Undergraduate Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Development in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe experiences of undergraduate extracurricular involvement that result in increased leadership development. Senior students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University completed an online questionnaire about their extracurricular experiences. Leadership development was conceptualized using the social change model. The Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (SRLS–R2) group scale was used to access leadership group values, and the Omnibus SRLS–R2 was used to measure the overall leadership construct. Ninety–six percent of respondents indicated they were involved in an extracurricular activity, including 21% in the Greek system, 95% in clubs and organizations, and 29% in competitive teams. Students who reported serving as an officer of a club or organization and students who reported spending more hours per week in extracurricular clubs and organizations scored significantly higher on both the SRLS–R2 group and an Omnibus SRLS score.