Leadership Philosophy

As is my philosophy of life, so is my philosophy of leadership.  It is grounded in faith and trust of the human spirit.  I believe in the power to achieve, and that all of us have the ability to achieve – to lead.  Martin Luther King wrote “Every person must have a concern for self, and feel a responsibility to discover one’s mission in life.  God has given each normal person a capacity to achieve some end.  True, some are endowed with more talent than others, but God has left none of us without talent.  Potential powers of creativity are within us, and we have the duty to work assiduously to discover these powers.”  I believe that we share our journey with leaders.  All of us lead in some form or fashion.  It is how we chose to lead that determines our paths.  We have a multitude of experiences, and if lucky, persons who come into our lives who share their journey, guiding us in a direction.  Our experiences and mentors guide us, but we choose our paths and the learning that results from our choices.

All of us have the responsibility and ability to lead.  Leadership comes from fulfilling everyday tasks, helping others to achieve, creating positive change within our group, or recognizing and supporting those that create the change.  We cannot afford to be passive observers as events unfold before us.  We accept our leadership potential when we realize that we and no one else is responsible for what we want out of life.

I believe that the driving force in leadership is respect.  Benito Juarez wrote
“Entre los individuos como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz” or
“Among individuals as among nations, the respect to other people’s rights is peace”.
The respect for the rights of individuals’ thoughts, beliefs, and actions are what defines leadership.  Within an environment of respect, individuals are free to express, to create, to fail, and to learn.  If leadership is a relationship, it is a relationship created and nurtured through respect.  We respect the integrity of self, of others, and of the institutions that serve all of us.  Being true to your convictions, to the rights of others, to the principles that are created to guide us is what allows us to remain intact.  The loss we experience and the price we pay, when we do not respect the integrity of an individual or of an institution, is our ability to fully reach our potential.

 

Mission

The Office of Student Life strives to create a campus community of engaged learners by providing social, intellectual, cultural programs, as well as provide the resources and facilities to make these programs possible.  Our goal is to stimulate students to reach beyond their classroom experience and embrace the diverse learning opportunities made possible through the co-curricular programs offered by our department.

Goals

• Manage and Operate Student Union facilities and resources that offer students and the campus community opportunities to engage in collaborative learning and community building programs.
  
  
• Create leadership programs for students and student organizations that develop community and campus leadership, that develop a sense on connection to the campus, and create a dynamic campus environment.
  
  
• Ensure the effective delivery of all services to our constituents by creating an atmosphere of collaboration, and responsiveness to our customers by: listening, engaging in open and receptive dialogue, and assessing our effectiveness in delivering our services.

Vision

As students step onto the UTB/TSC campus they feel energized by the vibrancy of the campus community.  They experience a diversity of learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom.  Opportunities that enrich their learning experience through programming of speakers on contemporary issues, visual and performing arts, films, as well as programs that promote their personal and professional growth. Where co-curricular programs; that stimulate and create dialog within the campus community; that promote the free exchange of thought and ideas; that cause each student to embrace the diversity of the human experience; are experienced on a daily basis. Each student will feel that they are truly at a University that values learning and is truly a diverse learning community.