Assessing an Undergraduate Dean's Fellow Immersion Program Using Secular Leadership Measurements: Closing the Loop on an Ignatian Leadership Development Experience (poster 11)

Abstract

This project examines the learning outcomes of an Ignatian immersion program for senior level undergraduate Dean's Fellows students in the College of Arts and Sciences who will travel to the Dominican Republic in October of 2018. Prior to their immersion experience, Dean's Fellows participate in four preparatory sessions that include information on cultural intelligence, anticipatory reflection, Ignatian leadership, and discernment. They continue developing in these areas during the immersion experience through lived experiences, reflection, and discussion. It is important to utilize valid and reliable measurement instruments to capture student growth. Rothausen (2017) provided a theoretical framework that aligns secular leadership development models with Ignatian leadership. Unfortunately, validated measures of Ignatian leadership do not exist to date. To address this limitation, this project will utilize instruments drawn from the field of leadership studies. These instruments serve as proxies and help us measure the impact of student learning through the immersion experience.