Course Overview
“Essential Leadership Skills for Success” will assist students in learning foundational skills and refining themselves as leaders. The foundation of the course is based on models and skill training that supports theories based on emotional intelligence.
Students will learn through lectures, small and large group activities, assessments, and role-playing how to self-assess themselves and learn the most favorable approaches to respond to other individuals they encounter. Topics of discussion and application will include emotional intelligence, self-awareness models, assumptions and perceptions, values, communication styles, leadership styles, reflective listening skills, assertion skills, interest-based problem-solving skills, time management skills, and situational awareness.
All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University noncredit transcript.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will:
- Understand why we make the decisions we make.
- Learn how to be self-aware and self-manage our own emotional impulses.
- Learn and apply listening skills and models to achieve a higher level of communication with others.
- Learn how to respectively assert to others and address situations when one has been infringed.
- Learn where one’s time is being used, and how to manage time to achieve the most return.
- Learn how to flex using various leadership and communication styles to maximize the return on investment.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: SCN 159
Format: On Campus (at Syracuse University)
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school sophomore, junior, or senior status – or a 2025 high school graduate.
Credit: Noncredit
Grading: Pass/Fail
- Residential: $4,295
- Commuter: $3,318
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College – On Campus: Experience what college is really like: take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals with friends in a dining hall, and participate in activities and events on campus.
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College – On Campus | 2-Week Session II: Sunday, July 20 – Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 | MTWThF; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (9 a.m. – Noon with Professor / 1 – 4 p.m. with TA’s) | Noncredit |
To see if this course is ‘open,’ refer to the full course catalog.
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
Day One Example
9 – 9:30 a.m.
- Review of the previous day’s material
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
- Understanding Emotional Intelligence– Students take the Charlotte Addison Emotional Intelligence Assessment to uncover their EI strengths and Opportunities for growth. They learn Daniel Goleman’s EI model how to self-assess themselves and others, and techniques to enhance their relationships through this awareness. Includes lectures, small and large group activities, and practical application.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Lunch
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
- Understanding Mental Models– Students will discuss the assumptions and perceptions we have as individuals that shape how we view the world, even though we don’t have factual data to back up those thoughts. Students will learn how to use the skills of self-disclosure, feedback, and asking questions to overcome and operate in a more factual world.
1:45 – 4 p.m.
- Group Presentations– Students in groups will be assigned to research one of the topics discussed in class that day and develop a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation with an activity. The context of the presentation will be how it adds value or could add value to a business. Students will receive feedback on their material, PowerPoint presentation, the delivery of their material, and their public speaking skills.
Faculty Bio
Dr. Michael Evans
Dr. Michael Evans is a Part-Time Instructor at Syracuse University at the College of Professional Studies teaching the Bachelor of Professional Studies Introductory Course (BPS 211), Creative Leadership Course (CRL 301), and Senior Capstone Course (BPS 411).
In addition to his teaching experience, he brings 35 years of practical experience in the government and corporate sectors offering leadership training, coaching/counseling, mediation and negotiation services, and professional development as a Senior Consultant of Evans and Associates Consulting Corporation. He has assisted clients including the United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, United States Secret Service Agency, United States Social Security Administration, United States Internal Revenue Service, United States Patent Trade Office, Harley Davidson, and Tropicana to share a few.
Prior to his teaching and consulting careers, he served in the United States Navy Seabees as a field engineer and material logistics officer. He is the recipient of The Navy-Marine Corps Medal (a presidential medal) for heroism. He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BS in Policy Studies, an MA in Education, an MPA (master’s in public administration), and from the University of Sarasota a Doctoral degree in Leadership and Behavior Sciences.