8 courses with the subject BLI, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
BLI 210INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP SKILLS & THEORIES4
This course introduces students to foundational skills, concepts, and theories in the field of leadership studies, while developing essential interpersonal leadership skills. Students will critically examine leadership as a practice of fostering change within systems shaped by gender, culture, power, and historical context, and consider how women and marginalized leaders have both navigated and reshaped dominant models of leadership. Students will simultaneously develop leadership skills in negotiation, feedback, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and relationship building. A central feature of the course is developing a personal leadership goal and plan for action. Open to first year students. Offered both terms. (DJP, F)
BLI 220GROUP DYNAMICS & COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING4
In this course students learn about the theory and practice of teamwork, collaborative relationships, and shared decision-making in professional and personal contexts. Students Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 126
Effective leaders seek to genuinely engage everyone in their organizations. They see the diverse experiences and characteristics of community members as assets, thereby fostering belonging and contributing to organizational success. This course explores research on inclusive leadership, cultural humility, and psychological safety; introduces practices that create more inclusive teams and organizations; and emphasizes the development of skills that support inclusive leadership in a variety of settings. Activities will include self-assessments, case study analysis, role plays, and personal reflection. (DJP)
Leading ethically and with compassion requires courage, character, values clarity, and self- awareness. Research demonstrates that compassionate organizations foster more trust, make better decisions, and cultivate well-being which improves performance. This course explores ethics and compassion in leadership theory and practice, asking: How do leaders make principled decisions under pressure? How do power, identity, culture, and systems shape ethical responsibility? Drawing on care ethics, feminist and relational leadership theories, and scientific research on compassion, students will develop practical frameworks for ethical decision-making. Through case studies, reflective writing, dialogue, and applied projects, students will clarify their personal values, analyze complex leadership dilemmas, and develop their personal compassion practices.
This junior/senior-level seminar empowers STEM students to develop leadership goals and skills around communication, giving and receiving feedback, resilience, and advocacy essential for career success. Through course readings, interactive workshops, speaker engagement, and a collaborative course project, students will explore emotionally intelligent leadership, practice professional etiquette, and address challenges faced by young professionals in STEM. The Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 127
Independent study is conducted at an advanced level. Must be approved by a BLI faculty member before registration. Offered any term, including short term.
Students may organize their own internship (with approval of Career and Life Design) or apply for an existing Hollins internship. Students will complete academic work as part of their internship including maintaining a weekly journal of their experience and writing a final paper that analyzes their internship experience informed by leadership theories and concepts. This internship may be completed at any time during the calendar year, including short term. Students must gain faculty approval prior to registration.
In the capstone course to the certificate program, students explore contemporary work in leadership studies highlighting diverse voices working towards change, and further deepen their skills in negotiation, feedback, interpersonal interaction, self-awareness, and self- advocacy. Students set individual goals and objectives in completing their final portfolios and projects which may include 1) a mentoring/coaching project, 2) a research project, or 3) a community change project. course for the certificate. Offered Fall term.
