WashU Leads: Bauer Leaders Academy

WashU Leads prioritizes leadership development as a foundational competency of the university. It delivers high-impact curricula and skill-building practices for all students and develops leadership competencies for staff. 

Marquee accomplishments through 2025

Established and launched the Bauer Leaders Academy

The George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy, which places value-based leadership development at the center of the WashU student experience, was created through a transformative $20 million gift from alumnus George Bauer and his wife, Carol Bauer.

The Bauer Leaders Academy develops and delivers student leadership programs across WashU by applying an immersive, experiential model. This four-year leadership development program is distinctive in its integration of experiential learning, coursework, and direct coaching.

The Bauer Leaders Academy aspires to differentiate WashU as the premier institution for transforming people into purpose-driven leaders of character and capability. We believe everyone — regardless of formal status, position, or rank — has the capacity to lead by building trust and positively influencing others. By developing purpose-driven leaders, we will fulfill WashU’s mission to have a positive impact on society.

Created a student leadership journey

The WashU student leadership journey begins with self-discovery focused on a student’s purpose and values. During their first year, students have the opportunity to consider their purposes, values, and leadership identities. Throughout this first year, WashU will consistently challenge each student to reconnect to their purpose for learning, which will stay with them for decades to come.

Scaled programs for successful impact

The Bauer Leaders Academy has reached more than 4,300 students through programming with documented impact on leader efficacy, leader identity, and sense of purpose.

In FY25

Curricular innovation grants

The Bauer Leaders Academy provides funding for faculty members across disciplines to develop courses that situate leadership in students’ diverse areas of interest. To encourage proposals from any discipline, grant recipients work with the Bauer Leaders Academy to develop a new course or infuse an existing course with material that helps students think critically about purpose and leadership.