DET/CHE Leadership Program

My Leadership Philosophy

For me, leadership is not about having direct control but about influencing positive change. In my role, this means finding ways to overcome limitations, such as budget constraints, through collaboration and proactive problem-solving. I identified 3 key concepts in particular that I will takeaway from this leadership training:

Leadership vs. Authority
Type 3 Learner and Strategic Problem Solving
Communication for Campus Cohesion

Leadership is not the same as being in charge

One of the aspects of my own leadership that this training has brought out to me is that I may be more complacent in my leadership role than I would like to be. I believe that I've let my lack of budget and power sway me into letting me feel that I can't really be the leader that I would like to be. During the talk that James Frazee from San Diego State gave, he brought up two ideas that really led me to see that I wanted to look for ways that I could build my "power." He introduced many of us to the idea of an X-matrix. Laying out the various goals and directly connecting them to ongoing college projects is obviously a great way to organize from a large-scale perspective. What it brought out to me was that I could do more work to build a network with other departments to find ways of collaborating on projects that would serve both departments. Another reminder he gave is that money can come from a variety of sources. It invigorated me to go searching for grants or other educational funds that might allow me to move forward on projects that I know would benefit the entire college.

Type Three Learner...

I was pleased to be able to take the Learning Type Matrix as part of the DET/CHE leadership program. It was interesting to look at how my personality typed.

The explanation indicated that I was highest on the Type 3. This personality has strengths in strategic thinking and problem solving. When it mentioned that type 3 like to "tinker" and "experiment" I almost laughed out loud because that is SO spot on. I have a PhD in Earth Science and my entire graduate program, which I loved and thrived in, was about working through problems and identifying experimental protocols.

It also mentioned that type 3 learners excel in environments where individuality, experimentation, and accomplishment are valued. I think this is what has made me enjoy being a teacher so much. I can read and research pedagogy and then try it out in my classroom to see how it engages and supports my students learning.

On the other side of that coin is the fact that while a lot of these same characteristics make me well-suited to my distance education coordinator role, the inability to "just get things done" is a constant frustration to me. I can do all the research, know what we need to do, and then have the project/initiative/software completely side-lined because I am completely dependent on others for the go-ahead. Being unable to implement changes can make me feel quite defeated because I don't feel like I am making valuable contributions to the school, to the faculty, and most importantly like I'm letting the students down.

Proactive and Transparent Communication

I have apparently always had a natural desire for good communication and I assumed that this was a trait that would exist within all leaders and administrators. I am finding through my experiences that this is not the case. In our presentation from Jay Field, he said that communication was important, but even more important when things are going poorly. This is something that really resonated with me because I have seen this play out in my own and I can attest to a lack of communication causing even more problems.

On a college campus there are so many different departments, committees, shareholders, policies, and goals that it can make it feel like everyone is in their own silo if there isn't good communication. Everyone has their own priorities which leads to unique knowledge sets that need to be shared to create campus cohesion. The challenge that I have seen is that it really becomes important that administrators share changes, plans

Moving forward

As I move forward, my leadership focus will center on fostering collaboration, seeking resources, and breaking down departmental silos through transparent communication. By actively building partnerships across campus and pursuing funding opportunities, I aim to bridge gaps and implement meaningful projects that benefit both students and faculty. I am committed to continual growth, adapting to challenges, and applying my strategic problem-solving skills to make a lasting impact on our college community. This training has clarified that true leadership means finding influence through innovation and shared vision.

A possible Action Plan for me might look something like this:

1. Strategic Partnerships and Resource Building

Strengthen cross-departmental collaborations to amplify project impact and secure resources.

- Identify departments with shared objectives, such as student success initiatives, to propose joint projects.
- Research and apply for relevant grants that align with institutional goals, utilizing resources like grant-writing workshops.

2. Implementation of Transparent Communication Strategies

Foster an open environment where information is freely shared, especially during periods of institutional change.

- Develop a regular communication schedule, such as monthly email updates or interdepartmental meetings, to align priorities and share progress.
- Engage in transparent feedback loops with team members to address challenges collectively.

3. Data-Driven Approach to DEI and Student Success

Advance DEI initiatives by measuring and addressing gaps in student success within Distance Education.

- Use the Korn Ferry DEI Maturity Model as a framework for tracking and enhancing DEI outcomes in online courses.
- Collaborate with Institutional Research to develop actionable metrics and gather data for improved reporting on student success.

4. Personal Growth and Leadership Development

Continue expanding leadership skills and exploring funding strategies to overcome budget limitations.

- Attend leadership and grant-writing workshops to enhance skills and explore opportunities for financial support.
- Seek mentorship from leaders skilled in navigating institutional constraints to implement initiatives.
- Potential future Training opportunities that I might be able to take advantage of:
  1. ACE Leadership Academy for Department Chairs: Offers workshops on navigating administrative challenges, strategic planning, and leading faculty teams.
  2. ACUE’s Course in Effective College Instruction: Focuses on student success and engagement strategies, enhancing your DEI work in Distance Education.
  3. EDUCAUSE Leadership Program: Covers technology-driven educational leadership, innovation in digital learning, and organizational communication.

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