July 28, 2015
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
-- The University of Tennessee announces the VOLeaders Academy, a dynamic partnership between the UT Center for Leadership and Service, the Center for Sport, Peace and Society and the Department of Athletics.
The program is unlike any in the country, spanning the boundaries of three different areas of campus, from academics to student life and athletics. It partners athletics with two of the most unique and respected programs on campus for the development of the student-athletes.
By using their platform in sport, student-athletes admitted into the VOLeaders Academy will learn how to positively impact their team, campus and local and global communities. The program aims to inspire student-athletes to find ways to use their passion of sport and their influence to enact positive change that transcends their athletic success.
"The VOLeaders Academy is one of the most innovative programming initiatives in the country," said Dr. Joe Scogin, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Assistant Provost and Director of the Thornton Center. "The depth of personal development, the ability to learn from national and global experts in leadership education, and the international service component will provide a life changing experience. The University of Tennessee is a special place and the VOLeaders Academy is another example of our innovative approach to student-athlete development.
"We often discuss the concept of Boundary Spanning Leadership -- and this Academy brings together three divisions at UT -- the Division of Student Life, the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, and the Department of Athletics in one common goal. In Ernst and Chrobot-Mason's work on boundary spanning leadership, they discuss the "limitless possibilities and inspiring results that groups can achieve together above and beyond what they could achieve on their own". This concept is referenced consistently in the context of sport and I am thrilled that we are modeling this behavior as an institution with a cross-division collaboration and commitment to developing our student-athlete leaders."
Since 1968, the Torchbearer--UT's official symbol--has borne silent witness to the university's Volunteer Creed: "One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others." The VOLeaders Academy takes that creed in action by engaging its participants in the understanding and development of servant leadership.
"The leadership academy is a new and exciting way for us to afford our student-athletes a unique growth and development opportunity," Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart said. "We are a student-athlete centered athletics program and this is another example of that priority. To have the opportunity to be chosen as one of the best and brightest in our department and have the opportunity to travel abroad, this is a unique and progressive program that I don't think there are many models like it at the collegiate level."
The Center for Leadership and Service, a department in the UT Division of Student Life, engages all students to lead and serve in the global community and directs leadership and service opportunities for the entire University student population.
"The VOLeaders Academy is a unique opportunity to demonstrate the power of true collaborative campus partnerships," said Center for Leadership and Service Director Sally Parish. "Together, we will collectively transform our students, our university, and our community. More importantly, our students will go on to change the world empowered with the lessons and connections developed through this program."
The Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, housed in UT's College of Education, is dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and empowering underserved populations through sport. It was the first research center in the United States to focus on the developing academic field of Sport for Development and Peace. In only their second year of existence, one of their key initiatives was named on the top 10 best diplomatic accomplishments in the world.
"The Center for Sport, Peace, & Society is excited to partner with UT Athletics and The Center for Leadership and Service on this groundbreaking initiative," said Dr. Sarah Hillyer, the center's director. "The thoughtful intersection of education, sport, leadership, service and international exchanges reflect the very heartbeat of what we do. As former student-athletes, we know the potential sport has to teach powerful leadership skills; we look forward to helping student-athletes discover these skills and apply them in ways that change the world."
This is not a traditional student-athlete leadership development program. The student-athletes selected for the program will have the opportunity to get a real-world perspective on leadership that begins with a full-day, off-campus retreat that will focus on individual and group development prior to the start of classes this fall.
"First is the depth of leadership development that each student-athlete will receive from national experts," Scogin said in describing the unique points of the program. "The cohort will gather twice a week in an academic setting for the next 12 months to develop their individual leadership style and conclude that development during an international sport based service opportunity. Second, the concept of this Academy aligns with the academic mission of the University. UT's new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) called Experience Learning, which was developed during the 2015 accreditation cycle, is an initiative to enhance and expand experiential learning opportunities for students. Lastly, and probably most significant, is the cross-department partnership often sought after in higher education."
Participants will also be enrolled in two three-credit-hour courses in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. A Leadership in Sport course will provide students with an understanding of their individual leadership styles, the practice of leadership in collegiate athletics and will equip them with the foundational skills necessary to lead their teams, campus and communities, while a Sport for Social Change course will teach leadership principles, professionalism, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication skills through sport-based service.
"As dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, it is with great enthusiasm that I offer our support to the VOLeaders Academy," said Dr. Bob Rider. "The goals of this new academy are congruent with critically important components of our college mission, focusing on the nurturing and development of servant leaders. This important collaboration will help in building an important bridge between academics and athletics, and assist in advancing the respective missions of both entities. I look forward to working with our partners in the Athletics Department and in the Division of Student Life in launching VOLeaders and participating in the good and important work to come."
The final component of the VOLeaders Academy will be a 10-day cultural exchange providing applied leadership and service opportunities focused on community development and social change through sport. International Destinations will vary each year with the first trip planned for Brazil, site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in partnership with the UT Center for Sport, Peace & Society.
The opportunity to work in Brazil ahead of the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics is an exciting prospect to kick-off the program's first year.
"With the upcoming Olympics and Paralymipcs in Rio 2016, we are thrilled for students to capstone this academy with such a meaningful international learning opportunity and to see the ways leadership learned through sport can positively transform communities and societies at large," Dr. Ashleigh Huffman, assistant director of the Center for Sport, Peace and Society said.
The student-athletes selected for the VOLeaders academy are:
The 14 student-athletes will begin the program for the Fall 2015 semester.
"The VOLeaders Academy is another example of developing the total student-athlete," Hart said. "This takes it to a higher level. I had the opportunity to be in attendance when this was presented and discussed with our Student-Athlete Advisory Council just to watch their reaction to it and to hear their feedback about it is very gratifying."
For more information on The VOLeaders Academy, visit the website at http://thorntoncenter.net/programs-services-3/voleaders-academy.
For more information on the Center for Leadership & Service, refer to their website at http://leadershipandservice.utk.edu/index.php.
For more information on the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, refer to their website at http://sportandpeace.utk.edu/.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
Butch Jones, Head Football Coach:
"The VOLeaders Academy is another avenue in which we are developing our student-athletes not only on the field of competition, but in the greatest game, the game of life. Our goal is for every individual to develop and meet their full potential because they were a part of the Tennessee Football family. When we speak to being One Tennessee and being all aligned, the VOLeaders Academy illustrates these efforts. We have multiple areas of campus working together to grow and develop our student-athletes to become future leaders with vision, character and pride in all they do."
Brian Pensky, Head Soccer Coach:
"The Leadership Academy is another example of this department being cutting edge. The best leaders both serve, and empower, others - and that's what this Leadership Academy is doing ... empowering these student-athletes to be the strongest leaders possible, which in turn will foster the growth of additional leaders within each team at Tennessee. And the reality is, we cannot expect leadership to always be a natural occurrence; it has to be taught and made a part of our everyday fabric."
Karen Weekly, Co-Head Softball Coach:
"I am very excited about the Leadership Academy and the opportunities it will afford our student-athletes. The feature I find particularly meaningful is the focus on service-oriented leadership. The UT Center for Sport, Peace and Society has done amazing, ground-breaking work in countries all over the world. The partnership with the Center and the travel abroad experience that the Leadership Academy will give our student-athletes are components which take this leadership experience to a whole new level. We are truly preparing these young men and women to be future leaders for our nation and the world."