The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis is launching a new degree program to help grow leaders across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. And it is the first new degree approved for IU Indianapolis.
The newly launched Community and Organizational Leadership Studies program offers a bachelor’s degree, minor, and certificate option. The IU Board of Trustees approved the degree path in spring of 2024 and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education gave it the green light in July 2024.
“This COLS program provides students with training that transcends job titles,” says O’Neill’s Associate Dean of Student Services and Enrollment Management Suzann Lupton. “Being able to lead effectively is a critical skill that is applicable in every sector of our society.”
O’Neill Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Leadership Programs Liz Wager spearheaded the launch of the new degree. She spent several years leading a similar undergraduate program and helped shepherd it—and many of its students—during the program’s transition to O’Neill.
She says the COLS program is a diverse degree that will carry students through the many stages of their careers, regardless of where they are within an organization.
“Leadership does not require a title or position of power,” she says. “It requires an understanding of how to influence others to become the positive change agents needed to navigate today’s complex public, political, and organizational challenges.”
