Mission, Vision & Values

Our Mission

The mission of the Weppner Center for LEAD and Service-Learning is to empower students' pursuit of their own developmental growth by cultivating lifelong leadership skills and engaging in experiential service learning to become more effective citizens in their community.

Our Vision

We are a Center that engages leaders of all kinds to become change agents.

Our Values

The "Seven C's" of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development

  • Consciousness of Self: Awareness of the beliefs, values, attitudes, and emotions that motivate one to take action.
  • Congruence: Thinking, feeling, and behaving with consistency, genuineness, authenticity, and honesty.
  • Commitment: Motivational energy to serve and that drives the collective effort. Commitment implies passion, intensity, and duration.
  • Collaboration: Working with others in a common effort. It constitutes the cornerstone value of the group leadership effort because it empowers self and others through trust.
  • Common Purpose: Working with shared aims and values. It facilitates the group’s ability to engage in collective analysis of the issues at hand and the task to be undertaken.
  • Controversy with Civility: Recognizes two fundamental realities of any creative group effort: that differences in viewpoint are inevitable, and that such difference must be aired openly but with civility.
  • Citizenship: Process whereby the individual and the collaborative group become responsibly connected to the community and the society through the leadership experience.

Our Guiding Principles

  • All students (not just those that hold formal leadership positions) are leaders
  • Leadership is a process rather than a position
  • Leadership is collaborative
  • Leadership is concerned with effecting change on behalf of others and society
  • Leadership should be value-based
  • Service is a powerful vehicle for developing students’ leadership skills

LEAD and Serve Staff

Email leadandserve@fau.edu or call 561-297-3735 to reach any of our team members below.

lopezml

Dr. Marlynn Lopez

Director

Weppner Center for LEAD and Service–Learning

maillopezm@fau.edu
location_on

Boca Raton Campus

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bcarmack

Bailey Carmack

Coordinator

Service–Learning and Civic Engagement

mailbcarmack2020@fau.edu
location_on

Boca Raton Campus

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christophert

Christopher “CJ” Thomas

Coordinator

Leadership Development and Outreach

mailchristophert2018@fau.edu
location_on

Boca Raton Campus

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zunigad

Daniela Zuniga

mailzunigad@fau.edu
location_on

Jupiter Campus

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History

In November 1995, Dr. Daniel Weppner, an Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership Department, requested support from the University President to establish a place on campus that would motivate students to get involved in volunteer services. In February of 1996, the Campus Volunteer Center (CVC) was opened.

Since 1996 the center has evolved into a place where 1000's of students come to get involved in their community. Originally established with just Dr. Weppner at the helm, it expanded its services to include more staff, more community partnerships, additional programming and an interactive website. In the year 2000, Students Association Volunteer Involvement, or SAVI, was established by the Student Government Association to serve as a partner in community service programming. In the following years, SAVI and the Volunteer Center services expanded to the Broward and Jupiter Campuses, expanding the FAU community service programs to additional Florida communities and students.

In the Fall of 2006, representatives from the FAU campuses began discussing further opportunities for partnership. Included in these discussions were plans to have university-wide programs like Alternative Spring Break, which first took place in Spring of 2007. Following the Alternative Spring Break trip, the campus representatives for the CVC came together and revisited the policy, procedure and mission of community service programs at FAU. With the support of Dr. Charles Brown, Vice President for Student Affairs, the center was renamed to the Center for Civic Engagement and Service. During the Summer of 2007, the Center was officially named the Dr. Daniel Weppner Center for Civic Engagement and Service with operating offices in Broward and Jupiter campuses. In 2014, the name was changed to the Weppner Center for Service-Learning and Civic Responsibility.

In July of 2014, LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) branched out from Student Involvement & Leadership. In July of 2015, after one year of existence as a standalone office, LEAD merged with the Weppner Center for Service-Learning and Civic Responsibility to become the Weppner Center for LEAD & Service Learning. Lead and Serve invested in students to become change agents as student leaders to full immerse themselves in social issues that students are passionate about. In 2019, the offices were separated and the Weppner Center moved to Student Activities & Involvement for a short period. In the spring of 2021, the two areas were reunited to continue the work that was set forth through new experiences. The Center that started as a table in the breezeway now offers programs and resources that benefit all of South Florida and ultimately, our world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Workshops are available for any FAU registered student organization or for a University Department. Whether you are conducting an officer or board member training, meeting, or hosting a development event, we can provide you with a comprehensive workshop on leadership education and/or development that meets your program outcomes and expectations and enhances the quality of teamwork and leadership within your group. We are happy to work with you to develop content specific to your event, training, meeting, or organization. We will built learning outcomes and assess the programs.

If you are interested to bringing a Workshop to your organization, please fill out the form located in the Resources section of our website, or come by our office in room 224 right above the Breezeway (SS-8). We are happy to answer any question you may have!

The Certified Student Leader program is a co-curricular certification available to students at Florida Atlantic University interested in enhancing their leadership knowledge, application, and skills through a variety of leadership opportunities. These opportunities may be tailored to students’ own interests, many of which are offered over the course of the academic year. This program must be completed in one academic year (for example, if begun in fall 2020 the program must be completed before the end of spring 2021) and students must start the program during the enrollment period (typically the first six weeks of every semester). This is an ideal opportunity for students to learn about leadership while allowing for the flexibility to accommodate their busy lives and schedules. Students who complete the program and are in good academic standing will receive a Certificate and will have the certification noted on their academic transcript.

