Student Leadership Competencies were developed from five years of research conducted by Dr. Corey Seemiller who analyzed learning outcomes in all 522 accredited academic programs in higher education. The results: 60 essential leadership competencies for the 21st century.

Student Leadership Competencies can be used as a framework to develop a program or course, infuse meaningful competency-based activities into the curriculum, assess competency learning and development, and help students reflect and apply their learning in future academic, professional, and life contexts.

Competencies are knowledge, values, abilities, and behaviors that help and individual contribute to or successfully engage in a role or task.

  • Knowledge: knowledge of or understanding of the value of a competency
  • Values: value placed on a competency
  • Ability: internal motivation to engage in a certain behavior or the skill level to perform a certain behavior
  • Behavior: engagement in a certain behavior.

University of Iowa Student Leadership Competencies (SLCs)

  1. Analysis: Detecting patterns and trends across multiple sources of information.
  2. Collaboration: Working with others toward a common objective by sharing ideas and distributing responsibilities equitably across team members.
  3. Diversity: Having interactions with people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences.
  4. Ethics: Behaving in an ethical manner and adhering to established code of ethics.
  5. Goals: Creating goals that are measurable and have timetables for completion.
  6. Group Development: Helping team members develop a shared sense of purpose, commitment, and trust.
  7. Problem Solving: Identifying a variety of potential solutions to a problem and determining the best possible course of action to solve the problem.
  8. Productive Relationships: Developing relationships with others that are healthy, trusting, and respectful.
  9. Self-Development: Seeking opportunities to better oneself both personally and professionally.
  10. Verbal Communication: Verbally communicating clearly and concisely.
  11. Writing: Expressing thoughts in writing in a manner that is clear, logical, and understandable.