Student leadership programs transition frequently asked questions

CLC combines the Student Leadership Program (SLP) and the Foundational Training Program (FTP) into a brand-new certificate program made by students for students. It offers a comprehensive approach to anti-oppressive, community centered leadership, emphasizing collaborative skills and practical knowledge. 

CLC consists of four sequential workshops: 

1. Foundations of Collaborative Leadership (FCL) 

2. Leading with Curiosity  

3. Collaborative Team Building 

4. Harm Reductive Communication and Conflict Resolution 

More details will be available in late April 2024. 

"Made by students for students" has three layers. First, students provided feedback on the original SLP and FTP program and pilot of CLC. Second, students lead and facilitate the workshops. And third, the main audience of the workshop is students.  

By reviewing feedback and asking questions each step of the way, the Coordinator, Student Development Programs, a full-time staff member with the Student Success Office (SSO), actively created and compiled the content for the four new workshops. 

The goal of "made by students for students" is to make sure the final result meets students’ needs. We want to explore problems and offer solutions that matter to students to help them in both their personal and professional lives. 

Registration for CLC opened April 22 2024, with the first course, "Foundations of Collaborative Leadership," offered in mid-May. Workshops for SLP/FTP will be available until the end of the winter 2024 term. 

No, students cannot transition or apply progress in SLP to CLC. However, students are welcome to complete any combination of SLP, FTP and/or CLC.  

For timelines on completing SLP, please refer below to "When do I need to complete my SLP/FTP?" 

Workshops for SLP/FTP were available until the end of the winter 2024 term.

SLP participants should complete their community hours and submit their final reflection by the end of spring term 2024. If this is not possible, please contact student.leadership@uwaterloo.ca. 

In response to feedback and insights gathered from current students, student leaders and co-op students, through focus groups, feedback forms and more, we initiated updates to the SLP and FTP programs. Students expressed the following feedback and wants:  

•     Integrating equity conversations into workshops  

•     Ensuring the program’s value post-graduation is clear and adds credibility to participants’ resumes 

•     Less time consuming and less repetition of content  

After reviewing the feedback, it confirmed the team’s decision to combine SLP and FTP into a single program. The goal of combing the two programs is to provide a more cohesive and impactful learning journey for students, meet the feedback from above and explore a new way of looking at leadership. 

CLC combines the best parts of SLP and FTP into one program. The initial course, "Foundations of Collaborative Leadership (FCL)," replaces FTP. FCL retains the crucial message about understanding the scope of a student leader role and making meaningful referrals. The three other redesigned workshops will cover leading with curiosity, collaborative team building and harm reductive communication. 

Both. CLC has designed workshops to accommodate various preferences and circumstances. The course registration on Portal will communicate the specific format for each workshop. CLC aims to support diverse learning needs, whether you prefer the flexibility of online participation or the in-person experience. 

Like SLP, in addition to the four required workshops, students must complete 10 leadership hours in paid or volunteer positions and submit a short, guided reflection. We currently don't expect any major additional requirements, though there might be some small adjustments.  

If you have specific questions or concerns, please reach out to our dedicated support team at student.leadership@uwaterloo.ca. We are here to help ensure a smooth transition for all students.