A Message from the New Director

October 2008

Dear Rider Community,

In August 2008, it was with great honor that I accepted the position of Associate Director for the Center for the Development of Leadership Skills (CDLS) and Director of the Leadership Development Program (LDP).  I am not new to the Rider University family – over the past five years, I have served as the Assistant Dean of Students for Student Life at Westminster Choir College, our Princeton campus.  As Assistant Dean, I supplied the students of Westminster with a host of leadership training opportunities within the Student Government Association and the Emerging Leaders program.  As Associate Director of the CDLS, my goal to provide comprehensive leadership training to students from both campuses via the Leadership Development Program, develop and implement leadership training opportunities to a variety of populations both within and beyond the University, as well as act as a resource to all University departments and programs for their leadership needs. 
 
In the month of September, recruitment for the Leadership Development Program was the top priority.  Aimee Schiller, CDLS Graduate Assistant, and I visited approximately 20 freshman seminars, provided 2 information sessions, and encouraged Rider faculty and staff to promote the program to their students.  Other recruitment efforts included presentations at the summer Orientation sessions, a visit to the Emerging Leaders reception, a presentation to MSLI (the Multicultural Student Leadership Institute), and e-mail blasts to the new freshman and transfer students.  As a result, we will be inducting 26 new members into the Leadership Development Program on November 8, 2008.  These inductees are of extremely high caliber, and many of them are already very dedicated leaders who seek to learn new skills and take their leadership to the next level.

At this time, I am evaluating the program and working to strengthen its core elements.  I am also meeting with current LDP members to develop programs and events that focus on leadership from a variety of backgrounds and majors.  Future workshops and service opportunities will include collaborations with Westminster College of the Arts/Westminster Choir College and Athletics.

I’m very excited to be leading a program that is dedicated to developing strong and capable student leaders, and I look forward to working with the entire University community to support a culture of leadership on campus.

Sincerely,

Laura Seplaki
Associate Director, CDLS and Director, LDP