Master of Success is currently interviewing for Spring 2010!

Apply for the Masters of Success Program

Synopsis

Masters of Success is a 12-14 week advance leadership program for 12-14 students junior level and above. The program runs January 14 (opening ceremony) to April 30th (closing ceremony). Students meet for two hours on Thursdays from 4-6pm in the Memorial Union during the Spring semester. Students initially gather during an opening ceremony, attend a weekend retreat, and learn leadership concepts through interactive workshops and a reality based team competition. The competition results in a completed project/presentation given to a panel of judges made up of business owners from the Fargo area at the end of the semester. The large group is broken into two separate teams that will compete for internship and a trip to a major leadership conference. Winners are announced at the closing ceremony at the end of the year.

Each Thursday meeting consists of a brief 30 minute leadership workshop, refreshments, and some time for teams to work on their projects.

The outcome of MOS is to have students discover new methodologies for creating change, influence, and leadership to serve others. The performance technology used to create such change is proprietary to NDSU and the Memorial Union. Please see below for common theories used.

Structure

This year, the NDSU Memorial Union's Masters of Success Program is proud to announce it's new collaborative partnership with Fargo's own Vanity/EVanity Clothing Stores! The partnership is an effort to bring real world business' onto the NDSU campus to provide students with real world learning.

This year's program will focus on business leadership in a corporate retail environment. Men and women from all majors are invited to apply for this fast-paced experiential leadership program. Four areas will be emphasized in this year's program: Leadership, eCommerce, Marketing, and Fashion Sales. If you have at least a junior level standing and have experience or desire experience in any of the above areas, we encourage you to apply.

What students really get
The Masters of Success Advanced Leadership Program prepares you for the real world of leadership and success. Would you like employers to call you for a job rather than having to interview? Would you like to be able to tell whether or not your future employer will help you to be successful? What's the difference between being a leader on campus versus the real world? The Masters of Success program is designed to teach participants how to create maximum impact as an individual and a leader.

In today's fast paced global environment, graduates in every field compete, work, and struggle to find a way to be a leader; hoping to discover the secret to success. Companies are also finding new ways to outsmart their competition, build the next generation of products, and to find outstanding graduates from colleges nationwide who will help make this happen.

At North Dakota State University, we strive to help our students understand the true nature of the workforce both positive and negative. We help our students understand what questions to ask an employer to determine a company's viability, leadership structure, decision making ability, empowerment of its employees, and whether the company's leaders will help the student to succeed or inadvertently sabotage the students ability to advance.

Like a lot of new graduates, you might be feeling that you will have to once again "start from the bottom" at your new company. You may have to blindly navigate your way around power hungry supervisors, colleagues who try to undermine your success, or simply not understand the company's culture. The Masters of Success program has been thoroughly and pragmatically designed to educate you on some of the following core competencies:

• Understanding how to decipher the "real" company profile and culture in an interview
• How to tell when an employment offer should be turned down and why
• Negotiating the first job offer; including asking for more money and benefits
• How to effectively ascertain the leadership ability of company leaders
• What factors ensure a successful first job experience
• How to develop credibility, impact, and success within the first 90 days of employment
• How to discover how team members function, relate, and encourage cooperation or competition
• How to become a leader in your first job even before the first day of work
• How to effectively create positive change as a new employee
• How to develop positive relationships with supervisors and colleagues
• Reversing dysfunctional teams
• Making the often overlooked transition from the college to career world
• How to set yourself up for your next position
• How to forecast downsizing and become indispensable
• How to determine if a company is designed to set you up for success or failure
• and so much more!

Mission

MOS prepares students to be highly capable, competent, and effective leaders.

Our Vision

The Masters of Success Program at NDSU strives to engage students in the ever-changing world of business and teaches them to develop innovative, real-world solutions to leadership and business challenges.

The program attracts NDSU's top students. Through rigorous curriculum and the latest research on leadership and success, students will learn a multitude of leadership and interpersonal skills that executives and employees struggle to attain in today's corporate environment.

With numerous connections to alumni in business and industry, the program strives to benefit both students and the corporate community. With access to exemplary instructors, intensive project skill development, simulations, and real-world business networks, our students develop the advanced knowledge they need to become the successful leaders of the future.

Participants

Each year a select group of students are nominated and may also apply to be a part of prestigious team of 14-20 students. The number of students chosen for each program depends on the quality of the student and not a quota to fill 20 slots. Students in the program come from all disciplines and fields of study. Students may begin applying for the program in the Fall semester of their junior year for the Spring semester program.

