Kristina M. Meissen

1
A Critical Analysis of the Carolina Leadership
Academys CREED Program at the University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill

• Kristina M. Meissen
• Advisor Barbara Osborne, Esq.
• Committee Member Edgar Shields, Phd
• Committee Member Shelley Johnson, MA
• Ex-Officio Committee Member Deborah Stroman, Phd

2
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

• James McGregor Burns Quotes
• Leadership is one of the most observed and least
  understood phenomena on earth (Janssen, 2004).

3
INTRODUCTION

• Leadership Theory in Higher Education
• Leadership is noted by scholars as..
• A constant learning process
• Individuals must evolve and practice a specific
  skill set to develop true leadership ability
  (Kouzes Posner, 2002)

4
INTRODUCTION

• Leadership Theory in Collegiate Athletics
  
• Student-athletes often know how to recognize
  leadership, but struggle to master techniques to
  best exemplify leadership characteristics
  (Janssen, 2004).

5
INTRODUCTION

• Collegiate Athletics and Leadership Theory
• 2003 Jeff Janssen partnered with the University
  of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Athletics
  Department
• National leader in leadership curriculum within
  collegiate athletics
• GOAL To create a learning environment fostering
  leadership within the unique special population
  of student-athletes.

6
INTRODUCTION

• Carolina Leadership Academy (CLA)
• Three tiered leadership curriculum for S-As
• CREED (Mandatory Freshmen)
• Rising Stars (Sophomores)
• Veteran Leaders (Juniors and Seniors)
• Supported by monthly leadership training for
• Head coaches
• Assistant coaches
• Administrators

7
INTRODUCTION

• Carolina CREED Program Objectives
• Introduce and teach freshmen
• the importance of personal leadership
• methods to ease the transition to college
• the culture and expectations of being a Carolina
  student-athlete
• responsibility, accountability, making good
  choices
• drug and alcohol education
• ethics and character building
• 
  

8
Highlights of 2006-07 CLACREED Plaques
9
INTRODUCTION

• Carolina CREED Program Components
• Monthly workshops
• Keynote speakers
• Small group discussion groups
• CREED Mentor Program
• Upper-class student-athletes serve as peer
  mentors and discussion leaders
• Reinforcement of program curriculum in coaches
  training

10
INTRODUCTION

• Need for Study
• Lack of current research
• Need for continual program evaluation to meet
  changing needs
• Continuing Problem Gender Differences in
  Participation and Motivation
• Male student-athlete motivation to complete this
  program and invest time in higher levels of the
  Carolina Leadership Academy is consistently
  lower than that of female student-athlete peers
  (Lane, Interview, 2008).

11
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

• To determine if there is a significant
  relationship between student-athlete gender and
  the perceived effectiveness of the CREED program
  to
  
  
  
  
  
  (1) develop self leadership skills
• (2) ease the transition process from high
  school to being a collegiate
  student-athlete
• (3) enable freshmen student-athletes to
  establish social networks

12
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

• To determine if there is a significant
  relationship between student-athlete gender and
  the perceived effectiveness of the CREED program
  to
• (4) motivate freshmen student-athletes to
  become involved in the Rising Stars
  program
• (5) motivate freshmen student-athletes to
  become leaders in organizations outside of
  athletics
• (6) enable freshmen student-athletes to learn
  about and understand the Carolina
  Culture

13
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

• Research Objectives
• To provide the Division of Student-Athlete
  Development with valuable feedback
• To make recommendations for future curriculum
  improvement
• To understand gender differences in
  student-athlete leadership development during the
  first year experience

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1

• Is there a relationship between gender and the
  following variables for the purpose of developing
  self leadership skills?
• a) freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of the individual, personal
  interaction with their CREED Mentor
• b) freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of CREED small group circle
  sessions, held monthly, led by team mentors
• c) freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of the cumulative effect of the six
  large group CREED workshops held monthly

15
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1

• Is there a relationship between gender and the
  following variables for the purpose of developing
  self leadership skills?
• d) freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of the cumulative effect of the
  mandatory guest speakers that were part of the
  CREED program
• e) freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of the encouragement from the head
  coach to complete the CREED program
• f) freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of the continuing, year long
  partnership between him/her and head coach as
  part of the CREED program

