The Center for Student Involvement is hosting Expedition U, a new leadership conference, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 15 in the Student Center Ballroom.

Interested students must RSVP by 5 p.m. Monday.

Brenda McKenzie, associate director for the Center for Student Involvement, said this is the first year for the program.

“It focuses on several areas of leadership, is free to all students and will be done in time for students to catch the Kent State home football game,” she said. “There are portions of the program targeted at older students, like marketing your leadership to help you get a job. Other portions are targeted at newer students, like creating a leadership plan.”

McKenzie said there will be an opening segment that all students will attend and then three breakout sessions of their choice.

Staff, faculty and graduate students from various colleges and departments across campus will bring their respective opinions and expertise to Expedition U.

Dave Herpy, outdoor adventure and camp coordinator for recreational services, will lead a session on team building.

“I’ll be presenting some new games and team activities to give students a little taste of our TLC program,” he said.

Herpy said Team Building and Leadership Challenges uses group games, trust exercises and physical and mental challenges to build effective leadership, inventive problem-solving and efficient teamwork.

Jay Hays, academic adviser for the College of Nursing, said his session, Leadership 101, will focus on leadership basics, the concept of leadership and trying to define it.

“Students think there is a prescribed, step-by-step process to leadership,” he said. “That’s just not true. There are as many different definitions of leadership as there are students at Kent State.”

Hays said this is important because the “old management style of command and obey doesn’t work anymore.”

“Leadership is about relationships,” he said. “Good leadership is important to get things done in a world as dynamic as ours.”

Interested students should contact the Center for Student Involvement at (330) 672-2480.

Contact student affairs reporter Jackie Lloyd at [email protected].