Running head: LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

Leadership Grant Proposal

Katie Denzin and Samantha Sonkowsky
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

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Abstract

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking a grant to create a comprehensive

leadership development program for new student affairs professionals with the objective of
helping those with fewer than seven years of experience in the field gain invaluable skills
structured around ACPA (American College Personnel Association) and NASPA (National
Association of Student Personnel Administrators)s leadership competency area. Professional
development for new professionals in the area of leadership is not currently being met at this
institution. By designing such a program, UW-Madison will be able to provide more
opportunities to student affairs professionals with the focus on developing emerging leaders that
provides a structure in recognition of skill level within each area of the ACPA/NASPA
leadership competency.
Upon grant approval, the Office of Human Resources and Development and Office of
Undergraduate Advising will recruit a steering committee. This committee will collaborate in
designing and implementing the proposed program and its course curriculum. The coordinator of
the steering committee will engage in active assessment of the program once implemented.
These assessments will provide data necessary to evaluate the success of the leadership
development program and will be used in support for future grant funding if proven to be viable.
Funding in the amount of $10,000 is requested in aiding staff participation in the program,
professional membership fees, workshops, webinars, administrative costs, and attendance at
local/regional conferences.

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

Leadership Grant Proposal

Proposal Narrative
Description of Project
This proposal seeks to create a comprehensive leadership development program for new
student affairs professionals. The candidates who are interested in refining or further developing
their leadership skills within the realm of student affairs will complete the structured curriculum
within the established program. Individuals who have worked in the field of student affairs at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison for fewer than seven years will be eligible to participate.
Interested individuals will be required to submit an application and a letter of intent to
demonstrate how they will benefit from the program and why they wish to be an emerging leader
on campus. Prospective candidates for the program will also be required to get a letter of
recommendation from an established leader on campus.
This program will be coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Advising (OUA), with
assistance from the Office of Human Resource Development (OHRD) and an appointed steering
committee. OUA was created to provide more coordination with training, assessment, and
technology at a campus that is largely decentralized. The mission of the Office of Undergraduate
Advising is to cultivate an environment in which all UW-Madison advisors can best facilitate
undergraduate education (Office of Undergraduate Advising, 2014). OUA and OHRD
currently offer a number of leadership opportunities for staff to become involved in; this program
will utilize these existing offerings in conjunction with new curriculum to develop a series of
relevant and meaningful opportunities for new professionals in an atmosphere that is welcoming,
supportive, and challenging. The curriculum will be in alignment with the ACPA/NASPA
leadership competencies. The professional leadership competency areas currently include:

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

Development of Others

Building Teams

Mentoring

Community Building

Planning

Decision-Making

Personal Development

Articulation of Leadership Philosophy

Institutional Knowledge

Organizational Change

Achievement recognition will be given after successful program completion by individuals.

Merit will be given in the form of a certificate governed by the University of WisconsinMadison. Recognition may also be considered monetarily in the form of a wage/salary increase
upon state governing approval after program completion and demonstration of newly adapted
leadership skills.
Statement of Need
Based on the 2010 payroll, UW-Madison employed 573 staff members in a student
services role (Academic Planning and Institutional Research, 2011). Although little is known
about the level of experience each individual has or the number of years he or she has been in
student services, this is a population of staff that should be supported and developed to provide
an exceptional level of service (and leadership?) at UW-Madison. On the grounds that all
academic staff are assigned a title prefix (associate, no-prefix, senior, or distinguished), student
services professionals who are new to the field can be identified and targeted for this program.

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

While there is significant attention given to new student services professionals, much of the
current training focuses on helping the individual get acquainted with the university,
understanding campus policies, and effectively working with students. Leadership development
opportunities are typically not highlighted until later in an individuals career, but by reaching
this population early on, this would ensure that new professionals can develop strong leadership
skills that will continue to be useful as these individuals progress in their career and continue to
bring value to UW-Madison. By creating a leadership development program for student services
staff, UW-Madison will be able to fulfill two currently unmet needs of the university, as it will
(1) deliver more leadership development offerings for emerging leaders, and (2) build a
structured program that recognizes merit.
Deliver more leadership development offerings for emerging leaders.
ACPA/NASPA (n.d.) identifies leadership as a professional competency area for student affairs
practitioners. Skills in this competency become increasingly complex as individuals move from
beginner to intermediate to advanced levels. While many new student affairs professionals may
have developed some leadership skills through graduate programs, internships, and current work
in the field, continued professional development is necessary in refining this competency. A
study done in 2008 by the Placement Exchange on 1,759 student affairs job postings, of which
seven were specialist positions in outcomes-based assessment found that the skills and duties
required of these seven positions were primarily related to leadership, education, teamwork, and
research (Hoffman & Bresciani, 2010, p. 495). Furthermore, the study found that the largest
family of competency codes within the job descriptions was related to leadership. The following
summary from the study offers some insight into the type of leadership competency desired
among these job postings, qualified candidates must have a passion for assessment and a desire

