The Community

Leadership Experiences

 

NOLS - we have a longstanding partnership with the National Outdoor Leadership School. As part of Scholar Orientation, you’ll embark with your cohort on a NOLS expedition aimed at fostering connection and collaboration.

First–Year Community Dinners - these dinners are designed to bring Scholars together regularly as a community in order to foster connection, belonging, and authenticity. First-year scholars have the opportunity to practice leadership through the planning and cooking of a meal for their class. These dinners provide space for scholars to feel at home in their community, which is vitally important during their first semester.

Colloquium - a one credit class for first-year Robertsons. This class is designed for Scholars  1) to understand ethical frameworks for leadership 2) to reflect on the meaning of “being a Robertson.” and 3) to prepare for Community Summer.

Community Summer - building off the readying that occurs  throughout their first year, scholars participate in a week-long retreat that prepares them for Community Summer before they move to sites throughout the southeastern United States. During Community Summer, scholars work alongside community partners learning first hand about what it takes to make transformational contributions to communities you care deeply about while also negotiating living together and deepening their understanding of themselves, each other, and the world.

Campus Switch - a semester in residence at the “sister school.” During the sophomore spring each scholar experiences an immersive semester at either Duke or UNC, diving deeper into the culture and opportunities offered at that school.

Exploration Summer - occurring the summer after sophomore year, and allowing scholars to do exactly what it sounds like - explore their interests and commitments through self-designed experiences that challenge their ways of being and knowing as leaders.

Study Abroad - at any point after their first year Robertsons are able to study abroad. Most scholars will opt to study abroad during their Junior year, with several electing to study abroad for two semesters.

Individual Coaching - conversations that allow for deep introspection and reflection, with coaches acting as a mirror and stand for scholars exploring their leadership practices. Scholars are invited to participate in individual coaching throughout the academic year and as requested during the summer.

Launch Summer - occurring the summer after junior year, and building upon previous summers, an opportunity to deepen scholars’ understanding of leadership in a personal context.

Senior Capstone - a series of experiences and engagements, like intimate dinners, that culminate in a two-day retreat for Seniors that focuses on making sense of the world around us, and experiences had as scholars so far. Alumni participate in a variety of ways throughout senior year and during the retreat, allowing scholars to continue building their network and learning from Robertsons who are up to big things in the world.

 

It’s an intentionally disruptive model.

Why? Because we believe this is how we grow best - especially when our disruption is paired with genuine curiosity and on-going meaning making. It’s also true that as transformational leaders you will come up against challenges and seemingly intractable problems. Our community and programmatic experiences provide scholars with a unique “practice court” to hone their sense of self and discern what matters to them in the face of these challenges, readying them for whatever the future holds.