Leadership Class

From Student to Professional: How to Turn Theory into Practice 

CSM 350: Studies in Leadership

The SAIL office offers a 3-credit, elective course that counts towards the Wellness Track for your degree. This class is for active community leaders to explore their potential and develop a personal approach to the practice of leadership. This isn’t your typical Mines class! This course is based on class discussions and experiential activities. Students are expected to participate in leadership reading, personal reflection, presentations, activities and more. The class is intended to help you understand your current leadership style and capabilities and help develop those skills over the semester through interactive learning.

Class Details: Spring 2026, Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 PM

Instructor: Kyle Dupper, Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life

Learning Outcomes: 

1. Understand different leadership theories and be able to decide which one’s yyou’ll apply and which one’s are not helpful to your style or field of study. 
2. Knowledge around how individual differences influence leadership and distinguish specific leadership behaviors in yourself and others.
3. Practicing your strengths and understanding how that impacts your team, because you can’t do leadership alone.
4. Transition from a student to professional by understanding your non-negotiables and advice with career/professional development. 
5. Work with a mentor to practice the important of networking and investment in long-term relationships. 
6. Learn about topics like Lewin’s Equation, tenacity/grit, communication styles, decision making, and confident humility. 
7. Design a personal action plan to use after the class concludes.