16
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2

• Is there a relationship between the gender of the
  freshmen student-athlete and their perceived
  effectiveness of the CREED program to
  ________________________?
• a) ease the transition from high school to being
  a collegiate student-athlete
• b) establish social networks
• c) motivate graduates to become a Rising Star
• d) motivate him/her to become a CREED Mentor
• e) motivate him/her to seek leadership
  opportunities in organizations outside of
  athletics
• f) enable him/her to learn about and understand
  the Carolina Culture

17
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

• The Unique Freshmen Student-Athlete Experience
• Take Away Message
• Research emphasizes the importance of faculty
  and administrators to dedicate resources and
  seize each opportunity to show student-athletes
  that the university supports and cares about
  their holistic well being from not only an
  athletic position, but also from a cognitive and
  psychosocial development standpoint from the
  freshmen year forward (Howard-Hamilton Sina,
  2001).

18
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

• Gender Differences in Leadership Development
• Transformational Leadership vs. Transactional
• Transformational leadership
• leader who is engaged with a follower throughout
  the task process.
• motivated to achieve a task or goal with a common
  purpose
• female leadership stereotype
• Individuals with this dominant leadership style
  promote collective development and vision as
  leaders treat followers as equals (Burns, 1978).
  

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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

• Gender Differences in Leadership Development
• Transformational Leadership vs. Transactional
• Transactional leadership
• leader who emphasizes and focuses upon current
  needs
• emphasis is placed more upon task completion in
  the short term
• male leadership stereotype
• Burns (1978) defines this as a process of
  exchanges or bargains between leader and follower
  centered upon current goals in which no long time
  purpose holds the leaders and followers
  together.

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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

• Gender Differences in Leadership Development
• Take Away Message
• By understanding different leadership types and
  current gender stereotypes, program directors and
  administrators can implement curriculum which
  will best reach a diverse and varied
  student-athlete audience.

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METHODOLOGY

• Development of Survey Instrument
• A survey was created using a 5-point Likert scale
  for perceived effectiveness.
• A pilot study utilized feedback of
  student-athletes who had previously completed the
  CREED program
• Validity
• The pilot survey and feedback from experts in the
  field determined the survey appeared to measure
  what it was designed to measure freshmen
  student-athletes perceived effectiveness of the
  CREED program.

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METHODOLOGY

• Survey instrument 3 main sections
• Section 1-Demographic information of the
  student-athlete
• Gender
• Sport
• Section 2-CREED Program Curriculum
• Questions1-6 effectiveness of curriculum
  components
• Questions 7-12 effectiveness of the CREED program
  to meet six stated objectives

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METHODOLOGY

• Section 2- Likert Scale Response section
• Measured freshmen student-athletes perceived
  effectiveness of the CREED program.
• (1) ineffective
• (2) slightly effective
• (3) effective
• (4) highly effective
• (5) extremely effective.
• Section 3 Open-Ended Questions
• most and least effective portions of the CREED
  program
• recommendations for additions/deletions

24
METHODOLOGY

• Selection of Survey Participants
• All survey participants were required to
• (1) be enrolled as a freshmen at the University
  of North Carolina
• (2) be a member of a UNC Varsity athletic team
  roster during the 2007-2008 academic year
• Survey participants who did not complete the
  program or were dropped from the roster were not
  included

25
METHODOLOGY

• Survey Distribution and Collection Procedures
• Survey electronically transmitted via Survey
  Monkey to 211 freshmen student-athletes
• Open for 3 weeks
• 4 email reminders
• Master list
• Generated by the UNC Athletic Departments
  Division of Academic Support Services.
• Data was collected through the Survey Monkey Tool
  
• transferred to SPSS statistical package for
  evaluation.

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METHODOLOGY

• Survey (DATA) Analysis
• Descriptive statistics were compiled for all
  demographic data.
• Chi-square analysis was run to see if a
  relationship existed between gender and perceived
  effectiveness of the program curriculum
  components.
• observed frequencies vs. expected frequencies
• Qualitative analysis was used for open-ended
  question.
• Responses were tabulated, summarized and
  interpreted appropriately depending on trends
  seen in the data set.

