Leading Your Community: Skills for Dorm Gov Leaders

The Stanford freshman experience is one of the most beloved and memorable times of your life. Central to that experience is the community of friends and colleagues you¿ll develop through your dorm. As a dorm gov leader, you¿ll partner with your residential staff and Resident Fellows to build this rich and welcoming community. This small group course will help launch you on your path to building that community by introducing you to the resources and inspirations that will make you an exceptional leader in helping to develop the freshman experience for your dorm and across Wilbur. You will learn skills that you can take into any environment where you have a leadership role ¿ at Stanford and beyond. n nThe course introduces leadership skills in the context of the values, issues, and goals that characterize your personal style of leadership and the resources at Stanford that can help you realize those goals. Grounded in concepts of emotional intelligence, interconnectedness, and personal confidence, the group offers you an intimate, immersive environment to experiment with issues of leadership and community engagement. You¿ll also meet the people who can connect you to resources across Stanford to help you build a vibrant dorm community.n nYou¿ll meet the dorm leaders of Wilbur past who are now embarked on leadership activities of their own across campus and you¿ll connect with the administrators who can guide you with resources and good advice. Wilbur RFs and Residential Education administrators will lead practical skills workshops that reflect your interests and goals. They may include ¿ but are not limited to ¿ public speaking, effective facilitation for meetings, motivating a team, and negotiating differences. This is an opportunity to gain a tangible understanding of your own capacity for leadership.n nEach session is approximately 1.5 hours on evenings agreed upon by the group. The group is limited to 12 participants, two leads from each Wilbur freshman dorm. Additional dorm gov officers may enroll with approval from the instructor.