The Center for Citizen Leaders and Sports Ethics has been in development since the fall of 2018. Despite not having a current permanent location, student-athletes are benefiting from new learning opportunities that focus on leadership, career and personal development and community engagement. New programming will continue to be introduced over the course of the next few semesters.
The renovation of the McCue Center, which will serve as the home for the Center, and the construction of the Olympic Sports Center are critical components of the Athletics Master Plan. Programming in partnership with University resources will continue to be held with student-athletes with a focus on the following areas:
As the cornerstone of the Center for Citizen Leaders and Sports Ethics, the Leadership Academy provides students meaningful programming and networking opportunities with University, regional, national, and international thought leaders in various fields. The Academy emphasizes ethical leadership and decision making, and in doing so equips its members with the tools necessary to be both great and good, true citizen leaders.
The Leadership Academy's first year experience revolves around ethical leadership. Students explore their own values and how they want to impact the world, while also learning from current thought leaders, as they discuss the ethical questions and standards in their respective fields. Partnerships with the Batten School of Public Policy, the Darden School of Business, and the Center for Contemplative Sciences provide a model for best practice, as we draw upon and introduce our student-athletes to leadership ideals.
As we continue to develop the second-year experience for our advanced leaders, we are focused on community and project based experiential learning that provides students exposure to the broader issues effecting their communities, while creating tangible change. This advanced experience includes a yearly service-learning trip that includes community engagement, career development, and education around issues impacting the broader world.
UVA President Jim Ryan spoke to the UVA Student-Athlete Leadership Academy about being Great and Good, how it creates excellence, and the importance of athletics to the University.
The inaugural class of the UVA Student-Athlete Leadership Academy: Developing the student and the athlete by enhancing ethical leadership through interactive experience.
The UVA Student-Athlete Academy partners with UVA's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and its Center for Leadership: The Situation Room Simulation.
The UVA Student-Athlete Leadership Academy heard from Ed Freeman, professor of business administration at UVA's Darden School of Business, learning how leadership, ethics and success comingle with Virginia athletics competition.
Our student-athletes have excelled in the classroom for decades and have been fixtures on the annual ACC Honor Roll. We need to bolster our tutoring and mentoring programs and improve the technology, testing and other learning tools available to our student-athletes. In addition, we need to meet the demands for student- athletes to attend summer school.
Athletics seeks to launch a Leadership Academy in collaboration with academic units on Grounds to develop curriculum designed to enhance leadership skills in student-athletes. This Academy will include a speakers' series that will bring leaders across multiple industries to Grounds.
To fully develop well-rounded citizens, the athletics department desires to create comprehensive programming related to financial literacy, substance abuse, relationship violence, hazing, sexual assault, resiliency, stress management, and many other areas.
Intercollegiate athletics provides significant opportunities to develop skills that are valued in the workplace. However, without proper career preparedness programming, including assessment and planning tools; faculty, alumni, and employer engagement opportunities; and support for professional development travel and internship opportunities, these skills cannot be maximized to their fullest extent. Customized career coaching for each student-athlete will be an essential element of the program.
The most exciting and high-impact opportunities for our student-athletes include several community outreach opportunities in the Commonwealth and beyond. Programming includes an elementary school program designed to engage UVA student-athletes with the community by promoting the importance of education as well as service learning opportunities in underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Other program naming opportunities are available. Please call the VAF office for more details.
| Facility Naming Opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Center for Citizen Leaders and Sports Ethics | $10,000,000 |
| Career Development Suite - RESERVED | $100,000 |
| Multi-Purpose Classroom | $100,000 |
| Study Lounge - RESERVED | $100,000 |
| Tutor Rooms (12) | $50,000 |
| Staff Offices | $50,000 |
| Endowment Opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Academic Achievement Program | $15,000,000 |
| Summer School Program | $10,000,000 |
| Community Engagement Program | $5,000,000 |
| Leadership Development Program | $3,500,000 |
| Career Development Program | $3,500,000 |
| Personal Development Program | $2,000,000 |
| Senior Level Staff Positions | $500,000 each |
| Assoc., Asst. and Dir. Staff Positions | $250,000 each |