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RESULTS

• Descriptive Statistics Demographics
• Of the 28 Varsity sports at UNC
• 25 teams had at least one respondent
• (89.29 return ratio from UNC Varsity teams)
• No response from
• womens basketball
• mens soccer
• mens tennis

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RESULTS
Figure 1 Number of Survey Respondents by Sport
29
RESULTS
The initial population 211 student-athletes
68/211 responses32.23 Population by
gender -114 females (54.03) - 97 males
(45.97) Sample by gender -43 females
(63.2) -25 males (36.8)
Figure 2 Percent of Survey Respondents by Gender
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RESULTS
Significant Relationship Between Gender and
Response Small Group Work Cum. Effect of
Workshops
Question X2 value df P value
1 2.527 2 0.283
2 5.686 2 0.058
3 15.225 2 lt.0005
4 3.434 2 0.18
5 2.158 2 0.34
6 1.59 2 0.451
7 0.637 2 0.727
8 1.557 2 0.459
9 3.636 2 0.162
10 0.072 2 0.965
11 0.012 2 0.994
12 4.053 2 0.132
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RESULTS

• Question 3 - How effective was the cumulative
  effect of the six monthly CREED workshops with
  regard to YOUR development of self leadership
  skills?
• Significant relationship between gender and
  response (X2 (2) 15.225, P lt .0005)
• Table 3 Survey Question 3 Gender and Response
  Chi square Analysis

Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation
      rc_Response rc_Response rc_Response Total
      2 3 4 Total
Gender 1Female Count 9 22 12 43
Gender 1Female Expected Count 16.4 16.4 10.1 43.0
Gender 1Female within Gender 20.9 51.2 27.9 100.0
Gender 1Female Adjusted Residual -3.9 2.9 1.1  
Gender 2Male Count 17 4 4 25
Gender 2Male Expected Count 9.6 9.6 5.9 25.0
Gender 2Male within Gender 68.0 16.0 16.0 100.0
Gender 2Male Adjusted Residual 3.9 -2.9 -1.1  
Total Total Count 26 26 16 68
Total Total Expected Count 26.0 26.0 16.0 68.0
Total Total within Gender 38.2 38.2 23.5 100.0
32
RESULTS

• Question 3 - How effective was the cumulative
  effect of the six monthly CREED workshops with
  regard to YOUR development of self leadership
  skills?
• Significant relationship between gender and
  response
• Figure 7 Survey Question 3 Percent of Reponses
  by Gender

• Data Trends
• Males/Females differ in their view of this
  component
• Most male responses show cumulative effect of
  CREED workshops ineffective/slightly effective
• Most female responses show cumulative effect of
  CREED workshops effective or better

33
RESULTS

• Question 2 - How effective were the small group
  circle sessions, held monthly, with your CREED
  mentor with regard to YOUR development of self
  leadership skills?
• No significant relationship between gender and
  response (X2 (2) 5.686, P .058)
• Larger response could make this significant at
  .05 level
• Table 2 Survey Question 2 Gender and Response
  Chi -square Analysis

Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation Gender rc_Response Crosstabulation
      rc_Response rc_Response rc_Response Total
      2 3 4 Total
Gender 1Female Count 16 18 9 43
Gender 1Female Expected Count 20.2 13.9 8.9 43.0
Gender 1Female within Gender 37.2 41.9 20.9 100.0
Gender 1Female Adjusted Residual -2.1 2.2 .1  
Gender 2Male Count 16 4 5 25
Gender 2Male Expected Count 11.8 8.1 5.1 25.0
Gender 2Male within Gender 64.0 16.0 20.0 100.0
Gender 2Male Adjusted Residual 2.1 -2.2 -.1  
Total Total Count 32 22 14 68
Total Total Expected Count 32.0 22.0 14.0 68.0
Total Total within Gender 47.1 32.4 20.6 100.0
34
RESULTS

• Question 2 - How effective were the small group
  circle sessions, held monthly, with your CREED
  mentor with regard to YOUR development of self
  leadership skills?
• (Close to significant relationship between gender
  and response)
• Figure 6 Survey Question 2 Percent of Reponses
  by Gender

• Data Trends
• Males/Females differ in their view of this
  component
• Most male responses show small group work
  ineffective/slightly effective
• Most female responses show small group work
  effective

35
RESULTS
Question 5- How effective was the encouragement
from your head coach to complete the CREED
program with regard to YOUR development of self
leadership skills? No significant relationship
between gender and response (X2 (2) 2.158, P
.340) Figure 9 Survey Question 5 Percent of
Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Opposite trends between male/female responses
• Majority of female responses show encouragement
  from head coach highly/extremely effective
• Majority of male responses show encouragement
  from head coach ineffective/slightly effective

36
RESULTS

• Question 13 - With regard to developing
  YOUR personal self leadership skills, what part
  of the CREED program was most effective?

