Called to Lead:
Life Choices, Spirituality, and Leadership

What is Called to Lead?

A new program on campus that invites students to develop in leadership while exploring the themes of life meaning, ethics, spirituality, vocation, and life choices.

What do I get from Called to Lead?

In addition to lots of learning in the areas of life choices, spirituality, and leadership, each student who accumulates at least 1000 points over his/her time at E-town will receive a certificate of program completion at the College Awards Ceremony and a sash to wear at Commencement.

Who can participate in Called to Lead?

This program is open to all interested students. You can enter or leave the program at any time.

How long will the program take me?

It depends. Over your years at E-town, you need to accumulate at least 1000 points, with a minimum of 150 points in each of four areas of learning: 1) Intellectual & Theoretical, 2) Experiential Learning & Mentoring, 3) Role Models & Problem Solving, and 4) Competency, Identity, & Congruence.

How many students are in the program?

Over 150 students signed up to receive mailings or were nominated by faculty and staff to be on our mailing list. Since the inaugural mini-lecture on Servant-Leadership on September 18, 2007, the program has 30 active student participants with about 25 more students who are seriously interested in participating in the future. Three of these students are seniors who are attempting to gain 1000 points in one year, so that they can help to shape the program for future students, receive the certificate at the College Awards Ceremony, and also wear the sash at this year’s Commencement.

What are some of the events and programs, and how many points are they worth?

• Mini-lectures on various topics: “Servant Leadership” with Dr. Dana Mead, “Communication for Leaders” with Prof. David Donovan, “Managing Your Life with Life Coach” Susan Ruth Taverna, and “Uniting Work and Spirit” with Director of Career Services, Jane Nini. Points: Up to 40 points for each mini-lecture (20 points for attending; Up to 20 more points for integrating a concept/idea from the mini-lecture into life and leadership for at least 3 weeks and then writing a 2-page reflection paper).
• One semester of being mentored by a trained faculty/staff mentor for topics ranging from leadership to life balance to ethical decision-making to spirituality to community action. Up to 100 points if you are mentored while you are a student leader or while you are doing community service; Up to 50 points if you are mentored, but are not a student leader.
• Workshop on the Kouzes and Posner student leadership skills inventory, which leads to a “gap analysis” of student’s leadership skills currently and as might be desirable for a student leader, Up to 60 points (40 points for workshop and 20 points for integrating learning into life and leadership for at least 3 weeks, and writing a 2-page reflection paper).
• Student reading group with Dean Calenda on Parker Palmer’s book Let Your Life Speak: Listening to the Voice of Vocation. Up to 100 points (70 points for reading and attending each meeting; 30 points for writing weekly journals).
• What Matters to Me and Why Dinner, featuring Dr. Fletcher McClellan answering the question of “what matters,” to encourage reflection on purpose, values, decisions, and life commitment. Up to 30 points.
• 2-credit course REL 175: Life Meaning and Purposeful Work, taught by Chaplain Tracy Wenger Sadd. Up to 175 points.
• We are also giving points for the Honors leadership course, and for several first-year seminars (Simple Living, Big Theological Questions, Leadership & Service, and Leadership in Global Society).

Who is sponsoring this program?

This program is sponsored by the Chaplain’s Office and the Office of Student Activities, and at the same time, this program is a joint effort of many faculty and staff who care about issues of leadership, life calling, purposeful work, ethics, meaning, vocation, personal responsibility, and other things.

Many great leaders have framed their leadership in the context of life calling, philosophy of life, spiritual values, and significant ethical commitments. Not all philosophies of life are religious, and you do not have to be religious to be in the Called to Lead program. In one sense, “calling” relates to religious vocation, but in other ways, “calling” can have nothing to do with religion. A current Peace Corps tagline is “Life is calling…how far will you go?”

Why is this program at Elizabethtown College?

Life calling and servant leadership are concepts that resonate with the faith heritage of the College. Moreover, both the Strategic Vision’s signature theme “Purposeful Life Work,” and the College mission statement challenges us to educate students ethically for lives of leadership and service.

How can I find out more?

You can e-mail calledtolead@etown.edu or please feel free to contact these people:

Tracy Wenger Sadd, (saddt@etown.edu) Chaplain & Director of Religious Life, Lecturer in Religion

Toni Kupchella, (kupchellat@etown.edu) Director of Student Activities

Karen Hodges, (hodgesk@etown.edu) Coordinator of Religious Life Programs
Alex D’Angola, (dangolaa@etown.edu) Student Assistant for Called to Lead program.