Student Leadership Preparation Programmes

  1. About the Student Leadership Academy
  2. Student Leadership Preparation Programmes

Senior Prestige Leadership Development Programme

 

2025

Introduction

The Leadership Development Programme, presented by the Director of Student Life, is committed to empowering student leaders to drive meaningful change on campus and beyond. Rooted in the belief that student leadership is a catalyst for transformation, the programme focuses on identifying and nurturing students with the potential to lead. Through intentional development of leadership skills, critical thinking, and a values-driven mindset, students are equipped to lead confidently within Student Life structures and in the broader communities they serve. This programme exists to grow leaders who are adaptable, impactful, and ready to shape the future.

Focus

The theme, #KeepCalmAndBounceBack, centres on developing The Resilient Leader — someone who grows through adversity and leads with strength in challenging times. The focus is on helping students recognise their inner capacity to recover, adapt, and lead with confidence. Through key skills and mindset development, we aim to equip student leaders to turn setbacks into comebacks and embrace resilience as a core part of their leadership journey. Resilient theme includes:

Resilience

Topics include: 
•    Group Discussion on Current Affairs
•    Personality Preferences and Understanding yourself and others better
•    Campaigning Learning Opportunity and Public Speaking
•    Project Planning and Execution
•    Strategic Partnerships and Relationship Building
•    Various team-building activities
•    Report writing and email etiquette
•    Emotional Intelligence - Working with different people
 

Potchefstroom Campus (2024)

Leadership Development

Introduction

The Director: Student Life, in collaboration with Student Counselling and Development, are presenting an annual leadership development programme for students with leadership potential. The purpose of the course is to add value to a students’ formative and developmental process, by means of identification, development and improvement of their leadership potential and capability, which will enable them to ultimately fulfil several leadership roles in the organized Student Life and the larger community.

Focus

This year, we will focus on finding the #treasurewithin with Unlocked Leadership. Attention will thus be directed to facilitating recognition and utilisation of students’ inherent leadership qualities, providing keys (skills and knowledge) that will aid students in finding their #treasureswithin and unlocking their own leadership potential and capabilities.

 

Topics include

  • Student Leadership Narratives – Storytelling
  • MBTI – Personality traits
  • The balance between Student leadership vs other responsibilities
  • Student Judicial Services (SJS)
  • Psycho-Social Support Session
  • Project Planning and Execution

Mahikeng Campus (2024)

Leadership Development

Introduction

The Director: Student Life for the very first time, is implementing a prestigious leadership development programme for students with leadership potential. The purpose of the course is to add value to a student’s formative and developmental process by means of identification, development and improvement of their leadership potential and capability, which will enable them to ultimately fulfill several leadership roles in the organised Student Life and the larger community.

Focus

The focus and theme for this year is: "Ascend to Excellence: #SoaringTowardSuccess".

Sessions include

  • Soaring towards success – The why of leadership
  • Student Life Standards & Offerings
  • Conflict and Communication Management
  • Self-reflection and Self-discovery
  • Emotional Intelligence -  Working with different people
  • Report writing and email etiquette
  • Communication to stakeholders
  • Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects

Potchefstroom Campus (2023)

Introduction

The Director: Student Life, in collaboration with Student Counselling and Development, are presenting an annual leadership development programme for students with leadership potential. The purpose of the course is to add value to a students’ formative and developmental process, by means of identification, development and improvement of their leadership potential and capability, which will enable them to ultimately fulfil several leadership roles in the organized Student Life and the larger community.

Focus

This year, the focus will be #LEAVEYOURMARK (Leaving a lasting and significant impression)

  • Mission & Mission Field
  • Abilities, Attitudes & Achievability
  • Route, Recipe & Resilience
  • Kudos

Topics include

  • Advice for Student Leaders
  • Workplace Leadership: Start with the end goal in mind
  • Relationship Building/Networking/Stakeholder Engagement
  • Intergenerational Workplace and Student Life Dynamics
  • Student Life Language Plan and Language Portraits
  • Student Leadership and Governance
  • Reconfiguration of Student Life
  • Student Life Extract, Integrity, and Work Ethic.

 

Leave-a-Legacy

preparation programmes

The SCC: Students’ Interest and Development Officer has identified the need for first years on campus to have access to a more immersive student life experience, by educating them on how leadership and management structures work at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus.

This programme, in collaboration with Student Counselling and Development (SCD), ensures the expansion of the NWU’s unique brand of student identity across the entire NWU student populace, as we can educate ourselves about leadership platforms and improve our servant leadership to our student populace.

SCD sessions

SCD sessions include:

  • Power of influence - Your Uniqueness to Inspire Change
  • Achieving leadership success and efficient goal setting
  • Conflict Management & Effective Teamwork
  • Crisis Management and Solution Development

SCC:SID sessions

SCC:SID sessions include:

  • Introduction and management and student services
    Explaining LAL.
    Development program includes.
    Explaining the relevant student services, complaint procedure and management engagements.
  • NWU Leadership structure information
    Where to get involved, who is who, and who will be able to help.
    Talking about servant leadership.
    Informal introduction to the portfolios and which each portfolio stands for as well as the obligations and procedure.
  • Guest speaker
    This event involves an external party from the NWU leadership structures to touch on their experience with leadership.
  • Informal event
    Students are responsible for organising an informal event, to put all the practical skills and interests to application.