Volume 6, Issue 2 (JUNE: Special Issue 2025)                   johepal 2025, 6(2): 93-108 | Back to browse issues page

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Vaughn L, Burns J. (2025). Pathways to Involvement: The Role of Graduate Student Government in Leadership Learning. johepal. 6(2), 93-108. doi:10.61186/johepal.6.2.93
URL: http://johepal.com/article-1-1257-en.html
Pathways to Involvement: The Role of Graduate Student Government in Leadership Learning
Laura Vaughn * , Joshua Burns
Abstract:   (317 Views)
Student government is commonly seen as a way for students in U.S. higher education to engage in shared governance and develop leadership skills for future careers. However, this perspective often centers on undergraduate students and overlooks the role of graduate student populations. Graduate student government associations offer valuable opportunities for leadership development, helping graduate students build leadership identity, capacity, and efficacy. This article highlights the significance of student government involvement in fostering leadership growth. It also explores the experiences of the authors and three international graduate students who actively participated in graduate student government. Through their involvement, these students were able to strengthen their leadership abilities and gain meaningful experience that contributed to their personal and professional development. By focusing on graduate students, this article broadens the understanding of student government’s role in higher education and emphasizes its potential to empower diverse student groups in their leadership journeys through aspects of leadership identity, capacity, and efficacy.
Keywords: Graduate Student Government, Graduate Students, Student Government, International Students, Leadership
Full-Text [PDF 1486 kb]   (163 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/01/13 | Accepted: 2025/05/1 | Published: 2025/06/30
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