Building on a 200 year tradition of educating leaders at the University of South Carolina, the Carolina Leadership Initiative was founded in 2010 in an effort to provide coordination, support, and vision for the numerous programs on campus that develop leadership skills among our students.

The Carolina Leadership Initiative has three major goals:

• To promote a vision for leadership development on the Carolina campus.
• To serve as a focal point and clearinghouse for students, faculty, and staff to learn about leadership opportunities and resources on campus, thereby empowering the Carolina community to achieve their leadership goals.  The website and staff of the CLI provide information about courses, visiting speakers, community service opportunities, campus governance, internships, and numerous other opportunities through which students can learn about and experience leadership.
• To catalyze the creation of new projects on campus related to leadership.  Some of the projects under review at present include the development of a leadership minor, the creation of a Leadership Fellows scholarship program for incoming students, and the establishment of an endowed chair in leadership studies.

The Carolina Leadership Initiative promotes a model of leadership that is relevant to all Carolina students, faculty, and staff.  It aims to develop citizens who are equipped to make a difference for the public good.  We want to achieve the following among our participants:

• Inspiring change
• Increasing self-awareness
• Learning effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Recognizing strengths and opportunities for improvement
• Developing integrity and putting ethics into practice
• Valuing diversity and teamwork
• Promoting creativity and thoughtful risk-taking
• Developing strategic visions to benefit our communities

We encourage interested individuals to read about the Leadership Opportunities listed on the website. We are especially excited about our new Leadership Scholars program. The Initiative is also exploring opportunities for developing a minor in Leadership Studies, for creating a Leadership Fellows scholarship program for incoming students, and for creating an endowed faculty position in Leadership Studies.

For more information, please contact Sarah Johnston, Graduate Assistant for the Carolina Leadership Initiative, at johnstsa@email.sc.edu or (803)-777-1673