A new resource for students looking to become better leaders has opened up this semester.
Excellence in Leadership, a two-year leadership program with the option of being taking for credit, is welcoming students not in the program to come to their workshops. They are free, but require advance registration.
Mitch Isaacs, associate director of Student Life, said while students outside the program have never been kept from attending the workshops in the past, he is making an active push this semester to have more students attend.
"We were thinking about it, and while we'd love to have everyone in the two-year program, we know that doesn't work for everyone," he said. "However, they might want to come to one or two programs."
Vince Bowhay, EIL phase one coordinator, said he thinks the workshops can be valuable for everyone. He said he has personally seen students grow as they attend the workshops.
"You can take leadership skills and apply them across the board," he said.
EIL works with different groups across campus to provide leadership training. Isaacs said he hopes he sees more students at the workshops now.
"We're experimenting this semester," he said. "I sent e-mails to different departments that I know might be interested. The smarter way is finding those areas on campus who have interest and letting them know."
Isaacs said this change is not necessarily designed to recruit more students, but he hopes that will be the case.
"We want people to come and learn," he said. "That's our number one goal. Yet, I hope by opening this up on campus people will think they'd like to do this."
The next workshop will be at 9 p.m. Monday in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Room 301. The subject, Millenials and Communication, is closely related to a workshop they had last semester.
"[Last semester's workshop] really was a conversation — a roundtable," he said. "It was scheduled to go an hour and a half, but people stuck around for an extra hour."
The success of that workshop is what motivated Isaacs to have another workshop on the subject.
"It helps make students feel more comfortable with others," Bowhay said. "The more you know about yourself, the easier it is for you to approach other people."
Registration for this workshop and others is available online at the EIL page on the Ball State Web site. Students have until today to sign up for Monday's workshop.
A complete list of this semester's workshops can also be found at the EIL Web site.
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