The mission of the Center for Leadership and Service is to provide students with developmental and experiential opportunities that foster leadership and community involvement, grounded in values and moral purpose. Through leadership education, service learning, advocacy, and volunteerism, students will become active citizens on campus, in their respective communities, and in the workplace.

The Center operates under the following key assumptions

• Leadership is concerned with effecting change on behalf of others and society
• Leadership is collaborative
• Leadership is a process rather than a position
• Leadership is value-based
• All students (not just those in formal positions) are potential leaders
• Service is a powerful vehicle for developing students' leadership skills

The goals of the CLS are to provide programs that:

• Enhance student learning and development; more specifically, to develop in each student participant greater:
  • Self-knowledge: understanding of one's talents, values, and interests, especially as these relate to the student's capacity to provide effective leadership
  • Leadership competence: the capacity to mobilize oneself and others to serve and work collaboratively
  • Active Citizenship: to encourage students to realize their potential to impact their community through volunteerism and service-learning

• Facilitate positive social change at the university and in the community. That is, to undertake action which will help the university and community to function more effectively and humanely.
• Prepare students to assume leadership roles on campus, in the community, and in the workplace