"Student of the Year":

Jessica Neumann - 2007

Sindhuja Sankaran - 2008

Judy Novotny - 2009

Will it be you? - 2010

Pedagogy and Methodology

The Masters of Success (MOS) Program uses the Student Based Learning Model along with current corporate leadership strategies to analyze what will help students truly succeed in various types of corporate environments.

Using methodologies such as brain based learning, reality based learning, and problem based learning, the MOS builds each of its workshops around the needs of the student and his or her peer team to create a one of kind learning experience. Several inventories designed to capture the multiple facets of each individual are used to determine the type of experiences and workshop content each group of students undergo throughout this semester long program.

History

Founded in 2000, the Masters of Success advanced leadership program is the brainchild of a once failed student and Steve Winfrey, a leadership program advisor who vowed to never again hear the phrase, "What are you teaching your students about leadership? It's just not working".

The student was once a part of one of Steve's basic level leadership programs. The student was very bright and well liked by students, faculty and administrators alike. He was the type of student to be voted, "Most Likely to Succeed".

After graduating, this same student experienced the harsh difference between the safe environment of a college setting and the hard core reality of today's workforce. After being fired from his $50,000 six month position, the student telephoned Steve and asked the dreaded and unforgettable question, "What are you teaching your students about leadership?" The student was being fired from his first job. What did he do wrong? Why did he not see this coming? Why did his intelligence, training and ability to make friends fail him right out of college? These questions had to be answered.

After several minutes on the phone, the two decided to meet. After four hours of intense conversation, the meeting was finally over and the pilot program for the next generation leadership program was born.

Today, the student has his master's degree in agriculture and his happily working as a successful businessman and farmer in Minnesota.

Sponsors

The Masters of Success Program is primarily sponsored by the Memorial Union.

If you wish to be a mentor/job coach for the Masters of Success program, please contact the program director at (701) 231-9446; steve.winfrey@ndsu.edu.

The Masters of Success Advance Leadership Program is housed within NDSU's Memorial Union where several other leadership, involvement, and campus programs are developed and implemented. The Memorial Union has recently undergone a revision in goals for their leadership programs and is now proud to proclaim the development of ten other leadership programs including:

LeaderQuest-entry level leadership program

Gamma Chi Lambda-Greek leadership program

Kujenga (to build in Swahili): winter diversity and leadership retreat

Omega Project-civic engagement and service learning program

Summer Leadership Institute- leadership program for incoming students

TeamQuest- adventure based leadership programs for learning how to work in teams

Social Justice Retreat- two day civic engagement conference

Individual Leadership Coaching

Further questions will be answered by contacting Steve Winfrey at 231-9446 or steve.winfrey@ndsu.edu

The Masters of Success program meets Thursdays from 4-6 pm in the Memorial Union.

Application Process:

Applicants must complete the following in order to be considered for an interview:

• Completed application form by November 9, 2009 by 4pm - APPLICATION

Once you've completed your application, sign up for an interview time by contacting the Administrative Secretary of the Memorial Union Administration Office at 231-8241. Interviews are approximately 30 45 minutes long. All interviews will take place in the Director's Office of the Memorial Union located on the upper level of the Memorial Union in the Administration Office.

All forms of interview formats will be implemented using problem based questions; experience based questioning, and yes/no answers. Dress is formal. All details of the interview will be documented to assist the staff with making the best selection for the final team.

Applicant minimum qualification criteria:

• Junior, senior or graduate level status.
• Possess a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative GPA or express reason why the GPA criteria should be waived.
• Commitment to attend all Thursday workshops (Jan 21 to Apr 29; 4-6pm), opening ceremony January 14 at 6pm), opening retreat (Feb 5 at 6pm to Feb 7th at 2pm), presentation of project (Wed Apr 28), and closing ceremony (Apr 30 at 6pm).

Fee:

A leadership training program like the Masters of Success normally costs $1000-$2000 per day. NDSU students are offered this program for free. We cover all workshops, speakers, refreshments, retreats (inc. transportation, food, and lodging), opening/closing ceremony, and all books and materials.

Expectations of admitted students:

If chosen to be a part of MOS, all participants will strictly adhere to the following:

• Attend every designated workshop, one retreat and closing ceremony
• Complete all reading assignments
• Actively participate in all workshop sessions and simulations
• Have the ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Adhere to the highest ethical standards
• Conduct him/herself in a professional manner in and outside of the program
• Commit him/herself to the study and practice of authentic leadership