On Wednesday, February 25th, more than sixty students in the Foundation of Leadership course participated in a unique learning experience as part of their midterm exam. The class, co-taught by Pat Sweeney, Professor of the Practice of Management and Executive Director of the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character, and Kenny Herbst, Associate Professor or Marketing and Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Business Program, aims to prepare emerging leaders for team and organizational leadership responsibilities. Lessons are centered around character, competitive spirit, positive attitudes, commitment and selflessness.
The non-traditional exam posed ethical dilemmas and provided small groups with a number of related tasks to complete in approximately 35 minutes. Described as a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) exercise, the students were asked to apply concepts from previous lessons to resolve leadership challenges under severe time constraints. The goals of the hands-on portion of the exam were to test teams’ leadership and teamwork under high stress.
Business School faculty and staff served as observers/controllers of the exam and worked to assess student behaviors and provide feedback to the teaching team. Thank you to the following people for their support and engagement:
Shandra Caputo, Project Management Coordinator in Enrollment Management
Recruiting
Lauren Davis-Fossa, Assistant Director of Student Events and Activities
Keith Gilmer, Chief Administrative Officer
Chandra Graham, Service Desk Specialist
Matt Imboden, Chief Student and Academic Services Officer
Jennifer Johnson, Assistant Director Faculty Affairs
Seth Youngblood, Associate Director Undergraduate ISS