Leadership development and involvement: a study of the 2015 Peer Referral and Orientation Staff at Rowan University

The purpose of this mixed method study was to (a) assess the Peer Referral Orientation Staff (PROS) program at Rowan University, (b) assess if PROS members identify themselves as leaders on campus, (c) assess if other students identify the PROS members as leaders on campus, and (d) assess PROS member’s beliefs that the program helped them to develop and identify as leaders. A total of 36 subjects took part in the survey portion of the study which helped to assess the above areas. Out of the 36 subjects, four agreed to be participants in the interview process. To give the best perspective of the program, two of the participants chosen were new PROS members, while the remaining two members were returning PROS members. Interviews were transcribed and content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study found that the PROS program does have value as it pertains to developing leadership in students. PROS members articulated how they have personally developed due to their involvement in the PROS program. PROS members reported being able to be more confident in their leadership. They reported very insightful gains in their own development. They also reported increases of awareness in other perceptions of them as leaders and also increases in their own perceptions themselves as leaders