Gardner-Webb University’s Searight Leadership Certificate (SLC) will leverage the institution’s world-class instructional assets to accelerate skill development by students from diverse backgrounds as they prepare for top corporate jobs.
Housed administratively within GWU’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) Program, the SLC will dramatically expand access to the credentials needed by graduates in today’s dynamic and diverse economy. Curriculum and instruction will draw upon Gardner-Webb’s numerous strengths, including: faculty from Business, Arts & Sciences, Education, Divinity, and Health Sciences; resources available through the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship; mentoring from the Center for Personal and Professional Development; support from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion; and the unique array of corporate connections made possible by our alumni networks. Upon completion of the certificate program, graduates will have secured an officially acknowledged Certificate (denoted on their GWU transcript) that will open doors, secure opportunities, and grow in value over time.
Courage is not only a prerequisite for every transformation, but it is also the ultimate competitive advantage. The Searight Leadership Certificate launches by challenging the mind of each participant. Consistent with GWU’s distinctive focus on every student’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, the Summer Courage Bootcamp provides an initial 16-hour experience designed to help participants adopt a courageous mindset. This in in turn, leads to challenging norms, bold thinking, innovation, and sharper execution. The Courage Bootcamp introduces how to create a culture of high trust and faith, which are essential to organizational success. Core principles of the servant leadership model are delineated throughout the Courage Bootcamp, providing further evidence of Gardner-Webb’s unique approach to building business acumen. Students participating in the SLC Courage Bootcamp will learn from University faculty, industry practitioners, and prominent leadership coaches.
Following Courage Bootcamp, students will take part in intensive four-hour modules taught every two weeks over the course of a five-month period. What distinguishes this element of the SLC is the direct access participants will have to veteran corporate leaders. We plan to make considerable use of expertise housed at institutes such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), Jackson Consulting Group (JCG), Wells Fargo Education, and Novant Education, among others. Some of the experts leading these modules already serve on the GWU PACE Board of Advisors. The curriculum includes ten highly interactive modules that focus on the knowledge and skills required in many corporations’ “C-Suites,” thus giving program participants a head start on transitioning successfully into the corporate world. Topics are designed to engender the self-reflection essential for behavioral growth, including:
Experience matters. GWU PACE will work closely with campus resources and industry connections to provide individualized curriculum advising, professional mentoring, and exceptional internship opportunities. Gardner-Webb’s highly-touted tradition of ensuring professional readiness will be further expanded for the benefit of students pursuing the Searight Leadership Certificate.
In cooperation with Jackson Consulting Group, PACE students enrolled in the SLC will have exposure to seven capstone modules specifically designed with the help of CEOs and Corporate Presidents. These include:
This curriculum will provide our students with the knowledge, tools, corporate placement, connectivity with industry leaders, and resources they need to lead a successful transformation from college to the corporate world.
Consistent with the overall goals of Gardner-Webb University, the PACE-administered Searight Leadership Certificate will prepare graduates for leadership and service in their professional careers and in their personal lives. Rigorous and innovative curricula, combined with distinctive experiential learning opportunities, will shape SLC students into thinkers, doers, and world-changers. Forged within a supportive and diverse Christian community, our students will emerge ready to impact their chosen professions, equipped with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspired to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others.
Following the GWU Summer Leadership Experience, students will participate in the leadership modules below. These modules will be taught by our faculty and Searight PACE Corporate Board leaders. In addition, we will use the experts from well-known institutions such as MLT, Jackson Leadership Consulting Group, Wells Fargo Education, and Novant Education, among others. The students are expected to attend all leadership activities conducted by the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Exceptions will be approved by the Director.
SPLC 101 MODULE 1: August & September
SPLC 102 MODULE 2: October & November
SPLC 103 MODULE 3: January & February
SPLC 104 MODULE 4: March & April
INTERNSHIPS & WORKSHOPS BY MLT, WELLS FARGO EDUCATION, NOVANT EDUCATION, JACKSON LEADERSHIP CONSULTING
SPLC 105 MODULE 5 – August & September
SPLC 106 MODULE 6: October & November
SPLC 107 MODULE 7: January & February
SPLC 108 MODULE 8: March & April
SPLC 109 MODULE 9: August & September
SPLC 110 MODULE 10: March & April
INTERNSHIPS, MENTORING & JOB SHADOWING BY MLT, WELLS FARGO EDUCATION, NOVANT EDUCATION, JACKSON LEADERSHIP CONSULTING
SPLC 111 Mentoring & Coaching Continues
SPLC 112 Mentoring & Coaching Continues
*If a student fails to graduate on time, he or she will continue in the program with additional mentoring and coaching until he or she graduates.
The endowed Searight Leadership Award shall provide need- and merit-based financial support to first-generation college students who exhibit an aptitude and an appetite for leadership.
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