PILOT is a non-academic program which allows you to gain valuable leadership skills. Registering for PILOT and keeping track of your participation gives you the added value of being able to claim this certification.
One of the best pieces of advice we give students about interviewing for campus leadership positions is this: "Never say it will look good on my resume." However, PILOT does look good on your resume! It shows that you have participated in a leadership program AND that you’ve done it on a self-paced basis which takes a lot of initiative. In fact, one of the biggest supporters of the PILOT program is the UNC Charlotte University Career Center. Also, each year, there are campus-wide lectures and programs that are also required by academic course instructors. These programs are almost always included on the PILOT schedule. You can obtain PILOT Passport credit by completing this assignment by your instructor. Several times a year there are programs like the Greek Leadership Conference, Resident Advisor Training, Multicultural Leadership Conference and Conversations in Leadership which are also part of the PILOT program. Don’t miss the opportunity to build your leadership skills and resume! Join PILOT now!
There is no fee associated with joining the PILOT program. Most PILOT programs are also free. However, programs that involve travel, a conference or meal event will usually have a small fee associated with attendance.
PILOT provides participants non-academic credit for leadership training. Established in 1997, PILOT is the largest leadership program at UNC Charlotte, with over 2,500 student participants annually. Each semester, approximately 150 workshops are sponsored by the office of Leadership & Community Engagement in collaboration with many campus departments. PILOT is great for students who don't have the time for a group leadership experience, though many students in PILOT are also in our other leadership programs.
To become a PILOT Green Leader, you must attend:
- 3 skill building
- 2 leadership/ethics
- 1 critical thinking
- 2 career development
To become PILOT Gold Leader Certified, you must first become PILOT Green Level Certified, and then gain the following number of credits in addition to your Certified Leader credits:
- 4 skill building
- 1 leadership/ethics
- 2 career development
- 1 critical thinking
To become PILOT Community Engagement Leader Certified, you must first become PILOT Green Level Certified, and then gain the following number of credits in addition to your Certified Leader credits:
- Participate in 8 community engagement events
- Community Engagement events include those organized by SERVE team or other university-sanctioned community service/events
All workshop category designations are under the specific workshops event page on Niner Engage.
You can find a list of all PILOT-sponsored workshops on the PILOT Niner Engage page. You do not need to register to attend the LCE-sponsored PILOT workshops. Other campus offices hosting PILOT-sponsored workshops might have other requirements, in order to attend, so it is important to check on that.
The most important thing that matters is that you get your passport signed by the individual running the workshop or event. You can find all workshop category designations on the Niner Engage page.
While we hope that you will complete the program, it is not required. The PILOT credits are non-academic and don’t show up in any other documentation. Even attending one or two programs increases your leadership knowledge.
The great thing about PILOT is that you do it at your own pace. Most workshops last around 45 minutes to one hour. While it takes most students about a semester to complete a program level, some students have completed both levels in one semester. You can select how fast or leisurely you move through the requirements. You can spread your PILOT participation out over your entire college career, if that works best for you.
As long as you have turned in your Passport with programs you’ve attended, those programs remain in our system. So, if you attend one program your freshman year and then decide to complete PILOT your senior year, that freshman year credit is still there if you turned it in. Credits don’t expire!
If you attend a workshop that is not sponsored by Leadership & Community Engagemnet, you can register on Niner Engage within 5 days of the workshop and turn your signed PILOT Passport into our office. It is the responsibility of every student to obtain signed proof of program attendance in order to receive credit for the workshop.
No, while we offer several workshops that can be counted for multiple categories, you must select one category to count it as on your passport. So if a workshop can be counted for skill building or critical thinking, be strategic in what you count it as. Maybe, it is best to record it as a critical thinking workshop since more skill-building workshops are offered.
You can count it for whichever category you like, based on the designated on Niner Engage, you just can't count the same workshop in different categories.
We really try to be user-friendly! Just record the name of the program, date, and name of the presenter on a piece of paper. Have the presenter sign the paper just like it’s a Passport and then turn it in.
If you’re attending a smaller program like a workshop, the presenter will be glad to sign it at the end of the program. If you’re attending a large lecture program like Conversations in Leadership, etc., look for a PILOT table or a University staff or faculty member. Print that person’s name on your Passport and then have them sign in order to verify your participation.
If you have any PILOT questions, please reach out to Vinny Evola at vevola@charlotte.edu
PILOT is sponsored by the Leadership & Community Engagement. However, PILOT is the collaborative effort of many campus departments. These include:
- Campus Activities Board
- Center for Academic Excellence
- Conversations in Leadership Committee
- Center for Counseling and Psychological Services
- Dean of Students Office
- University Career Center
- Venture Outdoor Leadership
Alliance Credit Counseling also presents several workshops each semester.