The Leadership Academy @ Saunders

These free certification programs provide all RIT students across all colleges to build personal leadership skills for co-op and career success in a fun and engaging environment. No matter your field, all students benefit from these co-curricular experiences as they look great on resumes and better prepare students for co-op and job opportunities. Sponsored by the Leadership Academy @ Saunders, these programs are run by Saunders faculty, student leaders, and alumni across various industries.

Business Skills for Aspiring Leaders Certificate Program

Develop foundational business concepts and practices that will advance your corporate and entrepreneurial leadership and set yourself up for career success.

Goal

To introduce non-business students to critical business concepts and skills to help them effectively navigate the professional world. Students will put these concepts and skills into practice through an interactive case study and workshops facilitated by Saunders faculty, alumni and industry coaches, and upper-class student leaders.

Spring Semester 2024

Dates and details to be announced soon.

Outcomes:

• Students will become familiar with core business concepts and terminology.
• Students will be better prepared for success in co-ops and jobs by building their knowledge in business leadership and professional skills needed for workplace effectiveness.
• Students will be more confident presenters and networkers.
• Students will have a greater understanding of how various business disciplines interact in a company.
• Students will build skills to more effectively communicate on multidisciplinary teams that include leads from engineering, art and design, technology, and business.
• Students will put these business skills into practice by completing a 6-week business strategy activity.

Foundational Leadership for Career Success Certificate Program

Power your leadership potential and step forward to success!

Goal

To introduce students to the critical concepts and skills needed for career success in any industry and provide an opportunity to put these skills into practice through meaningful, fun, and interactive challenges facilitated by Saunders faculty, alumni/industry leaders, and upper-class student leaders.

Spring Semester 2024

Dates and details to be announced soon.

Outcomes:

• Students will be better prepared for success in co-ops and jobs by building their knowledge in the leadership and professional skills needed for workplace effectiveness.
• Students will be able to articulate their strengths and areas for development.
• Students will be able to identify personal and professional short and long term goals.
• Students will be more confident presenters and networkers.
• Student will have a greater understanding of how to navigate workplace culture and etiquette.
• Students will build communication and emotional intelligence skills, such as conflict management, self-advocacy, resiliency & courage, and building rapport & finding common ground with others.
• Students will put skills into practice by completing a semester long challenge/competition activity.

Leading High Performance Teams Certificate Program

Influence, motivate, and empower others to positively impact organizational culture, achieve business goals by engaging in creative problem solving, build productive relationships, and develop trust and credibility.

Goal

Introduce students to the critical concepts and skills needed for effectively leading teams in any industry or organization. Provide an opportunity to put these skills into practice through meaningful, fun, and interactive challenges facilitated by Saunders faculty, alumni and industry leaders, and upper-class student leaders. 

Fall Semester 2023

Business Activities Center (BAC)
Meetings are on Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m. (light dinner will be provided) 
Dates: Sept 26, Oct 3, Oct 17, Oct 24, and Nov 7
*must be able to attend all sessions in-person
Application deadline: Friday, September 15

Outcomes

By participating in the program, students will:

• Develop their own leadership identity
• Explore best practices in leading, motivating, and influencing others
• Learn strategies for navigating teams through team development stages
• Discuss practices for managing crisis, change, and conflict
• Explore strategies for creating inclusive and positive work cultures
• Build presentation and networking skills

Apply

Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement

Leading Change in a Global Environment Certificate Program

More information coming soon!

There are leadership training opportunities for students from high school through to graduate school, as well as alumni and employers. Explore the options below to find leadership opportunities tailored for you.

High School Student Programs

Students Leading Business Camp
Offered at RIT's Camp Tiger during the summer, Students Leading Business is open to high school students (grades 9 - 12). The workshop provides high schoolers with the opportunity to learn about a variety of business fields while engaging in dynamic leadership skill-building activities. 

DECA Region 10 Conference at RIT
Saunders College is proud to partner with local and national high school organizations like DECA. Each year, Saunders College hosts the DECA Region 10 Conference at RIT, inviting DECA students to present their business plans to local business leaders who serve as the competition’s judges.

YEA! Conference and Competition
Saunders College is a proud sponsor of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). Each year, Saunders College hosts the YEA! Saunders Scholars Competition, which brings together top student businesses from around the country to compete to win scholarship dollars and business start-up prize packages. View the 2022 YEA! Competition Final.

