LVAIC Higher Education Leaders Institute Kicks Off Third Cohort
August 19, 2019, @ 1:30 PM
On Thursday, August 15, 2019, members of the LVAIC community gathered to launch the third cohort of the Higher Education Leaders Institute (HELI). The group of 27 participants met at DeSales University for the day to begin this year’s program.
Participants were welcomed by Cedar Crest College President Elizabeth Meade who offered her story of moving from being a faculty member to a Provost to the President of the college. Members of the HELI had the opportunity to attend the morning keynote session and panel presentation from the LVAIC Facing Higher Education’s Future event regarding Exploring Campus Economics. This presentation hosted Jacalyn Askin of the National Association of College and University Business Officers who spoke about the NACUBO Higher Education Economics Modeling project. The panel consisted of
- Audra Kahr, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, Cedar Crest College
- Amy Scott, Associate Professor of Business & Economics & Budget Committee Member, DeSales University
- Annette Diorio, Vice President for Campus Life, Lafayette College
- Douglas Mahony, Associate Professor of Management & Faculty Senate Chair, Lehigh University
- Allan Chen, Chief Information Officer, Muhlenberg College
Moravian College President Bryon Grigsby also shared with the group. He offered his story of moving from a faculty member to the role of department chair followed by serving as the Vice President for Academic Affairs before coming to Moravian College as president. Grigsby then offered a presentation on the current state of higher education in the United States. This overview portrayed the cost of college compared to the price of housing and educating a student at a private institution while elucidating the changing demographics to which all colleges and universities will need to adapt over the next few years. This triggered an in-depth conversation on the ways in which this emerging group of leaders can better prepare for the future in this changing landscape of higher education.
Prior to attending this program, participants were tasked with completing their Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) analysis to better understand their preferences around energy levels, time management, decision-making, and information gathering. Charlene Bergstresser, LVAIC Program Director and certified administrator of the MBTI, facilitated the group through understanding their results and planning their future work in application of these measurements.
The day concluded with a panel of participants from last year’s program who shared their insights on the program, their challenges and successes, and their feedback on ways to approach the program for the highest return on time invested. Several members of last year’s cohort have received promotions and are now in leadership roles on their campuses, many of whom have credited the institute with teaching them the skills and holistic lessons on higher education.
The on-going theme of the day, and this program overall, is remaining open to the challenges and opportunities that come up in the course of your career. Every new difficulty is a chance to learn, grow, and evolve in order to advance in the long-term. Accepting adversity is part of the leadership process and is integral in learning how to manage and develop a team, a department, or an entire campus.
LVAIC Continues Facing Higher Educations Future Series with Economics Modeling » « Workshop for Academic Chairs and Program Directors Highlights Effective Hiring and Shared Governance
