Student organization involvement and leadership development among student leaders at a private Catholic university: A correlational analysis

https://doi.org/10.70228/JHER2025033

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ABSTRACT

Student organizations provide college students with opportunities to practice leadership through planning, coordination, collaboration, and problem-solving. This study examined the relationship between student organization involvement and leadership development among student leaders at a selected private Catholic university during the academic year 2024–2025. Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design, the study surveyed student leaders from the University Student Government, academic clubs, and special-interest clubs and organizations using the Leadership Skills Questionnaire, adapted from Northouse. Results showed that overall leadership development was high. No significant differences were found across sex, organization type, or years in the organization. Likewise, years in the organization had no significant relationship with leadership development. The findings suggest that leadership development in this context may depend less on demographic profile or tenure and more on the quality of involvement, mentoring, organizational support, and leadership learning opportunities available to student leaders. This idea emphasizes the importance of exploring other factors that play a more substantial role in leadership growth, such as individual motivation, the quality and accessibility of mentorship, organizational support, and development initiatives. Insights into these aspects can provide a better understanding of the integral drivers of student leadership development that can be utilized to create viable environments to foster growth regardless of background and tenure. Thus, this study provides baseline evidence that may guide student affairs programming and future research on the contextual drivers of student leadership development.

Keywords: student organization involvement, leadership development, student leaders, private Catholic university, correlational analysis