For Emerging Leaders (HLD102)

Congratulations on joining MSU’s Residential Life Emerging Leaders Living Learning Community!

Dear MSU Student,

We are thrilled you have decided to join this valuable freshman year experience. The Emerging Leaders community will give you an opportunity to get to know others who have an affinity and interest in leadership.

As a way of introduction to this leadership community and the opportunities MSU provides academically in terms of leadership, we are writing you this letter and would like you to do 3 things:

1. Read below about the Emerging Leaders course, HLD 102, Leadership Explorations.

Living Learning Communities at MSU often have associated required courses. This is the case for Emerging Leaders. By joining the Emerging Leaders community, students are automatically enrolled into HLD 102, Leadership Explorations. This is a one-credit, graded course requiring 15 hours of in-class and/or study time over Fall semester. Leadership Explorations will meet on Thursdays 7:15-8:15 beginning August 22nd on the Emerging Leaders 6th floor lounge (i.e. we will be coming to you!) In it, you will be working with MSU Public Speaking Faculty and Education PhD candidate Bradford Rosenbloom, myself, Elizabeth Roberts Williamson, the undergraduate Leadership Fellows Certificate Program Director, and Graduate TA, Paytyn Wilson. Together, we will be exploring introductory leadership principles and behaviors,such as discovering our own emerging leadership voice and practicing the art of listening as a leader and transitioning from debate to dialogue. In addition, we will make sure you are aware of academic and practical leadership opportunities available to you on MSU campus.

2. See who your HLD102 instructors are!

	Elizabeth Williamson Director / Faculty		Bradford Rosenbloom PhD Candidate / Faculty		Paytyn Wilson Graduate Teaching Assistant

3. During your upcoming orientation, consider choosing HLD121US Leadership Foundations as your freshman seminar~

As part of the Living and Learning Community (LLC) Emerging Leaders program and with the associated one-credit course, we also want you to know that you are on the path for the undergraduate 16-credit Leadership Fellows Certificate. If you wish! At your upcoming orientation, you will have the opportunity to enroll in Leadership Foundations (HLD 121US) as your freshman seminar. If you do so, you will have taken one of the two required courses for this undergraduate certificate. (The remaining 12 credits are leadership elective courses of your choosing that you can complete over your undergraduate time at MSU).

Leadership Foundations (HLD 121US) is a wonderful complement to the Emerging Leaders experience. Receiving the certificate upon graduation gives you an ability to demonstrate an emphasis and a commitment to leadership skills; which are highly valuable and sought after in any field of work and study.

n terms of the certificate, the only question right now is whether or not you wish to take the HLD121US course as your freshman core seminar. (Note: This class is designed for freshman students. However, you can take this seminar as your freshman core requirement or as a sophomore, junior or even the fall of your senior year). So if you don’t select it for the fall, don’t worry, you can take it later!

As you develop and hone in on your passions and area of study emphasis at MSU over the next one to two years (i.e. as you declare your major), you can talk with your advisor about the Leadership Fellows certificate.

So, you might now be asking yourself, What else do I need to do to be prepared for the program? That's it!  We’ll see you for HLD102 Thursday, August 21st @ 7:15 in the South Hedges Emerging Leaders 6th Floor Lounge.

Have a wonderful summer!

Sincerely, Elizabeth, Bradford and Paytyn