Some readers may have had a recent opportunity to play a leadership role -- chairing a committee, serving in an interim administrative position, setting up or running a new academic program -- and found that they liked it. Others may have been candidates in administrative searches but may have failed to get an offer or may not have accepted an offer, so the job search continues. Still others may simply sense that they want to move up in administration but not know how to get started.
My position in these columns has been that people need to make a clear-eyed appraisal of their own strengths, weaknesses, and preparation for the positions they aspire to, and then work hard to fill in the gaps before plunging into the job market.
The summer is a good time to do this. Whether you are on vacation or just enjoying a somewhat slower pace before the onslaught of new activities in September, you may have some time to reflect on your professional-development needs. Once you have identified these needs, there are many ways to address them, and in this column I will discuss some of those ways.
Your professional development is your responsibility. Many institutions and organizations want to strengthen their leadership and may make opportunities available, but in the end it is still your job to decide which ones to pursue and when to pursue them.
At the most basic individual level, you should observe, read, think, and do. Watch carefully how administrators lead and manage. Remember that leadership can be exercised in virtually any position, and some of the most interesting leadership occurs in positions where one might not expect it. Read books and articles about leadership and management that can help you sharpen your analysis and learn these skills yourself.
Look for opportunities to exercise leadership in your daily life, starting right away. You don't have to wait for a new position to be able to do this. In fact, one of the best ways to bring your potential to the attention of senior officers who might advance your career is to demonstrate your skill in unexpected settings. For example, you can chair a committee that is working on a significant institutional issue, you can serve as the informal "diplomat" in a difficult personal or political situation, or you can simply attend an important meeting and make the kind of insightful comment or suggestion that other people notice and appreciate.
Once you have begun this basic process of analyzing and practicing, consider engaging in it with others. This collaborative process can take many forms, from conversations with colleagues at your own or a neighboring institution to attending national professional meetings.
Beginning at the informal end of the scale, I won't be telling you anything new when I say there is great value in networking. Find ways to connect with others who are in the kinds of positions you want to be in, or who want to move into those positions.
You can learn from them and offer each other significant advice and support. Think, for example, about the value of getting to know people who also interviewed for the position that you wanted; hearing about their experiences and their perceptions may give you a new perspective on what happened to you, or may help you understand why you didn't get the offer.
Informal networking can be particularly well-focused at professional meetings. These may be disciplinary (e.g., the American Sociological Association) or more broadly defined (e.g., the American Association for Higher Education). Meeting programs often include sessions on professional development. Many hallway conversations will surely be focused on advancement opportunities and strategies.
Many people attend professional meetings where they don't know anyone else and are pleased to get to know new colleagues, so networking is fairly easy. Attending a national meeting for the second time is especially satisfying, when you get to see friends who you met the year before and compare notes on how your careers have developed since then.
Professional-development programs are the most focused and purposeful way to enhance your professional skills, but also the most costly. If you are thinking of beginning a search for a senior administrative position, or have been unsuccessful in getting the position you wanted in past searches, you should give serious thought to attending one of these programs. They can be extremely intense experiences, running for a few days to a few weeks or even a full year, and often involving residence on a college campus away from the distractions of your normal responsibilities. They may require an institutional nomination and financial support.
Why would one want to attend a formal professional-development program? In addition to what you learn and who you get to know, you can list the program on your C.V. Administrators or aspiring administrators who can tell others that they attended "the Harvard program" or "the Bryn Mawr program" are signaling that they are interested in professional mobility.
The listing on your C.V. stays there for years, showing that you were sufficiently motivated to seek admission and sufficiently valued to be accepted and (in most cases) supported financially by your institution. The less formal forms of professional development don't normally appear on a C.V.
Below is a list of a few of the major professional-development programs. There are more programs that may be better suited to your needs. Again, before you plunge into selecting and applying to a program, give careful thought to exactly what your professional needs are, and which program can best meet them.
Administrative Management Institute: Location: Cornell University A.M.I. is co-sponsored by the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers and provides professional development to business managers, administrative managers, and middle managers of college and university academic and administrative departments. This year's program sessions include "The Evolving Role of the Administrative Manager," "Human Resources in a Changing Environment," "Risk Management," "Current Topics in Employment Law," "Negotiations," and "Distance Learning in Higher Education." Dates: July 30-August 4, 2000 Fee: $1,150. Price includes the cost of the program, course materials, a certificate of completion, a welcome reception, one dinner, and five lunches. Participants may stay in residence halls on the Cornell campus at the estimated rate of $28 per night for a single or $25 per night for a double. Participants may also obtain reduced rates at the Statler Hotel ($112 for a single/$124 for a double) or at the Best Western University Inn ($79 for a single or a double). For more information, contact the Administrative Management Institute at Cornell University at 607-255-7259, by e-mail at cusp@cornell.edu, or via the Web at http://www.sce.cornell.edu/html/ami.html
The American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program: This program requires that candidates be nominated by the president of their institutions and that the institutions continue to pay candidates salaries during one to two semesters in which they are freed from doing their normal jobs. Instead, they work closely with a president or vice president, either at their home institution or at another institution, who serves as their mentor, and attend seminars around the country on special topics in higher education. For more information, call the ACE Fellows Office at (202) 939-9420, or visit the Web site. The application deadline for next year's program is November 1.
