Eagle Experience

Eagle Experience -- A Leadership and service program for A&M-Texarkana students

University Colleges offers all students the opportunity to participate in a leadership and service program. Eagle Experience allows students to learn and use their leadership skills while serving their communities.

Vision

Texas A&M University-Texarkana is nationally recognized for leadership development of graduates with demonstrable real-world leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes and a commitment to lifelong learning, responsible citizenship, and ethical decision making.

Mission

To integrate student leadership development across academic study, student life, and community engagement for the explicit purpose of creating citizens who possess the confidence, knowledge, and skills necessary to provide leadership in their personal and professional lives.

Student Learning Outcomes

UNDERSTAND leadership theories, self-awareness, and viewpoints of others

Comprehend theories of leadership and importance of service
Create and apply a personal viewpoint related to the broader societal world views accepting and appreciating views of others
Demonstrate a personal vision statement related to service and leadership
Integrate and apply self-knowledge with comprehension of service and leadership

COMMUNICATE effectively and professionally

Demonstrate effective use of leadership skills verbally, written, and action
Show commitment to social responsibility
Apply critical thinking skills; ability to see relationships and make connections

MOBILIZE innovation and change for the global community

Initiate collaboration with local and global communities promotingengagement
Identify issues related to social injustice and create solutions for change
Evaluate situations of need and respond by serving and leading effective change

PRACTICE citizenship creating a more just world

Participate in a culturally diverse world to promote social change as a leader

Eagle Experience Overview

All students are eligible to participate in Eagle Experience. The process to join is listed below. Each year the program consists of a theme; students who start at A&M-Texarkana as first-year students follow this model to lead and serve. Transfer students may utilize this model as needed.

First-Year Exploration of leadership and service by successfully completing LEAD 1101 Foundations for Leadership & LEAD 1201 Student Leadership Challenge

Sophomore Year Lead and serve at A&M-Texarkana

Junior Year Lead and serve in the community (locally, nationally, and/or globally)

Senior Year Lead and serve in the profession

Each student, with the assistance of a University College staff member, will create individual leadership and service goals and objectives related to learning about and using leadership skills and styles, as well as using leadership skills in their community. Students define their community and the area(s) they choose to serve either locally, nationally, or globally. Students will reflect, write, act, and collect artifacts which demonstrate what they are learning about themselves, their community, their leadership style, and the population they serve and collect this information in a portfolio. At the end of the academic year, each student will present what they have learned to the campus community.

Benefits to You:

Develop your leadership skills and leadership style
Create opportunities to serve others as a leader (locally, nationally, and/or globally)
Collaborate with other student leaders
Build your resume -- include leadership opportunities demonstrating commitment to serving others
Receive recognition on your academic transcript
Receive recognition at graduation

Ideas and Opportunities to LEAD and SERVE:

Complete a minor in leadership
Complete courses where leadership and service are infused into course content
Accept a leadership role in a campus club or organization
Become a Peer Mentor or Peer Tutor
Create opportunities to serve while leading such efforts in the Texarkana community, in the state of Texas or in other states, or in other countries.

How can you be a part of this program?

See Dr. Reneé Borns, Director of University College, about your participation in this program. All Eagle Experience participants are required to participate in Emerging Leaders Weekend in April. Goals and objects are established early in the fall semester for implementation during fall and spring semesters.