Global Student Leadership Summit – Success of Student Action Plans, Year After Year

Webster students stand in line during class at the 2023 Global Student Leadership Summit.

Over the past academic year, students who participated in the Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS) 2023 in Leiden applied their leadership skills to improve their campus. They focused on strengthening student bonds and increasing overall student engagement in campus events. Each campus group completed their action plans between August 2023 and April 2024, and here are the highlights:

• Athens: 10% increase in attendance at event; 5 more students at SGA
• Geneva: Implemented guidelines for student organizations to ensure focus on mission and active participation; Collaborated with Student Services to create a newsletter and WhatsApp group to share important information and promote activities
• Georgia: SGA formed with representatives from each major college; Interest clubs formed, including Newspaper Club, Podcast Club, and Debate Club
• Ghana: We prepared Ghanaian students moving to new campuses by establishing contacts with students and staff from Saint Louis, Geneva and Leiden; we held regular check-in meetings with Ghanaian students on their new campuses
• Leiden: More activities available during New Student Orientation to build bonds between students
• St. Louis: Event submissions on engaged.webster.edu increased 88% from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024
• Tashkent: Average increase in attendance at events was 20%; SGA membership increased by 15%
• Vienna: The Debate Club was established based on a survey of student interests and the coherence and continuity of the club’s offering was ensured.

Webster University Georgia students present their action plan at the end of the 2023 Global Student Leadership Summit.

In addition to the collaborative efforts, individual student assessments conducted after the summit revealed the following results:

• Improved interpersonal communication skills/better networking
• Better understanding other leadership styles/learning from others
• Increased confidence in oral presentation skills
• More accepting and excited about the possibilities of intercultural communication

Webster Athens students unveil plan for campus action.

GSLS is a highly effective educational practice for a group of student leaders from across Webster’s global network. These students were selected for their strong leadership potential and ability to work together across differences. The 2023 event will mark the fourth Summit hosted by Webster University. Thanks to the generosity of alumnus Alan Elliot Merschen (MA, ’82), the 2023 program has been fully funded for all students selected to participate. Work is underway on a 2025 Summit, also funded by Merschen.

A group of students and leaders of the Global Student Leadership Summit gather for a photo.

On the final day of the May 2023 Summit, Merschen announced another exciting opportunity for participants: the Alan Elliot Merschen Scholarship for Social Impact. This additional scholarship encouraged students to develop their leadership skills and intercultural competencies beyond their campus engagement and make an impact in their local communities. Students who applied for the scholarship identified a local nonprofit and proposed a plan for meaningful collaboration with Webster students on their campus. The scholarship application submitted by Webster Tashkent students was selected, and these students will be making a difference in partnership with a nonprofit nonprofit called White Sail. The organization’s goal is to provide comprehensive and free support to children with developmental disabilities. Webster Tashkent students will be actively involved in supporting the organization’s activities, engaging in tasks such as organizing fun events for children, providing administrative support, and assisting the center’s professionals. They will begin their collaboration in the fall 2024 semester.