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

to not only develop assessment projects but also to look at the ongoing strategic implications of
projects and data related to learning outcomes, campus engagement, and the student experience
(p. 504).
With the overwhelming need for leadership skills in the field of student affairs, UWMadison must take the initiative to develop a leadership-based program for new student affairs
professionals. While the Office of Human Resource Development (OHRD) strives to support
UW-Madison in its pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and service by providing learning
events and services to meet individual, group, and organizational needs and to promote
professional development efforts within the university (Office of Human Resource
Development, n.d.), a stronger focus is needed specifically on leadership development of new
student affairs professionals. The first two priorities of the OHRD are to deliver
manager/supervisor development courses (open to managers & supervisors) and to provide
learning opportunities to frontline employees (primarily Classified and Academic Staff) (Office
of Human Resource Development, n.d.). There is no mention of leadership development in these
priorities and there is a clear distinction between opportunities for supervisors and managers
versus Classified and Academic Staff.
Many of the current leadership offerings from OHRD are designed for professionals who
are already established leaders on campus. While anyone can currently participate in these
offerings, the proposed program will be specifically designed for individuals with little formal
leadership experience in higher education. This will promote an environment that is welcoming
and supportive for professionals who are new to the field. It will also be strongly founded in the
ACPA/NASPA leadership competencies. There are different skills that should be mastered at

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level and this program will include content that is most
appropriate for new student affairs professionals.
The Leadership Educators Institute (LEI), coordinated by NASPA, ACPA, and the
National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs will be hosting their 2014 annual forum at the
end of the year. This forum will address the state of current leadership programs, courses, gaps,
and future improvement in professional leadership development in higher education (NASPA,
2014). This forum should be closely monitored to determine how a program with a foundation
in LEI can be instituted at UW-Madison.
Build a structured program that recognizes merit. In addition to delivering more
leadership development opportunities for emerging leaders, there is a need to build a structured
program that recognizes merit. By doing so, the institution will be able to report on and
recognize levels of leadership skills. Janosik, Carpenter, and Creamer (2006) conducted research
that aligned with ACPAs Task Force on Certification to gauge support for a professional
development program. A total of 2,346 surveys were returned, indicating support for the
creation of an intentional program for professional development. Each of the six elements of the
model [(1) developing a defined professional development curriculum, (2) offering programs
based on a curriculum, (3) assigning continuing professional education credits to programs that
meet quality standards, (4) earning credits and recording professional development activities, (5)
creating a career development transcript, and (6) seeking voluntary professional certification]
garnered support from at least 83 percent of the respondents. Respondents were categorized into
three groups based on their position: entry, mid, or upper level; in all six elements, respondents
in the entry-level category responded most favorably. Although a nationally recognized

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

certification does not currently exist, UW-Madison should consider this data and recognize
emerging leaders as they make a commitment to the institution and to their future.
Assessment
Upon completion of the leadership development program, participants will have achieved
the following learning outcomes:

Identify leadership theories and best practices.

Develop a personal leadership philosophy.

Practice leadership in action through active participation in classes, seminars, and

workshops.
Assessment of overall program goals will be measured through the Council of the

Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), the National Leadership Research

agenda, ILA program guidelines, the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership Implications for
Practice, and the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale. Assessments will include a regular
review of how successfully the programs mission, goals, and development outcomes are being
met.
Individual assessment of participants will be stressed in order to demonstrate personal
achievement and the success of the program. Applicants will complete a self-assessment of their
current leadership skills in the form of questionnaires structured around ACPA/NASPA
competencies. Additionally, assessment tools such as Strengths Quest, MBTI, Emotional
Intelligence, and Global Mindset will be used to gauge leadership qualities. Assessments will
also be done upon course and overall program completion. These data, as well as a longitudinal
study of applicant assessments, will then be used to improve the program for its participants
(CAS, 2003).

