The University of Dayton is finishing up preparations for the annual Colors of Leadership Conference.

This year's event, the 16th annual conference, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 14 in Kennedy Union. The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Student Development's Leadership Development Standing Committee are planning the event.

Conference attendees will learn about various styles of leadership, how to positively impact a community and how to become a productive leader, according to the OMA website.

Daria-Yvonne Graham, associate director of the OMA, said she heads the Leadership Development Standing Committee along with Cari Sue Wallace, director of New Student Programs.

Graham said the conference will aim to help students balance classes and leadership positions with everything else in their schedules. She said it will celebrate students' hard work, and the workshops will focus on the university's "learn, lead, serve" motto.

"The goal and the objective is to connect students across different experiences, but to still make them see how their experiences are similar as well," she said.

The attendees will learn how to manage meetings, set up budgets, lead with integrity and practice servant-leadership, Graham said.

She said information about the Co-Curricular Transcript, which accompanies students' academic transcripts to highlight out-of-class experiences, also will be provided. Students can register for the optional transcript by emailing cct@udayton.edu, Graham said.

She said Frederick Cox, a senior sociology major and OMA student-administrator, is the conference's event chair.

Cox said the conference planning committee has been meeting weekly to solidify the keynote speaker, session leaders and how to successfully market the event.

Cox said one change from last year's event is that the conference will bring in external speakers and public speakers with ample experience in leadership. A prominent speaker will address diverse leadership and several session leaders will offer leadership expertise in nine different sessions, he said.

"This year we are bringing in external speakers that will help build relationships with other universities and communities," he said.

The OMA also will host the University of Dayton Leadership Awards for the event, Cox said.

The awards will be presented to student organization leaders and advisers nominated by faculty, staff and students for their outstanding leadership, according to the awards website.

The award recipients will be announced at a ceremony following the conclusion of the Colors of Leadership Conference, Cox said.

Graham said the awards segment also will add to the conference's main objectives.

"We celebrate and applaud them [award recipients] for what they're giving back to the community - University of Dayton and Dayton community," Graham said. "A lot of times we don't take time to do that."

Cox said he hopes students will spread word about the awards and the conference.

"We are hoping students will show their support by registering and attending the day's events, as well as spreading positive words as the event draws near," he said.

Cox said one of the conference's main goals this year is to have large attendance among students from UD and surrounding universities. A big crowd will help the conference achieve its goals for developing leaders of the community by helping them realize their potential, he said.

"The Colors of Leadership Conference will bring a new perspective in regards to leadership," Cox said. "This is a campus-wide event for everyone to collaborate and learn how leadership will impact our community."

Graham said students can register until April 6 in order to attend the event and receive a lunch, and until April 12 to attend the event without a lunch.

For more information, visit oma.udayton.edu or call (937) 229-3634.