Mandatory non-credit weekly seminar

Program participants will attend a mandatory non-credit weekly seminar in the fall and spring semesters. This seminar will focus on the following:

• Personal leadership
• Intercultural communication skills
• Leading consistently with emotional intelligence

Assignments outside of the seminar

Students will be expected to complete assignments outside the seminar to enhance their intercultural competencies and leadership skills.

Culture sharing

Participants will also be assigned opportunities to share their cultures and perspectives as international students through presentations, panel discussions and focus groups on campus and in the community.

Participants are required to:

• Participate in an Alternative Spring Break service learning trip during spring break.
• Attend cultural and leadership events such as the Global Festival, World Languages Day, the International Students Association (ISA) Leadership Retreat, the MLK Leadership Conference, MRULE roundtable discussions and Leadershape.

Participants are expected to:

• Submit an essay to the OISS Essay Contest
• Submit a proposal for the MSU Global Learning Conference

• International students who successfully complete all requirements of the program will earn an $8,000 scholarship to assist with their tuition and other education-related expenses.

• Participants will also participate in a fully funded spring break service learning trip, which is led by program instructors and 2 participant site leaders.

Participants will:

• Understand their own identity, culture and values
• Understand their own strengths and leadership style in a global context
• Explore what leadership means in their own and other cultural contexts
• Share experiences and discuss the meaning of leadership within the context of a globalizing society
• Understand the foundations of Personal Leadership
• Create a personal visional statement and understand how to live in alignment with that vision
• Recognize the importance of emotional intelligence in crossing difference and building community as leaders
• Enrich their perspectives as leaders by learning to recognize, validate, appreciate and include others' experiences
• Facilitate positive social change

Qualifications

• Must be a full-time, degree-seeking international undergraduate student in sophomore or junior status for the entire academic year
• Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Must commit to attending a non-credit weekly seminar during the fall and spring semesters and complete all assignments
• Must have time to give presentations during fall and spring semesters
• Must commit to spending spring break with the Global Spartan Leadership Program Alternative Spartan Break
• Must demonstrate need for tuition assistance
• Must attend cultural and leadership events/conferences

Global Spartan Leaders are selected each spring for the following academic year. For questions or more information, please contact Amber Cordell at amberc(at)msu.edu or 517-353-1720.