Center for Servant Leadership

At TWC, our students, faculty and staff are committed to learning, serving, leading and ... believing. A TWC Servant Leader exhibits a commitment to serving others, believes he/she can make a difference in the lives of others, and displays leadership skills of effective communication, information literacy, teamwork, critical thinking and global awareness.

In fall 2010, Tennessee Wesleyan opened its Center for Servant Leadership in an effort to fulfill the College's mission of creating servant-leaders. The program maintained by the Center requires all incoming freshmen to enroll in a two semester Freshman Experience class which introduces the concept of Servant Leadership, focuses on the academic skills necessary for leadership and includes a service learning component. After the freshman year, students choose one of two tracks: 1) Servant Leadership or 2) Service Learning. Students choosing track one will be required to take a minimum of three Servant Leadership Honors (SLH) courses and will serve as mentors to freshmen. Students who choose track two will be required to take at least one Service Learning (SL) designated course. Regardless of their choice of track, all students will participate in a minimum of 40 service hours prior to graduation.

Research shows that service-learning is beneficial to students, faculty, colleges, and communities.

  • Benefits for Students
  • Deeper understanding of academic material
  • Meaningful interaction with individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds
  • Increased sense of self-efficacy
  • Improved ability to think critically and solve problems
  • Increased sense of civic responsibility
  • Benefits for Faculty
  • Increased student interaction in class
  • Strengthened relationships with the community
  • More contact with students
  • Innovative, inspiring teaching methods
  • New opportunities for research and publication
  • Benefits for the College
  • Positive relationships with the community
  • Improved preparation of graduates
  • Faculty, staff, and students involved in state and national issues
  • Benefits for the Community
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  • Provision of valuable services by university students
  • Increased awareness of community issues and problems
  • Opportunities to interact and network with university faculty, students, and staff
  • Access to college resources