speaker from the campus or Omaha community, or a workshop focused on building leadership skills. (FLP students must not sign up for classes on Tuesday nights.)  Students also participate in weekly service with their mentor groups. The day assigned is dependent on students’ schedules. Students are also pre-enrolled in a course that fits into the Magis Core. Finally, FLP students participate in one weekend service event each month and one social event each month.

Can I be involved in other activities on campus and FLP?
Absolutely. FLP is a great stepping stone to get involved. FLP helps to establish connections throughout the Creighton and Omaha communities.

If you have additional questions, please contact Katie Kelsey.

The purpose of FLP’s Community Activism is to empower freshmen to become agents of change by exploring the process of social change. It begins with time to research, learn and look for needs in the surrounding communities they’re passionate about addressing. Then, as leaders, the students develop a plan to work to improve the issue or need, which often involves bringing people together to accomplish the goal of affecting a need in the community. After the freshmen year, students often have the desire to continue their involvement with the cause and continue to make an impact.

Last year, FLP raised over $5,500 for Precious Memories Daycare through a Thanksgiving Dinner fundraiser. FLP also donated 1,000 books and 60 blankets through its Spring Community Activism Project.

Community is one of the most important aspects of the Freshman Leadership Program. Sixty freshmen bring their experiences, energy and passion and live together on the same floor. Each semester, community-building activities are offered through the program. These provide fun and challenging opportunities for the freshmen to leave campus and get to know each other and themselves even better.

Examples of fun and challenging opportunities:

  • Ropes Course: An all-day activity, freshmen spend the morning focusing on team-building activities, supporting each other and working together toward a common goal. The afternoon is spent on a high ropes course, where new-found team-working skills are put to good use. 
  • Retreat in Griswold, Iowa: A weekend event designed to give freshmen a chance to relax, reflect and have tons of fun! 
  • Holiday Celebrations: Birthdays, Thanksgiving and winter holidays all receive grand attention – whether it’s cupcakes on the floor, a potluck dinner, or a gift exchange. 

The mentor component of the Freshman Leadership Program sets it apart from other groups on campus. Each freshman is placed into a mentor group, consisting of five other freshmen and two FLP graduates, which provide the opportunity to interact with a smaller group and form deeper relationships with one another.

After listening to speakers with the larger group, freshmen participate in reflection activities facilitated by their mentors. Mentor groups also participate in individual social activities, such as group dinners or outings off-campus. Many freshmen feel they find their “family away from home” when they establish a relationship with their groups. The bonds formed often continue even after freshman year. 

A unique part of the Freshman Leadership Program is that all members take part in a year-long reflective portfolio project.

The portfolio project allows students to reflect on what they’ve accomplished, learned and experienced while in the program. This year, the portfolio includes a written blog and a collaborative, reflective mentor group video.

The portfolio project covers the following topics:

  • Mission statement development
  • Jesuit values
  • Experiences in FLP
  • Reflections on leadership styles
  • Reflections on the FLP course
  • Reflections on service and community activism
  • Future leadership plans

Each Tuesday, the members, mentors and execs of the Freshman Leadership Program gather for a weekly seminar. These seminars are designed to help the members of the program explore the different aspects of leadership and develop their own leadership style in their community. 

Each month, the FLP Seminar focuses on a different style of leadership. This year’s seminars focused on:

  • Ethical leadership 
  • Followership 
  • Heroic leadership 
  • Integrity leadership 
  • Servant leadership 
  • Visionary and transformational leadership 
  • Strengths

Service is an integral part of the Freshman Leadership Program. All students, mentors and executives attend weekly service to eight different service sites. The service organizations are located throughout Omaha to allow students to experience community outside of campus. Service sites include:

Other Leadership Programs

The Leadership Exchange is a series of skill-building workshops for students. These workshops available for student organizations, resident advisors, and any other group or class. In addition to the scheduled programs, you can request a workshop for your entire group or for your executive board. Themes include membership management, meeting management, programming, communication, supervising and advising, and leadership transitions. See upcoming workshops.

The Ignatian Student Leadership Program (ISLT), in partnership with the Division of Mission & Ministry, creates a unified training for student leaders to provide a seamless learning environment focused on Ignatian Leadership. This training incorporates shared expectations of Ignatian leadership principles and interpersonal skills, and helps students create a leadership plan through reflection. 

The Emerging Leaders Suite of Programs exists to provide students with opportunities for leadership development. There are four programs, including: The Emerging Leaders Program, the Emerging Fraternity and Sorority Leaders Program, the Wareham Program (a women’s leadership program), and Esse Quam Videri, or EQV (a men’s development program). Leadership programs also exist through the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions and the Encuentro Dominicano program. These programs run between four and six weeks, and sessions are offered each semester.

  • EQV: Esse Quam Videri: A Men’s Development Program at Creighton (EQV) is a program that seeks to help men at Creighton deepen their understanding of masculinity, both individually and within a societal context. Additionally, the program seeks to build strong collaboration between various professional units at Creighton University, in hopes that a diverse perspective will enhance the student experience.
  • Wareham Program: In partnership with the Lieben Center for Women, the Wareham Program is is open to all women students on campus. The program seeks to help women feel more empowered to be successful in school, career and home life. This is five-week program covers a history of women’s leadership, leadership styles, and firsthand accounts from women from the Creighton and Omaha communities.
     

Contact Katie Kelsey to learn more.

The Fr. John P. Markoe, S.J. Leadership Program is a four-year program that offers Markoe and Haddix Scholarship recipients the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills at Creighton. Students pull from the rich network of involved faculty and fellow classmates to explore what Creighton has to offer. They’ll participate in activities on and off campus related to intercultural leadership and traditional Jesuit values. Through expert coaching sessions, an assigned CIC staff member mentors each student, assisting with academic, personal and financial concerns throughout their education. Contact Cedora Barnett to learn more.

The Multicultural Executive Leadership Training (MELT) was developed to engage our student leaders housed within the Creighton Intercultural Center to start the year off with a comprehensive training of university procedures and tools necessary for successful programming and registration, universal calendar of multicultural events, cross-cultural team building, and overall enhanced visibility. Contact Curtis Taylor to learn more.

The Student Leadership and Involvement Center offers a variety of internships to student leaders to help develop holistic leaders. If you’re interested, please contact our office at slic@creighton.edu.

Leadership Education Grant

Thanks to a grant from Pepsi, funding may be available for students to attend conferences geared towards leadership development. Upon their return, students are asked to share what they learn with the community. Applications are reviewed twice a semester (September 15, October 15, January 15, February 15).

Involvement Grant

The Student Leadership and Involvement Center (SLIC) financially assists students with club and/or organization dues through the SLIC Involvement Grant. Data shows that 43% of clubs and organization on Creighton’s campus collect dues from members to participate.

Leadership Resource Library

Interested in learning more about how to facilitate goal setting? Do you need a new icebreaker idea? Are you wondering how to reenergize your group? Check out resources from our Leadership Resource Library for personal and organizational development. Stop by the office to glance through the bookshelf.

Contact Information

Student Leadership & Involvement Center (SLIC)
P: 402.280.1715
F: 402.280.5829
slic@creighton.edu

Creighton Intercultural Center
Brandeis Hall B03
P: 402.280.2459
F: 402.280.2453
cicjays@creighton.edu

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