Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center

Diversity Leadership Development Certificate

The ECC offers the Diversity Leadership Development Certificate through the 2-credit GEN ST 297 course for undergraduate students every winter and spring quarter. The certificate program provides a semi-structured pathway for emerging student leaders to engage in leadership development opportunities and skill-building resources in the ECC, Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D), and UW community. 

Through this program, students will be able to articulate their own intersectional identities and leadership style, deepen their understanding of how diversity and equity intersect with leadership, and discover and enhance their leadership capacity and skills through on-going community involvement and leadership opportunities. 

Students who successfully complete this course receive 2 elective credits and the Diversity Leadership Development Certificate. They will also select an ECC-affiliated Registered Student Organization (RSO) to receive $100 in funding for the upcoming quarter, awarded to the RSO on their behalf. We encourage student leaders to familiarize themselves and get involved with different RSOs in our community during the year to facilitate this decision.

Overview of Program

The certificate program consists of four main components:

  1. Social Justice Learning
  2. Community Involvement
  3. Active Demonstration of Leadership
  4. Understanding Leadership Research

Students interested in the Diversity Leadership Development Certificate will register for the GEN ST 297 course to earn 2 elective credits through their participation in this program. Students will engage in several leadership development activities and complete Post-Activity Summaries after each completed requirement to document their progress. At the end of the program, students will integrate their experiences with peer-reviewed research on leadership development in a culminating reflection paper.

We provide many ECC-affiliated activities to complete each of the program components. However, we encourage student leaders to get involved in the broader University of Washington campus community and personalize this experience to your own leadership journey. Therefore, we understand that there are many different ways you can complete the requirements of the Diversity Leadership Development Certificate program.

Students will work with the program coordinator to submit a Diversity Leadership Plan that details how they will complete all requirements, including both ECC-affiliated and broader campus activities.

Register

Spring quarter registration is open!

Indicate your interest through this registration form. The program coordinator will send you the GEN ST 297 course add code once you complete the form and indicate you are interested in course credits. We recommend submitting the form at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the quarter, so there is enough time to register for GEN ST 297 without a late registration penalty.

Though the class is mostly asynchronous, there will be a couple in-person classes. Please make sure the dates work for your schedule or let the instructor know if you will need alternative options. For spring quarter, in-person dates are:

 

  • Week 1 Welcome: Wednesday March 27, 5-6pm at the ECC
  • Week 10 Wrap-Up: Wednesday May 29, 5-6pm at the ECC

Social Justice Learning

The ECC believes social justice is a core component of ethical leadership. Students will participate in Social Justice Focused Events and complete the Post-Activity Summary to reflect on their learning.

During Winter Quarter, The Diversity Leadership Conference is a mandatory Social Justice Focused Event. There are a variety of other ECC events that can fulfill this requirement, including our Social Justice Workshops and Leadership Without Borders programming. Other events on campus may also count towards this requirement, so students are encouraged to tailor their learning to their interests and passions.

Community Involvement

The ECC strives to offer an inclusive and empowering space for students to gather, build community and coalition, and get involved in diverse communities. Students in the Diversity Leadership Development Certificate program will participate in Community Involvement Events and complete the Post-Activity Summary to reflect on their experience. ECC-affiliated opportunities to complete this requirement include RSO Fairs, affinity group Student Mixers, Annual Awards Gala, and RSO Community Bond Night. Other events on campus may also count towards this requirement, so students are encouraged to tailor their learning to their interests and passions.

Demonstration of Leadership

Students will put their skills into practice by engaging in leadership opportunities or demonstrate active pursuance of leadership activities. Please complete the Post-Activity Summary to document your completion of this requirement. Opportunities to complete this requirement include:

  • Serving as and/or running for an officer position in an RSO
  • Facilitating a workshop session at Diversity Leadership Conference or other conferences
  • Serving as and/or running for ASUW Office or working for an ASUW Diversity Commission
  • Engaging in community engagement and public service opportunities through the CELE Center

Other activities on campus can count towards this requirement! Please detail your proposed activities in your Diversity Leadership Plan for consideration.

Leadership Research and Reflection Paper

Throughout your participation in this program, you will be provided with several readings to deepen your understanding of student leadership development and theoretical frameworks. Students will complete weekly reading reflections (brief 2-3 sentences about takeaways) and reference these sources in writing the final reflection paper. 

The final reflection paper is an opportunity to reflect on your experience in the Diversity Leadership Development Certificate program, while also integrating personal growth experiences with leadership development scholarship. In addition to the peer-reviewed articles provided throughout the program, feel free to use outside sources as well. Required readings and paper guidelines will be shared with students enrolled in the program.

More Information

Student leadership development is a core component of the ECC’s work and mission. Read more about the ECC’s LEADS model here. Do you have questions that aren’t answered on this page? Please email the ECC Coordinator for Student Leadership, Carolyn Graham, at cjgrah15@uw.edu.