History

The idea of the Illinois Leadership Initiative began with the former (1994-2005) Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Patricia Askew’s passion for student leadership development. Prior to having a comprehensive leadership program available on the Illinois campus, a few students in positional leadership roles would attend the LeaderShape® Institute. After communications between these students and the Vice Chancellor, a collaboration of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs was created in the form of a session of an Illinois LeaderShape® Institute specifically for University of Illinois students. Participants were supported by their academic colleges as well as by Student Affairs; private gifts were also used to fund the cost of the week-long program.

Following the success of the University of Illinois session of LeaderShape®, student participants encouraged Vice Chancellor Askew to open the leadership program to more student leaders by adding a second session. However, when the group was faced with funding challenges and since the sessions would not be open to all students, the Vice Chancellor realized the campus needed a new approach to leadership development for Illinois students.

1998-1999

July - Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Patricia Askew appointed a group to review leadership on campus. The group was chaired by Willard Broom (Associate Dean of Students), and included Robyn Deterding (Associate Director of the Division of Campus Recreation), Nathaniel Banks (Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the African American Cultural Program), Chuck Olson (Assistant Dean of Academic Programs for the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences), Hank Walter (Associate Director of the Illini Union), and Rhonda Kirts (Assistant Dean of Students). This group developed a Blue Print for Student Leadership Development, which provided recommendations for the creation of a comprehensive leadership program between academic and student affairs.
October - Vice Chancellor Askew approached Alice Faron, a leadership consultant who developed the curriculum for LeaderShape®, and asked her to be a consultant on leadership development on campus. Faron, along with Rhonda Kirts, Assistant Dean of Students, reviewed the Blue Print for Student Leadership Development and researched key theories of leadership development in order that the Illinois leadership program would have a theoretical base.
January - An initiative group was assembled, comprised of faculty and staff from across campus. In addition, ten students were hired as student consultants to assure a means for consistent student input during the process of creating the Illinois Leadership Initiative.
May 27 - The Initiative group developed the Illinois Philosophy of Leadership and identified the Skills and Attributes supported by Illinois Leadership.

1999 - 2000

Fall
- The first Illinois Leadership Coordinating Committee was appointed by Vice Chancellor Askew and Provost Richard Herman, supporting the vision of a partnership between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs for a comprehensive leadership program on the Illinois campus. The committee was chaired by Chuck Olson, Assistant Dean at the College of Agricultural, Communications and Environmental Sciences, and Shelly Benson, Leadership Development Coordinator. The committee developed the concept of the i-programs and conducted a Leadership Audit to identify the places students were learning leadership skills. The results of the audit were used to determine future development of leadership courses and programs.
- A task force of faculty and staff was appointed to research and discuss opening a campus leadership center.
- The committee began to seek funding for the initiative. Correspondence was made with the university’s Regional Gift Officers, and one officer made a connection with an alumnus who had a strong interest in leadership.
January - Tony Petullo (Class of '61) generously made the largest gift received by Student Affairs at Illinois, in support of the Illinois Leadership Initiative.
February - The first i-program, Insight, was held. Insight was the first tangible evidence of the leadership initiative and was created by a committee of faculty, staff, and students. It was held at Eagle Creek resort in Findlay, Illinois and attended by 78 students from across campus.

2000-2001

Fall - The new living and learning community, LEADS, was opened in Garner Hall, a University Residence Hall.
January - The Leadership Center Task Force submitted its report recommending a Leadership Center at Illinois.
May - The 2000-01 Illinois Leadership Coordinating Committee on Leadership Development, co-appointed by the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, endorsed the concept/vision of a Leadership Center as well as the concept of a leadership certificate.

2001-2002

October
- A second i-program, Intersect, was launched.
- The 2001-02 campus-wide Illinois Leadership Coordinating Committee was appointed with equal representation of students, academics affairs and student affairs, and representation from all academic colleges. The coordinating committee formed five working groups 1) Academic Integration, 2) Marketing, 3) Assessment, 4) Illinois Leadership Programs, and 5) Leadership Center.
May
- The Illinois Leadership Center contracted with the HayGroup to use the Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI) and develop the Emotional Competency Inventory – University (ECI-U) edition.
- The Coordinating Committee endorsed the Illinois Leadership Center proposal and made the recommendation for the Leadership Center to open in Fall 2002 in the Illini Union.

