R-MA's Leadership Development Program: Building Leaders

Designed by the Thomsen-Ellis company in 1916, this picture was used during World War I to remind American citizens that knowledge will help win the war. R-MA, as distinct of an institution she is, endeavors to provide students even more opportunities beyond the “books” the chap is climbing. Honor, self discipline, resilience and character can’t be learned in a classroom beyond the theoretical – they can only be learned experientially.

The Academy’s focus on character and leadership development has served and continues to serve as a hallmark of an R-MA education. Providing Cadets the tools to be successful in the classroom and beyond, the Character and Leadership Development Program (CLDP) is an individual-focused education and training developmental process designed to develop Followership and Leadership skills in a variety of environments. CLDP comprises counseling, the New Cadet program, Cadre boards, Cadre camp, meritorious awards and the CLDP training curriculum. It is administered on-campus by the CLS, the CLOP Staff, and the members of the cadet chain of command, and uses an integrated system of structured Followership and Leadership opportunities that allows cadets to learn the fundamentals of following, leading, and working together effectively in teams and groups to accomplish shared objectives. The program allows the administrators to periodically assess cadet progress as Followers and Leaders, and provides feedback to cadets, allowing them to learn, grow, develop, and succeed as responsible citizens and servant leaders of character. CLDP assists in developing cadets into the portrait of an RMA graduate: a broadly educated, adaptive leader of character, ready to pursue a life of meaning and success emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Cadets will receive CLDP training four days a week (4 hours total). This training will consist of mandatory, for credit classes and Cadets will attend classes with their unit. Attending and working as a unit will enable leadership and mentorship opportunities, unit cohesion, common objective setting, and begin to develop an understanding of the importance of good followership skills as essential to effective leadership. During the week each Cadet will follow four tracks: Leadership, Wellness and Drill & Ceremonies.

Under Leadership, the curricula (2 hours per week) are as follows:

Freshmen:

Time management: Purdue University
Emotional Resilience
Leadership Traits and Principles
GPS for Success

Sophomores:

Lessons in life & leadership: Colin Powell
Attitude management
Operational Planning
Ethical Decision making
Military Values outside the military

Juniors:

Ethical dilemmas
Risk management
Time management
Leadership in action
US military structure and roles
Land navigation
Historically notable speeches
Making speeches
College preparation

Seniors:

Application & Interview Skills
Work/Life Balance
Responsible Citizenship

Code of Conduct, Military Courtesy, and Drill & Ceremonies

Physical Fitness & Wellness

GPS for Success

Principles of Leadership

Corp of Cadets Structure

The Randolph-Macon Academy Corps of Cadets is organized into a single regiment. The regiment contains a regimental headquarters element and three battalions: First Battalion, Second Battalion, and Third Battalion. First Battalion has three companies: Alpha Company, Bravo Company, and Band Company. Second Battalion has two companies: Charlie Company and Delta Company. Third Battalion also has two companies: Echo Company and Fox Company. The Regimental Headquarters comprises the Administrative (S-1), Operations (S-3), and Logistics (S-4) sections.

The CLDP Staff Department organizational structure is as follows:

SUMMER

PROGRAMS 2025