Leadership Conference on September 23

The second annual student leadership conference, featuring a wide variety of workshops on leadership issues, will take place Saturday, September 23. The conference, titled Leadership: From Vision to Action, will provide MHC students with an opportunity to learn the skills necessary for taking action and working with others to bring about positive change.

President Joanne V. Creighton will deliver the introductory address, and the event’s lunchtime keynote address will be given by Naomi M. Barry ’96, an equal-opportunity specialist at the United States Department of Labor. The day’s ten prelunch workshops, to be led by MHC administrators and alumnae, will address such important issues as the challenges of conflict resolution, time management, recruitment, and decision making.

Other workshops will address issues ranging from shaping one’s goals to carving out time for activism. The use of vision setting to achieve goals will be the focus of a workshop led by Patricia VandenBerg, executive director of communications and strategic initiatives. Carin Rank, director of internship programs, will focus on organizational skills, ranging from setting agendas and facilitating meetings to delegating tasks. The art of communicating ideas clearly and confidently will be addressed by Tamara L. Burk, director of the Speaking Program, and Carrie Alme ’01, a speaking mentor. And for tips on maintaining balance in our busy lives, Helen “Sandy” Johnson, adviser to the Buddhist community, will lead a workshop titled “Contemplation and Action: Mindful Living in a Hurried World.”

An after-lunch program for student organization chairs and treasurers will consist of two workshops, one on developing strategies for building coalitions and goal setting, at which members of the Network, the campus programming board, will also be present. A second workshop will constitute a training session for all organization treasurers, and will include tips for approaching responsibilities in an organized and informed way.

The ten prelunch workshops are open to all registered participants. Student organizations are particularly encouraged to send several members of their group. Conference participation (including lunch) is free of charge, but preregistration is required. Since total participation is limited to 300, students will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The conference is sponsored by the Harriet L. and Paul M. Weissman Center for Leadership, the Office of Student Programs, the Student Government Association, the Office of Health Education, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.