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Global Leadership

The goal of the RLI Certificate Program is to give students the opportunity to learn about important leadership skills and provide experiential education opportunities for students to practice these skills and apply them. The Global Leadership certificate program is divided into three components; mentoring, global awareness and leadership:

  • The Mentoring component is an opportunity for an upper-class student to become a mentor to a fellow student. A professional mentor will work with both students on a regular basis throughout the program.

  • Global Awareness will provide a thoroughly enriching dialogue regarding race and ethnicity, which are both social constructs. An additional significance of the certificate is the pairing across ethnicities. This pairing provides an opportunity to learn and study with another student from a cultural background and experience that is different from your own. This certificate program can help set the foundations for the workplace where you will eventually work with people from around the world which will be very important for the future. As you become a leader these are all value added skills that will assist you in your personal growth and future.

    • This program should be completed in one academic year. It consists of the following components:

    1. Application for entrance into the certificate program. Deadline is October 9th, 2009.
    2. Partnership pairing will be made by mid-October by ethnicity, year level and possibly college.
    3. Attendance at the following:


    4. Peer Mentoring Sessions: Peers are often the most influential in one’s social development. In this instance, the mentoring of a new student with an upperclassman serves to help the newer student adapt well to the new social and academic environment of their respective college and degree program.

      • Twice a month at a mutually agreed on time/place.

    5. Professional Mentoring Sessions: Professional mentors are faculty and staff who will work alongside the students as they determine career direction, from earliest inception (underclassmen) to the steps into the workforce (upperclassmen). Professional mentors participate through four specific sessions:

      • Session 1 – Personal history/meeting your partner
      • Session 2 – Cultural Awareness
      • Session 3 – Global Issues
      • Session 4 – Leadership

      These four topics will: engage students in needed conversation, increase the comfort level in talking about issues related to race, build relationships that welcome and encourage contributions by all in the RIT community, develop an understanding and share our common characteristics as a path to accepting and celebrating a variety of cultures.

    6. Attendance of the following five required programs

    7. Service Project: All participants must work with the RLI & CSC to complete one service project that allows students to learn about different cultures and/or global issues. This must be completed by April 27th, 2010.

    8. Final Reflection Paper: A final reflection paper based on workshop reflection questions and service experience must be completed by April 27th, 2010.

    9. Survey: Completed surveys must be returned prior to completion of this certificate.

    10. Celebration Dinner and Certificate: Students who have successfully completed all of the requirements will be invited to attend a celebration dinner Friday evening May 7th, 2010 and presented with a certificate signed by the President of RIT.
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    Global Leadership - Learning Objectives

    Leadership Roles & Styles

    • Identify at least three different leadership styles and will have completed at least one RLI administered leadership instrument.
    • Identify a least three strengths and three areas for improvement in regard to the leadership styles.
    • Identify at least five different leadership roles that can occur within a group or leadership experience.
    • Explain his/her preferred roles and with which roles he/she struggles.

    Cultural Communication

    • Explain the definition of Cultural Competence.
    • Identify three-four different cross cultural communication skills.
    • Describe what group norms are and his/her impact on communication.
    • Identify at least two strategies to practice effective cross cultural communication.
    • Identify personal areas of where he/she can improve his/her cross cultural communication skills.

    Values & Decision Making

    • Identify significant experiences and people in their lives that have helped to shape their values
    • Identify the values that guide their life and connect to their decision making
    • Understand how values impact decision making as a leader and how they can be a source of conflict

    Strategies for Interaction Across Cultures

    • Distinguish between visible and invisible cultural traits
    • State how values and cultural background impact decisions we make and ways we communicate
    • Build skills in observing and describing culture-based behaviors
    • Articulate how our cultural values and norms influence the way we view other groups
    • Describe typical responses to cross-cultural encounters

    Leadership in a Global Environment

    • Describe the impact of globalization
    • Articulate the need for cross-cultural leadership skills in a global environment
    • Cite some key differences in how different cultures interact and lead
    • Identify strategies for working and leading across cultures in a global society
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