Notre Dame and Military Spouse Network Launch Second Leadership Course to Empower Military Families
The University of Notre Dame's partnership with the Military Spouse Advocacy Network expands with a new ethical leadership course designed to enhance career readiness and community leadership among military spouses.
The Military Spouse Advocacy Network's partnership with the University of Notre Dame has launched its second online course, titled Ethical Leadership with Notre Dame, following the successful introduction of a mental wellness course in July. This new offering represents a collaboration between Notre Dame Learning's Office of Digital Learning and faculty from the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership at the Mendoza College of Business, focusing on values-based leadership development for military spouses.
The ethical leadership course covers critical topics including conflict management, voicing values at work, and incorporating honesty and empathy in decision-making processes. Designed to support military spouses in becoming leaders who foster resilient communities, the course features a custom curriculum developed specifically for this demographic. Jessica McManus Warnell, Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, emphasized the program's significance, stating that it provides strategies for participants to become powerful agents for positive change in their organizations and communities.
Both courses in the Notre Dame-MSAN partnership are delivered through a combination of asynchronous content and live sessions, making them accessible to military spouses regardless of their location or schedule constraints. The mental wellness course, developed by faculty from Notre Dame's William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families and Veldman Family Psychology Clinic, has already demonstrated significant impact. Instructor Donna Armentrout reported that military spouse learners have been practicing mental health conversations and receiving real-time feedback from clinical psychology doctoral students under faculty supervision.
The partnership represents a multidisciplinary effort involving faculty and staff from ten organizations across Notre Dame's campus, spearheaded by Notre Dame Research with support from multiple university departments. This initiative addresses the unique challenges faced by military spouses, who often experience career disruptions due to frequent relocations and deployments. By providing accessible, high-quality education in both mental wellness and ethical leadership, the program aims to enhance career readiness and community engagement among military families.
Verenice Castillo, founder and CEO of MSAN, expressed pride in welcoming Notre Dame to their network, noting that the university's commitment will empower military spouses to continue making profound differences in their lives and communities. The program's significance is further underscored by the involvement of military community members as contributors and the endorsement from Admiral Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whose wife appears in introductory course videos. For additional information about the Leadership Institute for Military Spouses and its programs, visit https://www.leadershipinstituteformilitaryspouses.org.