Training Leaders in Higher Education: A Design for a Professional Development Workshop in the Area of Student Affairs

It appears as though a change has occurred in terms of the way society views leadership. The qualities and skill-sets once thought to be integral to the practice, and the responsibilities assigned to those occupying such positions, have both experienced a transformation over time. These changes, in combination with the fact that many of the individuals working in higher education are not adequately prepared for the leadership roles they hold, provide evidence that new leadership theories/models need to be established in response. In this paper, I first seek support for my claims by way of a literature review. I draw from theorists and researchers from many different professional disciplines, such as; educational, psychological, corporate, political and militaristic. Upon obtaining their endorsement of my initial assertions, I proceed to devise my own skill-set model for what now has been deemed essential to successful leading in higher education. This model then serves as a preface to my leadership training workshop design. The workshop rationale stems from the selected writings of Peter Senge Director of The Learning organization Center at The Sloan school of Management (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Ken Blanchard, international consultant on leadership, customer service and employee empowerment, and Robert Cooper, executive consultant to 3M and Arthur Andersen. All three of these individuals are considered to be experts on leading and frequently conduct seminars on the topic. Both because my own professional interests lie within this arena. and for the purpose of supplying specificity to thc process. the workshop itself is then applied to d case study example from the department of Student Affairs (SA). The three-day seminar is outlined in detail. It consists of both short motivational speeches and lengthier group activities and discussions. In concluding the project, suggestions for further study on the topic are offered