WHAT WILL STUDENTS LEARN?
All LEAD 211 courses are topic-specific and catered to the majors and minors of incoming sophomores and juniors each semester. Our courses are designed to help students make decisions about their career path through guest speaker testimonials and real-world experiences, teaching our students how to navigate from college to the workplace.
WHO IS TEACHING?
All LEAD 211 instructors are hired for their expertise in their respective fields, using their experiences, backgrounds, and professional networks to inform their class content. Our instructors include local professionals, SMCM alumni, campus staff and faculty, and more!
Bios for all of our Fall 2025 instructors can be found in our Fall 2025 Professional Pathways Information document.
LEAD 111 → LEAD 112 → LEAD 211
Each student needs to pass LEAD 111 & 112 before registering for LEAD 211
LEAD 211 Courses (2 Credits)
- Externship course that provides students with hands-on experience and classroom discussions while building a strong pipeline to either an internship, continued mentorship, or professional social capital.
- Classes are taught by 1 instructor and 1 peer Career Mentor and meet once a week on campus for 50 minutes. These in-person class meetings include class discussions, guest speakers/panels, and/or off-campus site visits. Additionally, students are expected to complete at least one hour of work outside of class that counts as their weekly hands-on experience.
- Students will be graded on attendance, weekly reflections, participation in hands-on experiences, and a final professional portfolio built over the course of the semester.
- Community-Based Learning (CBL)
- The CCPD is currently collaborating with the Director of Community Outreach & Engagement to qualify some of our LEAD 211 courses as Community-Based Learning (CBL) courses.
- CBL courses contain 30% or more coursework that relates to civic engagement and demonstrate collaborative and meaningful engagement with community partners.
- These courses have a specific focus on community service and are consistent with SMCM’s emphasis on expanding opportunities for students to be engaged in mutually beneficial partnerships within St. Mary’s County and the Southern Maryland region.
- All LEAD 211 courses will include:
- A variety of weekly, hands-on experiences that take at least 1 hour outside of class. These can be site visits, conducting interviews, engaging with relevant media, community service/outreach, attending events, conducting significant and relevant research, etc. so long as the experiences are engaging and relevant to your coursework.
- Weekly assignments to evaluate and assess student understanding of the course content and objectives, often in the form of reflections or exit tickets.
- A minimum of 1-2 guest speakers that will visit the classroom during the semester to speak on their field expertise and answer student questions.
- The opportunity to update and/or create professional documents, such as advanced student resumes and professional portfolios, and participate in networking opportunities, such as the Career & Internship Fair, to better prepare students for the working world.
This course is meant to act as a stepping stone between an academic career and professional career, giving students the tools they need to become a working professional within their field of interest through networking opportunities and the development of transferrable skills.
