Student leadership center rebrands and relocates

Rebranded with a new name and location, the Center of Student Leadership and Engagement (CSLE) is refocusing its efforts on leadership development this year.

CSLE–formerly known as Student Activities and Leadership Development (SALD) and previously operated from Murray Hall at CSB–is now located in the basement of Mary Hall at SJU.

The office currently puts on large-scale campus events, such as first-year orientation, family weekend and the senior farewell, as well as supports CSB+SJU clubs and organizations in their operational needs. Now, leadership development is at the forefront of Assistant Dean for Student Leadership and Engagement Aaron Voth’s plans.

Voth hopes this rebranding will uplift students as leaders and ensure they feel prepared for their leadership within their student groups.

“I see a lot of the skills and qualities that make a good leader, but the students maybe don’t necessarily see it themselves. [My office] helps them [to] see themselves as leaders,” Voth said.

One way that Voth hopes to develop leaders on campus is reimplementing leadership training in person, as it was pre-COVID, rather than on Canvas. This in-person training will takeplace the first few weeks of October and seeks to provide more clarification and information on resources, funding and policies for clubs and organizations.

Due to the transition to online and the limit on in-person activities, many clubs and organizations experienced a gap in the knowledge passed down from leaders, leaving them stuck.

As student groups revamp, Voth encourages students to ask questions about their leadership roles as they come up.

“I really would love as much feedback as possible from students and from clubs and organizations and how to continue to serve them to the best that we can to make sure that they have what they need, in order to plan successful events to drive student engagement [and] to develop as leaders,” Voth said.

Through in-person training and further emphasis on leadership development, Voth hopes student leaders will be better equipped to balance their college experience.

“Something that I’ve noticed in my six years here…is that we have some really, really awesome, phenomenal student leaders, who are often asked to do a little too much,” Voth said.

Voth points to the impact of student leaders on the engagement of the entire student body.

“When I think of an engaged student body, that engagement is driven by student leadership,” Voth said.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, participation rates in clubs and organizations and events have decreased. According to Voth, part of the reason for moving the CSLE to SJU is to bolster Johnnie participation in campus events, clubs and organizations.

To aid in these transitions, Voth is also searching for a new assistant director. The search is ongoing, but he hopes to fill the position in the upcoming months.

CSLE student employee Ashanti Humes began her work with this office in late January and has experienced the transition from offices.

“Our old office was gloomy and dark. This one is bright and has a lively spirit in it. We’re always laughing in this office,” Humes said.

A new space also means new ideas and high hopes for CSLE this year.

“As institutions, we care about student leadership, centering engagement and making sure that there are events and programs and opportunities for students to get involved, to get engaged, to be learning, to be leaders, to be sophisticated and inclusive and compelling in the programs that we do,” Voth said.