Leadership Excellence and Advisor Education (LEAD)

In research from 2007-2008 conducted by the American College Honor Societies (ACHS), the greatest challenge mentioned by member societies was advisors. Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society is a proud member of ACHS and began examining this information further. Mortar Board found that retaining advisors, building satisfactory advisory teams, acquiring and supporting advisors and maintaining good connections with campus administrators were all opportunity areas. In late 2009, Mortar Board created a curriculum to encourage administrators and faculty to advise and develop their advising skills.

Participants in LEAD will learn how to:

  • Create and maintain a strong advisory team to help the chapter and balance each advisor’s workload
  • Use social media effectively to create awareness and respect on campus
  • Advise a collegiate chapter’s leadership team, including officers or the executive committee
  • Cultivate relationships among a diverse group of students
  • Improve students’ co-curricular education through many opportunities for teaching and interacting outside of the classroom
  • Help chapter leaders apply their existing skills to the unique leadership situations they face
  • Enhance the advisor’s interpersonal assets to work best with students
  • Apply best practices in student organization advisement, such as social media management, fundraising, motivation, conflict resolution and risk management

LEAD is sponsored by the Frances Aicher Lewis Endowment, the Steadman Endowment and the Mortar Board National Foundation.

More about LEAD

Who may participate in LEAD?

In addition to training Mortar Board advisors, the LEAD faculty are happy to develop programs for other honor societies, campuses, and various student organizations. Since 2009, Mortar Board has provided training for more than 200 advisors from five different organizations.

What does it mean to be a Certified Organization Advisor?

The successful completion of LEAD provides participants with a credential that is meaningful personally and in the workplace. The designation earned is Certified Organization Advisor, or COA.