Our Philosophy

We believe that all SU students have the capacity to lead, whether in their career, their family life, their community or on campus. Our mission is to support students in their development as leaders through self-knowledge, skill building, practical application and reflection. Grounded in a specifically Jesuit Catholic tradition, we integrate elements of the formation process, such as reflection and a community approach, as well as purpose for leadership, such as service to others and as an expression of one's vocation.

We use three key frameworks to ground our work:

• The Leadership Identity Development Model speaks to the developmental stages through which students move in their growth as leaders. The focus on personal development roots our work in the formation process with each student. One can view this as our framework for how leaders develop.
• The Social Change Model of Leadership articulates a framework of leadership which weaves individual, group and community spheres. This model, infused with the Jesuit tradition, speaks to the end goal of leadership as change for the common good. This model speaks to what leadership is.
• Finally, and most importantly, the Jesuit Catholic tradition is foremost in our work both in the formation process and in defining what leadership is. We hope to post a statement soon further articulating this framework, but in the meantime please review the October 2006 issue of our Faculty/Staff Newsletter for one example.

A synthesis of Seattle University’s unique mission with these three frameworks leads to the following core competencies for leadership within our graduates:

• Claimed identity as one who engages in leadership.
• Personal integrity and ethical decision making.
• Effective communication in interpersonal, team and public speaking arenas.
• Ability to motivate, nurture and mobilize others as individuals and in teams.
• Competence in multicultural communication and inclusive leadership.
• Ability to create a vision and develop strategies to achieve it.
• Confidence in ability and skills to affect change.
• Knowledge of human problems and systems that affect communities.
• Active commitment to justice.
• Claimed spiritual identity which animates leadership.
• Purposely chosen leadership vocation aligned with personal values.