Students in Denison’s scholar-leader programs develop as transformational leaders who will make major societal contributions in their respective fields. These programs increase their competitive advantage for prestigious national fellowships, top graduate and professional programs, and employment in industry-leading companies.

Students lifting each other up

First Year

The Scholar-Leader First-Year Advising Experience is a community of first-year students who have an identifiable interest in leadership, academic enrichment, and selective fellowship opportunities. 

These courses provide a foundation of skills and experiences in preparation for leadership, scholarship, and service. In the first semester, students develop personal and professional skills that support a healthy transition to college. Students reflect on their values and goals to shape their career exploration and identify areas of potential academic scholarship and leadership impact. In the second semester, students focus on developing leadership and networking skills and exploring competitive fellowships, internships, and research opportunities. 

The Scholar-Leader First-Year Advising Experience includes the pre-orientation trip called Exordium (The Beginning) before fall classes.

Sophomore Year

The Scholar-Leader Sophomore Experience is a sequence of courses for sophomores that develops academic enrichment, leadership, civic engagement, and scholarship skills and emphasizes collaborative problem-solving. 

In the fall, students learn and assess their strengths and engage in experiential learning focused on exploring and researching expressed needs, whether on campus, in the community, or beyond. Students work in small groups to research those needs and network with leaders to learn about available services and potential areas for partnership. Successful completion of the fall course enables students to progress into the spring course, where they choose a pathway or project based on their research and networking experience. 

The goal is for students to channel their creativity and experience into a concrete plan that they work on together. Examples include the design of a project to address a specific need, a polished group application to a granting agency or other opportunity, a planned event, and so on. Students may enroll in the Scholar-Leader Project in their junior and senior years to move their projects to an implementation stage and continue to work collaboratively on their outcome.

Junior & Senior Years

Students who wish to implement their Scholar-Leader projects in their junior and senior years can enroll in INTD 380/381. These courses follow the same model as independent studies, which expects students to take the initiative on moving projects forward with only limited involvement and supervision by the advisor.