Welcome to our belated July edition of the monthly GLC Letter.
It is with great excitement—and worth the wait!—that I share a special update about the future of the Garthwait Leadership Center at Gettysburg College.
This summer, the GLC will begin a collaborative process with the Office of Experiential Education (often referred to as GRAB) to integrate both programs into one, aligned under the GLC mission and brand. The integration will unfold throughout the 2019-20 academic year.
There are many exciting aspects of this change that will allow us to better serve the leadership development needs of Gettysburg College students and young alumni:
- First, the Office of Experiential Education has a strong tradition of providing thousands of Gettysburg students and alumni with transformational leadership experiences. For 20+ years, these experiences—which cultivate self-awareness, develop essential leadership skills, and build community—have helped to produce GRAB alumni who are experts in the field of experiential education, award-winning entrepreneurs, and committed public servants. Here at the GLC, we are honored to work more closely with such a talented group of Gettysburgians—and to build upon the great legacy of GRAB.
- Secondly, this change will enable us to secure a more sustainable model of operation for our future and the work we do. To support these changes, we have restructured our team:
- I will now serve as the GLC’s executive director, supporting our stewardship and advocacy efforts.
- Paul Miller, our former associate director, has been promoted to GLC Director. In his new role, Paul will provide direction for all programming, services, and day-to-day operations for leadership development, group and organizational development, and outdoor leadership.
- Denise Shaffer, our administrative assistant, will continue in her current position.
- Jess Joswik ’14, assistant director of experiential education, will join our team and support experiential education student staff and outdoor programming.
- Lastly, we have appointed Kaitlin Wingard ’17 to serve in a one-year assistant director position. In this role, she will offer high-quality group development and challenge course experiences.
- Third, by integrating our two offices, we will create a one-stop point of entry for student and alumni leaders interested in pursuing their personal and group development goals. Collectively, we will serve more than 30 groups each year through the design and execution of customized workshops and experiential initiatives.
- Finally, I believe that experiential education in an outdoor setting is truly a dynamic and powerful method for leadership and group development. In fact, our departments share many of the same philosophical frameworks and strategic goals but exist in different contexts. Although I have limited experience in the outdoor context, I have seen the transformative nature of this work on our students—helping them to become authentic and aspiring leaders, while preparing them for life after Gettysburg
I hope you share in my enthusiasm over this great news, and see the potential that this integration poses for the GLC to move ever-closer to being Gettysburg Great!
Best wishes,
Andy
Andy Hughes
Executive Director, Garthwait Leadership Center
ahughes@gettysburg.edu
By Staff
Posted: 09/12/19