• Females (26/43 respondents 60.47)
• Guest speakers (50)
• Group work and activities (26.92)
• Meeting new people (11.54)
• Program was not effective in any regard (7.69)
• Learning about oneself (3.85)

• Males (16/25 respondents 64)
• Group work and activities (50)
• Guest speakers (31.25)
• Working with mentors (6.25)
• Allowing the individual to become associated
  with the Athletic Department (6.25)
• Program not effective in any regard (6.25)

37
RESULTS

• Question 14 - With regard to developing
  YOUR personal self leadership skills, what part
  of the CREED program was least effective?

• Females (27/43 respondents 62.79)
• Ineffective use of group time (37.04)
• Homework, book work (18.52)
• Lack of mentor leadership (14.81 )
• Guest speakers too long or off topic (11.11)
• No specific part of the program was ineffective
  (7.41)
• Mandatory nature of the program (7.41)
• Required time commitment (3.71)

• Males (12/25 respondents 48)
• Mandatory nature of the program (25)
• Inability to relate to guest speakers (16.67)
• Power point presentations (16.67)
• Outside projects/homework (16.67)
• Program as a whole was least
• effective and should be eliminated (16.67)
• Book work and reading (8.33)

38
RESULTS

• Question 15 For the purposes of effective
  development of self leadership skills, is there
  anything missing from the CREED program
  curriculum? What, if anything, would you
  recommend adding to the program?

• Females (23/43 respondents 53.49)
• More interaction and activities (47.83)
• The program was effective and nothing
• needs to be added (26.90)
• More CREED mentor leadership (8.70)
• Topics and discussion covering sport culture
  (4.35)
• Community service opportunities (4.35)
• Food (4.35)
• More diverse guest speakers (4.35)

• Males (10/25 respondents 40)
• The need for more social interaction (30)
• The program was effective and nothing
• needs to be added (30)
• The need for more activities (20)
• The need for more CREED mentor leadership (20)

39
RESULTS

• Question 16- Effective development of self
  leadership skills for each student-athlete is the
  goal of the CREED program. Is there any part of
  the CREED program that is not effective in
  accomplishing this goal? What, if anything,
  would you recommend be eliminated from the
  program?

• Females (15/43 respondents 34.88)
• Nothing should be eliminated (66.67)
• Eliminate the mentor program unless
• changes are made (13.33)
• Eliminate homework assignments (6.67)
• Eliminate the drum circle (6.67)
• Eliminate speakers that are hard to
• relate to (6.67)

• Males (7/25 respondents 28)
• Nothing should be eliminated (42.86)
• Eliminating speakers that were hard to
• relate to (28.57)
• Eliminate the mentor program unless
• changes are made (28.57)

40
DISCUSSION

• Summary-Quantitative Analysis
• Quantitative Analysis
• one statistically significant relationship
  between gender and response
• Component Perceived effectiveness of six CREED
  workshops collectively
• (X2 (2) 15.225, P lt .0005)
• Research Question 2
• Looked at as though it were a significant find.
  
• Component Perceived effectiveness of small group
  work
• (X2 (2) 5.686, P .058)
• Quantitative Analysis
• 11 non-significant relationships between gender
  and response.

41
DISCUSSION

• Summary-Qualitative Analysis
• Two most effective components of the program to
  develop self leadership skills
• 1) Group work and activities fostering team
  motivation, communication and interaction
• 2) Guest speakers
• Females
• Surface themes showing they favored more
  interactive (transformational) leadership in
  group work
• Males
• Tended to view self-directed methods of learning
  more effective (transactional)
• Majority of both males and females
• Felt nothing should be eliminated from the
  current program,
• Changes and improvements should be made

42
DISCUSSION

• Recommendations for the CREED Program
• Continue to invest time in securing guest
  speakers
• Invest more resources in the CREED mentor program
• Focus on leadership training with older
  student-athlete CREED mentors to foster increased
  group cohesion through mentor leadership
• Increasing time commitment for mentor training
• Stricter selection process of mentors

43
DISCUSSION

• Recommendations for Future Study
• Disperse the survey in person during the final
  CREED meeting of the spring semester
• Expand this study to include additional data
  collection of personal attributes such as
• race, ethnicity, team vs. individual sport and
  prior leadership experience s
• Additional longitudinal studies
• pre, post and retrospective survey within a given
  CREED program class.
• Address student-athletes perceived leadership
  style
• Similar to those Mayer and Burns found in the
  work force.

