Relationship between Leadership Participation in College and after College

Co -curricular involvement of West Virginia four-year state college students and the statistical relationship with post -graduate community and professional involvement, leadership, salary, and job satisfaction

“…They attributed their findings, however, to the fact that the study examined a period (especially concerning the older graduates) when participation in co-curricular activities was not held in great favor. Jepson (1951) Christenson (1969) also reported higher income as one of the long-term personal gains of students who participated in student government, as did Downey, Bosco, and Silver (1984) and Roskens (1958).…”

“…If the development of student involvement and leadership opportunities has resulted in the relationship indicated by the literature, then what remains is the continuation of such activity among students after they graduate and enter the workforce. Several studies have been conducted during the last 50 years to determine the relationship between college involvement and leadership positions in the lives of students after they graduate (Bruins, 1985;Burton, 1974;Florestano, 1970;Roskens, 1958;Shandley, 1988;and Sommers, 1991). Bruins (1985), in a study of high school students in Scottsdale, Arizona, tried to determine if participation in co-curricular activities in secondary education was related to adult accomplishments.…”

“…Several studies have been conducted during the last 50 years to determine the relationship between co-curricular involvement and leadership positions on the lives of students after they graduate, including studies on social, civic, and professional involvement, the holding of leadership positions, salary, and job satisfaction (Auble and Auble, 1953;Bruins, 1985;Burton, 1974;Florestano, 1970;Roskens, 1958;Shandley, 1988;and Sommers, 1991). Student involvement in co-curricular activities in college has been linked to social competence, autonomy, confidence, self-awareness, and appreciation for human diversity (Kuh, 1995), group processes, decision-making, organizational and administrative skill, budgeting and accounting (Berman, 1978), decreases in prejudice and increases in political and social concerns (Loeb and Magee, 1992), and Pascarella, Ethington, and Smart (1988) reported a significant increase in humanitarian values.…”

“…If participation in student activities and involvement in leadership activities is important in the development of a person, then the benefits and characteristics of that development should appear after the student graduates and enters society and the workforce. Numerous studies over the past half century have attempted to measure the impact of involvement and leadership development on college students after graduation (Burton, 1974;Florestano, 1970;Roskens, 1958;Sommers, 1991) and much has been written about the subject (Bialek and Lloyd, 1998;Byer, 1998;Downey, Bosco and Silver, 1984;Frederick, 1959;Schuh and Laverty, 1983;Sermersheim, 1996). If professionals in higher education are to continue to develop and work with student involvement and student leadership programs, it becomes imperative to ascertain if the efforts required to provide such opportunities are resulting in the desired and appropriate effect.…”

“…The purpose of this study is to build upon the foundations laid by Burton (1974), Florestano (1971), Roskens (1958), and Sommers (1991). Each of the aforementioned dissertations attempted to discover the benefit of co-curricular involvement and leadership activities by college students and the statistical relationships with later success in their civic lives and careers.…”