Women Leading Business Event
This event invites high school women (grades 9-11) interested in learning more about careers in business from successful women business leaders. More information on date and registration for 2022 coming soon! (Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement)

Undergraduate Student Programs

Peer Mentorship Program
The Peer Mentorship Program assists incoming business students to become acclimated to Saunders College of Business and RIT’s campus, for a strong and successful start to your college career.

Leadership Academy Certificate Programs
The free certification programs at Saunders provide all students at RIT, across all colleges/majors, to build personal leadership skills for co-op and career success in a fun and engaging environment.

• Leading High Performance Teams Certificate Program - fall
• Saunders Foundational Leadership for Career Success Certificate Program - spring
• Leading Change in a Global Environment Certificate Program - coming soon

Women Leading Business Conference - spring
(Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement)

Leadership Case Competition Day
Put your leadership knowledge and skills to the test and compete for cash prizes with students from across the RIT campus to solve complex leader challenges in a fun team environment. Dinner provided. Spring semester – dates for 2022 coming soon.

Graduate Student Programs

Leadership Academy Certificate Programs
The free certification programs at Saunders provide all students at RIT, across all colleges/majors, to build personal leadership skills for co-op and career success in a fun and engaging environment.

• Leading High Performance Teams Certificate Program - fall
• Saunders Foundational Leadership for Career Success Certificate Program - spring
• Leading Change in a Global Environment Certificate Program - coming soon

Women Leading Business Conference - spring
(Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement)

Leadership Case Competition Day
Put your leadership knowledge and skills to the test and compete for cash prizes with students from across the RIT campus to solve complex leader challenges in a fun team environment.  Dinner provided. Spring semester – dates for 2022 coming soon.

Community Members, Alumni and Business Professionals

Step Forward Women's Coaching and Leadership Development Retreat
This intensive, two-day coaching and development experience gives you the tools, resources, and support to get where you’re going—quickly. Immediately apply what you learn. Share best practices with your talented peers. Build the foundation for a life of leadership—at work, at home, in your community. (Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement)

Women’s Professional Leadership Program
Build your leadership skills and a strong network at the same time!  This eight-week program will give participants the opportunity to learn and practice critical concepts for career success, including communication and presentation skills, vision, strategy, and goal setting, courage and confidence, resilience, self-advocacy, and negotiation skills. Leader assessments and Coaching included. More information coming soon on dates and offerings. (Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement)

Professional Personal Leadership Program
Three-day program to build professional skills for workplace success. Focused activities and reflection on the following topics: self-awareness and management, managing your boss, emotional intelligence at work, personal goal setting, growing your influence and personal power. DISC and Emotional intelligence Assessments provided. More information coming soon on dates and offerings.

Leading Dynamic Teams Program
Three-day program to learn and practice the critical skills to lead people and achieve organizational and team results. Focused activities and reflection on self-awareness through a 360 coaching and development process, team assessments, setting a vision, creating a positive work culture, managing conflict, practicing accountability and achieving results. More information coming soon on dates and offerings.

Customized Workshops and Programs
Our customized workshops and programs cover a variety of topics via Saunders Executive Education, including emotional intelligence at work, building productive work relationships, resilience and courage, team dynamics and high performing team techniques, emerging leaders program, credible leadership, leading change, and performance management.

The Saunders Peer Mentorship Program assists incoming business students to become acclimated to the Saunders College of Business & RIT’s campus, for a strong and successful start to their college careers. Through our one-on-one Mentor/Mentee Program, the incoming students will learn from their upperclassmen regarding their experiences from Co-op, Study Abroad, and Student Life. The program encourages the incoming business students to build relationships from experienced role models such as their peers, faculty, and alumni, who will encourage and motivate them to achieve their career goals. Mentors and Mentees are expected to meet a minimum of once a month from August - November and attend two program community events for the fall semester.

Who are our Mentors?

Our Mentors are a team of experienced upperclassmen from all different majors at Saunders who act as role models for the incoming business students. They assist them with any questions and concerns the students might have about The Saunders College of Business, student life, clubs, majors, minors, immersions, co-ops, and career paths.

Sign-up to be a Mentor in the Peer Mentorship Program

Who are our Mentees?

Our Mentees are our incoming business students ranging from first years, second years, and transfer students. As a Mentee they will have the opportunity to attend networking events with peers and faculty and to meet with our great alumni community, who were once in their shoes!

Sign-up to be a Mentee in the Peer Mentorship Program