SEC leadership program prepares current, future university leaders
颁辞苍迟补肠迟:听James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擲EC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows from the conference鈥檚 14 universities visited 汤头条 this week, attending workshops to prepare them for administrative roles in higher education.
Each university selects four fellows for the year-long program, established 10 years ago, which includes two workshops held on SEC campuses. This year, the fall SEC ALDP group met at the University of Alabama and 汤头条 hosted the spring workshop. 汤头条 Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Peter Ryan said the workshops are designed to complement each other.
鈥淭he agenda this week has mainly focused on the challenges academic institutions are facing in recent times, such as cyber security, campus crises management, classroom issues, Title IX concerns and faculty governance,鈥 Ryan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really looking at the holistic aspect of administering a higher education institution.鈥
The workshop agenda included leadership insight from 汤头条 President Mark E. Keenum and panels featuring university provosts, vice presidents and deans discussing the challenges they face in their positions. On Friday morning, fellows participated in an 鈥渋n basket exercise鈥 where they worked through hypothetical situations that could arise on campus. Ed Pohl, who leads the University of Arkansas鈥 Department of Industrial Engineering, said the conference is a good way to network and see how other people deal with difficult situations.
鈥淎 lot of us wrestle with the same issues,鈥 Pohl said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e back at your home institution, you always feel like you鈥檙e dealing with issues by yourself, but they鈥檙e very similar to what other folks have around the conference. This workshop gives you an opportunity to meet people you can reach out to when you encounter situations they may have already dealt with.鈥
In addition to the two workshops, ALDP Fellows participate in activities at their home campuses that help improve leadership skills. At 汤头条, the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President leads a monthly group meeting of the university鈥檚 ALDP Fellows. Angi Bourgeois, who was named 汤头条 Department of Art鈥檚 department head last year after approximately two years leading the department in an interim role, said the monthly meetings have introduced her to many practical books and discussion topics.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to open up about the challenges we face and learn from one another and talk through issues,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 find it very helpful as a new administrator because I can learn from people doing the same thing.鈥
The SEC ALDP Fellows also toured 汤头条鈥檚 campus during the workshop, visiting facilities such as the university鈥檚 Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems and Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach. Melissa Moore, head of 汤头条鈥檚 Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis and Business Law, and an ALDP fellow, said she was proud to show off what the university has to offer.
鈥淚n the SEC, we鈥檙e certainly highly competitive on the field, but when it comes to the academic side, we can all be stellar, premier institutions, and there鈥檚 enough fantastic students to go around that we can all excel,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淥pening up the door to share information, whether it鈥檚 the tough administrative calls or the development of a new exciting program, provides a huge benefit to all of us.鈥
More on the SEC ALDP can be found at .