Purpose

A purpose of this Center is to implement applied research, re-design curriculum and provide leadership development opportunities for postsecondary leaders within community colleges and universities, with particular emphasis on access, equity, and student success as well as outcomes-based assessment/evidence based decision making in order to contribute to institutional practice and policy for the improvement of integrated student learning and development.

The Center will accomplish this purpose by providing services and research in three areas.

• Curriculum- in the delivery of its Masters Degree in Postsecondary Educational Leadership, its Master's Degree in Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Student Affairs/Services and its Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership, the Center will utilize the expertise of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education faculty to educate future leaders who will demonstrate competencies in research, planning, and application in order to impact institutional policies for the improvement of integrated student learning and development.  More specifically, graduates of the program will be able to identify through outcomes-based assessment how student services areas contribute to student learning at their institutions and how those contributions can inform policy and practice.  See the program website for more information.
• Outreach – in the delivery of academic year workshops, podcasts and summer institutes, the Center will educate postsecondary leaders, particularly student affairs/services professionals, about how they can utilize research and planning (e.g., outcomes-based assessment) to better understand how their programs are collaboratively contributing to student-learning.  Furthermore, workshop and institute participants will be able to use their outcomes-based assessment findings to inform policy and practice.  Refer to the Institute website to learn more about these exciting opportunities.
• Research – through collaborations with research and developmental partners and other appropriate professional and education organizations, the Center will focus on how administrators design programs and policies that contribute to enhancing student learning.  In addition, research will be conducted to identify effective practices and other characteristics that lead to effective integrated student learning within higher education.

Research Agenda

The research agenda is led by the Center Faculty has four areas of emphasis.

1)  Good Practices in Assessment of Student Learning and Development

• Good Practices in Outcomes-Based Assessment Program Review
• Good Practices in General Education Assessment of Student Learning and Development
• Good Practices in Student Affairs/Services Assessment of Student Learning and Development

2)  Facilitation of self-reflection for the purpose of promoting ethical leadership among PK-16 faculty, staff and administrators

Given the lack of professional development opportunities for many PK-16 faculty, staff, and administrators, there is a need for freestanding distance learning opportunities that provide critical skills for the new wave of educators required to fill various leadership positions within the field. Whether due to lack of funds or inconvenience of times available, many individuals in education who are seeking to augment their leadership skills have been unable to engage in the necessary professional development programs typically available. This project addresses this need by providing a publicly available online curriculum designed to address the reflective, transformative, and empathetic leadership skills that are vital in the modern educational realm. Further, providing curriculum which will increase the pool of future educational leaders who posses these new skills, especially those who have been typically underrepresented in leadership (i.e., women and individuals of color) will be vital in establishing educational environments which can adequately address the expanding needs of students.

The project curriculum is designed to challenge current social consciousness to transition from operating within a mentality of scarcity and competition to one that operates out of abundance, creativity, and an acknowledgement that all points of view are of value. It is expected that educators who are exposed to the curriculum will use the information provided to begin a process of self-assessment that will result in responsible and empathetic leadership. Concepts presented will challenge learners to think critically, analyze themselves intensely, connect social change with economic development, and devise solutions to issues within the workplace that promote personal responsibility for thoughts, words, and actions.

3)  Identification of Institutional Characteristics that Contribute to Student Learning and Development

4)  College Student Development; Issues Concerning College Men and Masculinities; Gendered Trends in Postsecondary Learning Environments; Equity in Student Outcomes for Historically Underrepresented/Underserved Student Populations

This research is broadly focused on student development in higher education and explores questions related to the social construction of gender and race on college campuses, college men and masculinities, and racial/ethnic disparities in college student outcomes.

Consultation