Global Student Leadership Summit – Success of student action plans after one year

Webster students line up during an activity at the 2023 Global Student Leadership Summit.

Over the past academic year, students participating in the Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS) 2023 in Leiden have used their leadership skills to drive improvements on their home campus. They have focused on improving connections between students and increasing overall student engagement at campus events. Each campus group has finalized their action plans between August 2023 and April 2024, with the following highlights:

• Athens: Event attendance increased by 10%; SGA membership increased by 5 students
• Geneva: Implementing guidelines for student organizations to ensure mission focus and active participation; collaborating with Student Services on a newsletter and WhatsApp group to communicate important information and promote activities
• Georgia: Founding of the SGA with representatives from all major countries; founding of interest clubs, including newspaper club, podcast club and debating club
• Ghana: Preparing Ghanaian students for relocation to new campuses by building relationships with students and staff in St. Louis, Geneva and Leiden; conducting regular check-ins with Ghanaian students at their new campuses
• Leiden: More activities during the orientation session for new students to create contacts between students
• St. Louis: Event submissions on involved.webster.edu increased 88% from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024
• Tashkent: The number of participants increased by 20% on average; SGA membership increased by 15%
• Vienna: Establishment of a debating club based on a survey of student interest and ensuring consistency and continuity of the club’s offerings.

Webster University Georgia students present their action plan at the conclusion of the 2023 Global Student Leadership Summit.

In addition to their collective efforts, students’ individual assessment results following the summit showed the following results:

• Improved interpersonal communication skills / better opportunities to build connections
• Better understanding of other leadership styles / learning from others
• Increased confidence in oral presentation skills
• More open and enthusiastic opportunities for intercultural communication

Webster Athens students present their campus action plan.

The GSLS is a high-impact learning practice for a group of student leaders from across Webster’s global network. These students were selected for their strong leadership potential and ability to collaborate across differences. The 2023 event will be the fourth summit hosted by Webster University. Thanks to the generosity of alumnus Alan Elliott Merschen (MA, ’82), the 2023 program has been fully funded for all students selected to participate. Planning is underway for the 2025 summit, also funded by Merschen.

A group of students and leaders from the Global Student Leadership Summit gather for a photo.

On the final day of the summit in May 2023, Merschen announced another exciting opportunity for participants: the Alan Elliott Merschen Social Impact Grant. This additional grant encouraged students to use their leadership skills and intercultural competency beyond their on-campus involvement and make an impact in their local communities. Students who applied for the grant identified a local, nonprofit organization and proposed a plan for meaningful collaboration with Webster students on their campus. The grant application submitted by Webster Tashkent students was selected, and these students will make a difference with the non-governmental nonprofit organization called White Sail. The goal of this organization is to provide comprehensive and free support for children with developmental disabilities. Webster Tashkent students will actively participate in supporting the organization’s activities, taking on tasks such as developing fun events for children, providing administrative support, and assisting the center’s professionals. They will begin their collaboration in the fall semester of 2024.