Council for Advancement and Support of Education: CASE sponsors a variety of professional-development programs for presidents, deans, and others interested in developing their effectiveness in fund raising, advancement, and alumni relations. For more information, call 202-328-CASE or visit the Web site at http://www.case.org/training/1001.htm.
Harvard Seminar for New Presidents: Location: Harvard University Sponsored by the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education, this program prepares new presidents for the responsibilities and challenges they will face in their new jobs. Topics include fund raising, administrative teamwork, balancing competing demands, and articulating an institutional vision. Dates: July Fee: $2,900. Price includes tuition, course materials, and room and board. For information, phone the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents at 617-495-2655, send e-mail to ppe@harvard.edu or see the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Web site on professional-development programs for educational leaders at http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ppe
Institute for Educational Management: Location: Harvard University This program, sponsored by the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education, is designed to help senior-level university administrators (presidents, vice presidents, and other members of the president's cabinet) confront the challenges of institutional leadership. Topics include internal and external leadership roles, working with a senior-management team, and articulating an institutional vision. Dates: July Fee: $5,500. Price includes tuition, program materials, and room and board. To learn more about the program, phone the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education at 617-495-2655, send e-mail to ppe@harvard.edu, or see the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Web site on professional-development programs for educational leaders at http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ppe
Institute for Management and Leadership in Education: Location: Harvard University Sponsored by the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education, the M.L.E. is an intensive residential program for experienced university administrators -- deans, directors, provosts, and vice presidents. Topics include adapting to new technologies, allocating your time, and making strategic alliances. Dates: June Fee: $3,900. Price includes tuition, program materials, and room and board. For further information, phone the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education at 617-495-2655, send e-mail to ppe@harvard.edu, or see the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Web site on professional-development programs for educational leaders at http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ppe
Management Development Program: Location: Harvard University This program, which is in its 15th year, is designed for mid-level administrators (e.g., deans and directors) who are in the first seven years of their managerial careers. The program covers topics such as budgeting, human-resource management, innovation and change, planning, and effective leadership. Dates: June Fee: $3,900. Price includes tuition, program materials, and room and board. For further information, phone the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education at 617-495-2655, send e-mail to ppe@harvard.edu, or see the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Web site on professional-development programs for educational leaders at http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ppe
HERS - Management Institute for Women in Higher Education: Location: Wellesley College Sponsored by the Higher Education Resource Services, these seminars offer professional-management training to women administrators. Instructional areas include fiscal management, managing in organizations, and professional development. Dates: October 12-14, 2000; November 17-18, 2000; January 19-20, 2001; March 22-24, 2001; April 27-28, 2001 Fee: $2,800 plus $50 application fee (nonrefundable). Price includes the cost of tuition, materials and meals. Application deadline is Sept. 9, 2000. For more information, contact Susan Knowles, assistant director of HERS, New England, at 781-283-2529 or sknowles@wellesley.edu, or visit the Web page.
NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement: Location: Bryn Mawr College Sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators and the Higher Education Resource Services, this week-long residential program, which is in its sixth year, provides women coaches and administrators with intensive training in athletic administration. Dates: June Fee: $2,000. Price includes a $50 application fee. For more information, call 910-793-8244, send e-mail to nacwaa-hers@nacwaa.org, or visit the Web page, http://www.nacwaa.org/hers.htm
Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration: Location: Bryn Mawr College This program is sponsored by the Higher Education Resource Services, Mid-America, and provides woman faculty members and administrators with intensive training in educational administration. The Summer Institute, now in its 25th year, was created to raise the status of women in higher-education administration. The program is divided into several instructional units -- including the academic environment, the external environment, the institutional environment, and professional development. Dates: June/July Fee: $5,800 plus a nonrefundable $75 application fee (for residents). Price includes the cost of the program, course materials, and room and board. The price for nonresidents is $4,800, which covers the cost of tuition, course materials, and some lunches and dinners. For more information, contact Betsy Metzger, associate director of HERS, Mid-America, at the University of Denver; telephone: 303-871-6897, e-mail: bmetzger@du.edu
This is just a sampling of the programs that can help you develop your professional skills. Evaluate your goals and what skills you need to achieve those goals, and plan now to do some professional development in the coming year.
Gabriela Montell contributed to this article.
