Monday, March 22, 2021

Servant leadership at BU

It’s often said that servant leaders put others before themselves. This statement epitomizes the leadership team at Bloomsburg University. At a time when we are stretched beyond reason, a simple challenge led to servant leadership in practice.

Two years ago, I proposed an idea to my 30+ colleagues who are members of BU’s Leadership Council (my direct reports and their direct reports): that each of us mentor between one and three students who were academically at risk.

Through the end of the Fall 2020 semester, we have now mentored 157 total students. As important as the intervention provided for our most valuable stakeholders (our students) are the lessons learned by my colleagues and me. It’s fair to say that each of us has learned far more from our student-mentees than we had anticipated.

The endless challenges that our students face — exacerbated by a global pandemic — are both heartbreaking and tear-provoking. The experience of hearing our students’ stories has made us more empathetic and altruistic, and perhaps most importantly it has galvanized us to remain steadfast in our commitment to transforming the life of every student.

History may remember us by the outcome of our efforts — let’s double down on making sure our efforts lead to better futures for our students, especially our most vulnerable.

Sincerely, 

        Bashar W. Hanna, President


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