Building, Flying, and Assessing a New Academic Program in Leadership.

Abstract

The growing demand for leadership competencies in the global workforce has expanded undergraduate programs integrating leadership theory, organizational development, and data-driven decision-making. This paper examines the development of an undergraduate leadership program evaluation at a liberal arts college in the southern United States. Grounded in leadership development models and organizational development frameworks, the program combines interdisciplinary coursework, experiential learning, and professional networking to prepare students for leadership roles. A systematic evaluation approach-including needs assessment, program design analysis, implementation monitoring, and impact evaluation-ensures alignment with theory and workforce demands. Embedding program evaluation underscores the role of evidence-based assessment in leadership education. Reflections on challenges, lessons learned, and future directions offer insights for evaluating, sustaining, and enhancing similar programs.