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

Upon notification of grant approval, project leads in OHRD and OUA will select
members from the campus community to serve on the steering committee. This steering
committee will include a diverse group of individuals with a range of experiences in student
services. The committee will work together to establish the following benchmarks that will be
used to ensure timely implementation:

Person(s)
Responsible

Timeline

Activity

OHRD and
OUA

Upon grant
approval

Create steering committee to develop program

Steering
committee

Month 1

Develop criteria for approved learning experiences

using ACPA/NASPA competencies and criteria for
applicants

Steering
committee

Month 2

Determine qualification for program based on already

established program criteria and identify gaps in current
campus learning experiences
Begin programming to fill the gaps

Steering
committee

Month 3

Promote leadership development program across

campus and begin recruiting process

Steering
committee

Month 4

Finalize all learning experiences approved for

leadership development program and Open application
to eligible staff

Steering
committee

Month 5

Review applications and select individuals and develop

orientation program for participants

Selected
participants

Month 6

Attend orientation and begin program

Budget Narrative
This proposal is requesting $10,000 to create a comprehensive leadership development
program. The majority of the funds awarded will be directly allocated to helping staff participate
in the program. In the first year, ten participants will be selected for the program. Each

LEADERSHIP GRANT PROPOSAL

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participant will be allocated a maximum of $200 to use towards personal membership fees for
local, regional, and national student affairs professional organizations such as ACPA/NASPA.
The steering committee will evaluate current leadership development offerings at UW-Madison,
which will continue to be funded by OHRD and OUA. After gap areas have been identified, the
steering committee will use $7,500 of the budget for webinar, workshop, and conferences hosted
by approved regional or national professional organizations. The committee will determine how
funds will be allocated among the different offerings, but will be limited to covering no more
than 75 percent of the cost for each offering, as the participants work unit will also be
responsible for aiding in the employee's professional development pursuit. The remaining $500
will be used for administrative costs, including print materials, advertising, and the initial
orientation session.
UW-Madison employees will be recruited to serve on the project steering committee on a
volunteer-basis, as this is a campus norm. Although a stipend will not be awarded, this
opportunity will serve as a professional development opportunity, which will be considered
during the employees yearly performance review. This model will allow the program to stay in
operation for one year with the funds awarded by the grant. Continuous assessment will aid in
evaluating the success of this program and will be used to request additional funds after the
initial grant funds have been dissolved. This funding may come from OHRD, OUA, or may be
presented in the form of an internal or external donation or gift.
Line Item Budget
Participant Professional Membership Fees
10 Participants (approx.) x $200
= $2,000
Webinars

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ACPA/NASPA
= $2,500
Professional Workshops
ACPA/NASPA
NCLP
= $2,500
National/Regional Conferences
ACPA/NASPA
LEI
NCLP
= $2,500
Administrative Costs
Print Materials
Advertising
Orientation
= $500
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Cost:

= $10,000

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References

ACPA/NASPA (n.d.). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners: Rubrics
for professional development. Retrieved September 15, 2014, from
http://www.acpa.nche.edu/sites/default/files/professional-comp-rubrics.pdf
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (2003). CAS professional
standards for higher education (5th ed). Washington, D.C.: Author
Hoffman, J., & Bresciani, M. (2010). Assessment Work: Examining the Prevalence and Nature
of Learning Assessment Competencies and Skills in Student Affairs Job Postings.
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 495-512.
Janosik, S. M., Carpenter, S., & Creamer, D. G. (2006). Intentional professional development:
Feedback from student affairs professionals. Journal of Student Affairs Research and
Practice, 43(4), 13231342. doi: 10.2202/1949-6605.1726
Leadership Educators Institute 2014 | NASPA Student Affairs. (2014, January 1). Retrieved
September 24, 2014, from http://www.naspa.org/events/2014LEI
Office of Human Resource Development. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2014, from
https://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/home/HideATab/AboutOHRD/tabid/83/Default.aspx
Office of Undergraduate Advising. (n.d). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from
http://advising.wisc.edu/?q=content/office-undergraduate-advising-oua