2002-2003

August - A generous gift from Alumnus John A. Graf and his wife Maureen established the Graf Internship for the Leadership Center.
September
- The Leadership Center opened its door in Room 290 of the Illini Union.
- Raymond Price, William Harrison Severns Chair and Professor of Human Resource Education in the Department of General Engineering, was named the first Director of the Illinois Leadership Center.
November - The academic component of the initiative began with 40 students participating in the Leadership Certificate pilot program.
January - Dr. Jeff Moss, Program Director at the Leadership Center, taught the first 2 sections of Ag Ed 199: Introduction to Leadership Studies.
May - A third i-program, Ignite, was launched.

2003 - 2004

January - Academic Courses Leading for Sustainable Change and Integrating Leadership were offered for the first time.
February - The first session of a fourth i-program, Imprint, was offered.
March - Illinois Leadership received the 2004 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) IV-East Innovative Program Award.
May - The first Illinois Leadership Certificate Completion Ceremony was held with 16 students being presented with their Leadership Certificates.

2004-2005

Fall - Illinois Leadership unveils its first website.
August - Illinois Leadership® becomes a registered trademark.
September - A proposal for an Interdisciplinary leadership minor was submitted to the Educational Policy Committee of the Faculty-Student Senate.
May
- Illinois Leadership assumes responsibility for the Illinois LeaderShape Institute.
- Seventeen students are presented with their Leadership Certificate at the Spring Completion Ceremony.

2005-2006

Fall - The Illinois Leadership Coordinating Committee was charged, with the committee forming the following working groups: Strategic Planning/Branding, Leadership Minor, Assessment, and Funding/Resources.
April
- The Report of the Ad Hoc Committee to Explore an Interdisciplinary Minor in Leadership Studies was submitted to the Office of the Provost.
- The Coordinating Committee presented its end-of-year report to Provost Linda Katehi at the committee’s April 26 meeting.
May
- By the end of the 2005-06 academic, 23 students earned their Leadership Certificates.
- Chuck Olson received the first Moss Outstanding Leadership Coach Award.
June - A summer Intersect program was launched in the Chicago area for incoming freshmen.
July - Upon the resignation of Professor Price, Sara Thompson was appointed Acting Director of the Leadership Center.

2006-2007

September - A proposal was submitted to the Service Fee Advisory Committee for a $1.50 service fee increase; the proposal was not advanced.
October - Integrity, a fifth i-program, was piloted.
Spring
- Alumnus Richard Cavenaugh endowed the Cavenaugh Leadership Library.
- The Certificate Program experienced an 120% participation increase from the previous year.
- A redesigned Leadership Consulting program was launched.
April/May
- The Illinois Leadership Coordinating Committee presented its 2006-07 Report to the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
- 37 students earned their Leadership Certificates at the end of the academic year.
- Alice Faron was presented with the 2007 Moss Outstanding Leadership Coach Award.
- The Leadership Certificate Program was selected as the 2007 Student Affairs Outstanding Program.
- Graf Intern Ben Cober received the campus-wide Student Employee of the Year Award.
- Three Leadership Center Student Workers - David Allspach, Diego Torres, Tyler De Shon - and Graf Intern Joanna Mabee were presented with 2007 Student Affairs Leadership Awards.
By the end of 2006-07
- Illinois Leadership identified specific ways the Center supported the campus strategic goals.The Leadership Center solidified or created partnerships and collaborations with a number of campus departments and programs, including but not limited to: African American Cultural Program’s 100 Strong; Division of Intercollegiate Athletics; Colleges of Applied Health Sciences and Business James Scholars Honors Programs; College of Medicine; La Casa Cultural Latina; Department of Chemistry; and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
- There was an unparalleled enrollment in i-programs by students, with all programs experiencing long wait lists and an average of 22 students having to be turned away for each program.The Leadership Certificate Program was selected as the 2007 Student Affairs Outstanding Program.
- Two new corporate sponsors were added, Monsanto Company and General Electric.
- The Leadership Center participated in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, a 55-institution national study coordinated by the National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs, and conducted an internal assessment of its Leadership Certificate program.