More information about the program and how to sign up can be found at the link below.

/resources/clubsorgs/lead-and-serve/

The annual, iLead Student Leadership Conference is our largest leadership conference. The event consists of registration, opening keynote, breakout sessions (10-12 choices offered at each session), lunch, a panel, and afternoon experiential keynote. This event is open to FAU students and student organizations are required to have at least two representatives there as part of the annual re-registration process. This event has had 700-900 participants throughout the years. Registration for the Conference opens on August 1st and the conference is held each fall semester. The link below provides more information and registration.

/resources/clubsorgs/lead-and-serve/

There are several honor societies at Florida Atlantic University that recognize superior academic performance, as well as leadership accomplishment. Most often, you will receive invitation to join these organizations based on academic performance. More information on the Honor Societies can be found at the link below.

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The Elite Owls is a premiere ambassador leadership program designed to recognize exemplary student leaders at Florida Atlantic University. Through Elite Owls you are given the opportunity for personal leadership development as well as facilitating leadership development for students at FAU. Elite Owls along with FAU are in a period of tradition building and by becoming an Elite Owl you are able to not only be a part of the tradition but you are in the center of building the tradition yourself. More information on the year long term, appointed before the fall semester, can be found at the link below.

/resources/clubsorgs/lead-and-serve/elite-owls/

Yes we do! Please visit our site for more information on how to declare a minor in Leadership Studies and what new courses are available.

/resources/clubsorgs/lead-and-serve/

The Student Leadership Conference is the largest LEAD program at FAU and it grows every year. Participant numbers have ranged from 700-900 students. This conference continues to grow every year!

Participation in all programs (except the honor societies and some extended immersion experiences) is free to students! The only cost will be some time well spent.

Absolutely not. Our programs are open to all FAU students. Some of the programs are designed for either upper- or underclassmen or different levels of experience but all programs are available for all FAU students.

This program is designed to engage and involve faculty members in the development of students as future exemplary leaders within and beyond the campus community. Faculty are selected through an application and interview process, participate in training, and then facilitate several out-of-class leadership workshops/experiences for students during the course of the academic year in which they are selected. In exchange for facilitating these leadership experiences, faculty members are awarded an honorarium of $750.

More information about this faculty opportunity can found at the link below.

/resources/clubsorgs/lead-and-serve/

Omicron Delta Kappa-The founders of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, formulated the idea that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in college should be recognized, that representatives in all phases of college life should cooperate in worthwhile endeavors, and that outstanding students, faculty, and administrators should meet on a basis of mutual interest, understanding, and helpfulness. Since its founding, Omicron Delta Kappa has initiated over 300,000 members.

The National Society for Leadership and Success is also advised through Lead & Serve. This organization recruits primarily sophomore and juniors and includes a rich member development program for those interested in being initiated.

Absolutely enhance. In fact, there is much research to support the claim that students who get involved in leadership and developmental programs excel academically and exit college with more experience and connections than their “inactive” or un-involved counterparts.

The deadline for submitting hours varies by semester. Please review the Volunteer tab above for specific dates..

You may submit your volunteer hours to be posted to your transcript via NobleHour.com. Click here for instructions on how to create an account on NobleHour.com to submit your volunteer hours. If your volunteer hours are submitted by the set deadline for the respective semester then your volunteer hours will be added to your official college transcript for that semester. If it is submitted after a semester's deadline, the hours will be applied to the following semester. Submitting volunteer hours to be posted on the transcript may help you as you apply for graduate schools, scholarships, and even your future careers.

Students should check their unofficial transcript which can be found under the Self-Service section of myFAU. Volunteer hours show up under the corresponding semester they were submitted in and the unofficial transcript should say term comments: volunteer hours and list the amount of hours recorded for that semester. If you would like to check your official transcript, you must go to the Registrar’s Office located in the Student Support Building and ask for an official copy. If the official copy does not have the hours, please feel free to contact your campus LEAD office.

Definitely not! We encourage students to engage in volunteer work throughout our community, even if the organization is not listed on our website. However, please remember that we will only give service hours for work done at non-profit organizations, although some exceptions are made for those students in the pre-medical fields.

Unfortunately, at this time, we are not giving students service hours for student teaching, as it is a mandatory part of the Teacher Education curriculum. In addition, we are not giving hours for shadowing unless students are actively helping the doctors with whom they are working. As for unpaid internships, we will need to speak with students and make determinations based on an individual basis.

The Weppner Center will provide some sort of transportation opportunity when we are directly sponsoring an event. Depending on the number of volunteers, we may rent a bus or simply designate a meeting place for all volunteers in which we can arrange carpools.

Although we prefer that you stay current with your hours, we understand that you may have done some work previously and would like those hours to be recorded. If the hours can be verified by the supervisor of the organization, we will credit those hours to your transcript. However, all previously done volunteer work will be listed on your transcripts under the semester in which you submitted your hours.

There is a specific document (Non-FAU Risk Waiver) that must be signed by both the volunteer and the office in which you are volunteering. If the volunteer is under the age of 18, this document must also be signed by their parent or guardian.

You should contact your Student Conduct Officer who issued your sanction to verify whether or not you are able to do community service in the local community. For a listing of opportunities that are on-campus and in the community, please click here to see our listing.