44
QUESTIONS

• Thank you GO Tar Heels!

45
CONTACT INFORMATION

• KRISTINA MEISSEN
• Graduate Intern
• Office of Student-Athlete Development
• UNC Department of Athletics
• meissen_at_uncaa.unc.edu

46
RESULTS

• Question 1 - How effective was the individual,
  personal interaction you had with your CREED
  mentor with regard to YOUR development of self
  leadership skills?
• No significant relationship between gender and
  response (X2 (2) 2.527, P .283)
• Figure 5 Survey Question 1 Percent of Reponses
  by Gender

• Data Trends
• Males/female responses move in similar pattern
• Most males/females view personal interaction
  with CREED mentor as ineffective/slightly
  effective

47
RESULTS
Question 4- How effective was the cumulative
effect of the mandatory guest speaker sessions
that were part of the CREED program with regard
to YOUR development of self leadership
skills? No significant relationship between
gender and response (X2 (2) 13.434, P
.180) Figure 8 Survey Question 4 Percent of
Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Males/female responses move in similar pattern
• Majority of both males/females view cumulative
  effect of guest speakers as highly/extremely
  effective

48
RESULTS
Question 6- How effective was the continuing
year-long partnership between you and your head
coach as part of the CREED program with regard to
YOUR development of self leadership skills? No
significant relationship between gender and
response (X2 (2) 1.590, P .451) Figure 10
Survey Question 6 Percent of Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Similar trends in responses for males/females
• Majority y of male and female responses show the
  yearlong partnership between SA and
  coachineffective/slightly effective

49
RESULTS
Question 7- How effective was the CREED program
with regard to easing the transition from high
school to being a collegiate student-athlete? No
significant relationship between gender and
response (X2 (2) 1.590, P .451) Figure 11
Survey Question 7 Percent of Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Similar pattern between male and female
  responses
• Majority of both male/female responses show CREED
  program ineffective/slightly effective to
  easing the transition
• Of the remaining respondents-a greater majority
  of women saw this component as highly/extremely
  effective

50
RESULTS
Question 8- How effective was the CREED program
with regard to establishing social networks? No
significant relationship between gender and
response (X2 (2) 1.557, P .459) Figure 12
Survey Question 8 Percent of Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Majority of males and females responded the
  CREED program is ineffective/slightly effective
  to establishing social networks
• Of the remaining respondents, a greater
  percentage of females than males saw this
  component as effective or better

51
RESULTS
Question 9- How effective was the CREED program
with regard to motivating you to become a Rising
Star? No significant relationship between gender
and response (X2 (2) 3.636, P .162) Figure
13 Survey Question 9 Percent of Reponses by
Gender

• Data Trends
• Majority of females view this component as
  highly/extremely effective
• Male response trends differ from female response
  trends
• Males are split evenly between feeling this
  component is effective or less than effective

52
RESULTS
Question 10- How effective was the CREED program
with regard to motivating you to become a CREED
mentor? No significant relationship between
gender and response (X2 (2) .072,
P.965) Figure 14 Survey Question 10 Percent of
Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Both males and females shared similar response
  patterns
• The majority of both males and females view the
  CREED program as ineffective/slightly effective
  for the purposes of motivating one to become a
  CREED mentor

53
RESULTS
Question 11- How effective was the CREED program
with regard to motivating you to become a leader
in organizations outside of athletics? No
significant relationship between gender and
response (X2 (2) .012, P.994) Figure 15
Survey Question 11 Percent of Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Similar response pattern between males and
  females
• Majority of females responded the CREED program
  is effective for the purposes of motivating one
  to seek leadership roles outside athletics
• Male responses are evenly distributed between
  effective and less than effective

54
RESULTS
Question 12- How effective was the CREED program
with regard to motivating you to learn about and
understand the Carolina Culture? No
significant relationship between gender and
response (X2 (2) .4.053, P.132) Figure 16
Survey Question 12 Percent of Reponses by Gender

• Data Trends
• Difference in trends between males/females
• Majority of female respondents show this
  component was highly/extremely effective
• In contrast, majority of males show this
  component was ineffective/slightly effective