Description
Although spirituality has gained more attention from postsecondary higher education leaders as a conceptual channel for meaning making, little is understood about student perspectives and definitions of spirituality. These studies explored student narratives on spirituality and leadership at a nonfaith based public institution in Southern California to understand possible links between spiritual and leadership development. Participants were Spring 2015 graduates in the leadership certificate program at the university when the leadership program piloted an ongoing civic engagement partnership with two local nonprofits: one that supports adults with intellectual disabilities and the other which focuses on world peace and social justice through the art of mural making. The purpose of these manuscripts is to inform and empower educators to openly and intentionally foster spiritual development among college students, even at nonfaith based institutions through the context of a leadership certificate development program. Triangulation of data across studies was achieved through document analysis, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and observations. Findings suggest that student leaders' definitions of spirituality and leadership align with contemporary literature supporting the notion that spirituality may be cultivated through specific actions based on students' identity. Both spiritual and leadership development are framed using the students' building of Self-Authorship. This body of work supports the notion that spirituality and leadership can be intentionally cultivated through participation in leadership activities rooted in the theory of self-authorship, such as community service, introspection, and leadership workshops.
