What does it mean to lead? UMB students are exploring that question while building the communication, collaboration, and professional skills needed to lead in their careers and communities.
Students from across the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) are investing in their leadership development and professional readiness through the 2026-2027 President’s Student Leadership Institute (PSLI), an interprofessional learning community offering workshops and learning opportunities throughout the academic year.
Open to all UMB students, PSLI brings together students from across the University’s schools and programs to explore leadership from a variety of perspectives. Students can participate in individual workshops based on their interests or engage more deeply with the institute by completing a set of core learning requirements.
Students joined PSLI with a range of goals and motivations. For one student, participation was an opportunity to make a difference while learning from peers. A nursing student connected leadership development directly to patient care, citing the importance of communication for patient outcomes. Another student, also in the health sciences, shared that leadership enables them to ensure that others have the resources and opportunities they need to receive the care they deserve.
This year’s workshops span topics designed to help students develop skills they can apply in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Offerings include Tips on Salary Negotiation, Learning to Coach as a Leadership Skill, AI Judgment for Graduate and Professional Students, Compassionate Communication, and sessions focused on effective and ethical leadership, career development, wellness, and civic and community engagement.
The institute’s approach begins with a simple but expansive question: What does it mean to lead?
At a recent Leadership 101 session, students explored leadership as an individual, organizational, and societal concept. Together, they examined UMB’s Universitywide learning outcome for leadership: “Leadership is a process in which individuals are inspired to behave in a certain way, usually toward a common goal or understanding.”
Rather than stopping with a single definition, students developed their own understandings of leadership through reflection and discussion. Their definitions emphasized ideas including collaboration, communication, change, dialogue, self-improvement, and inspiration.
By the end of the session, participants reported feeling more confident in their ability to lead.
That confidence reflects a central idea of PSLI: leadership is not limited to a particular title, position, or role. It is a collaborative process that students can practice and develop throughout their time at UMB and will continue to develop after graduation.
“Leadership education is about helping students recognize that they have the capacity to lead while creating opportunities for them to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that make leadership more effective,” said Sam Anderson, assistant director of student leadership and engagement in the UMB Student Affairs Office of Student Success, Leadership, and Engagement.
Students can participate in PSLI at whatever level fits their interests and schedules. Workshops are offered in person and online to accommodate students across all UMB programs. Students may attend a single workshop or participate in multiple sessions throughout the year. Students who complete the institute’s core requirements will earn a PSLI digital badge and receive an invitation to the Student Leadership Reception, recognizing their commitment to leadership development.
Through PSLI, students have an opportunity to learn alongside peers from across UMB, consider leadership in different contexts, and build skills that extend beyond the classroom and into their professional and civic lives.
Students interested in participating in upcoming PSLI sessions can view available workshops and register through UMBengaged.
The President's Student Leadership Institute is a program of the Office of Student Success, Leadership, and Engagement.