Highlights of the SRLS:
- Straightforward 103-question (15-minute) survey developed specifically to assess leadership qualities of college students
- Based on values associated with the Social Change Model, a leadership style emphasizing collaborative relationships and people working together to effect positive change
- Research-based survey; currently not self-scorable; contact the National Clearinghouse on Leadership Programs at University of Maryland to obtain survey and scoring information
Uses of the SRLS:
- Can be administered as a stand-alone instrument for particular students or student groups to understand leadership qualities of individuals or student cohorts
- Can be combined with other demographic surveys (e.g., the NSSE) to examine relationships between leadership qualities and student characteristics
- Can be administered as a pre- and post-test around a curricular or co-curricular activity (e.g., a service learning course) to study the effects of that particular activity on an individual’s or group’s leadership skills
Liberal Arts Outcomes and the SRLS:
- Ideal instrument for assessing college students’ leadership skills, abilities to understand leadership concepts, and awareness of their role in serving the campus community, family, workplace, and society
- The SRLS assesses a model of leadership which incorporates a number of human qualities, including citizenship and consciousness of self; therefore, besides directly examining leadership as an outcome, the SRLS also might examine other liberal arts outcomes, such as well-being and effective reasoning and problem solving
- The SRLS provides one avenue of leadership assessment, but using quantitative instruments alone cannot provide the rich data needed to truly assess the overall effectiveness of the liberal arts experience; a variety of other quantitative instruments along with targeted qualitative assessment would provide the best overall picture of the success of liberal arts educational practices
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