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We are thrilled to have you here! This is the first official issue of Higher Ed Connects, the twice-monthly newsletter from The Center for Higher Education (CHEL). You have been gifted with a FREE two-month subscription, but can join as a member at any time for even more benefits. Want to find out a little more of what CHEL is all about? Listen to our podcast with co-founders Terri Givens and Shelley Seale.
Transitioning from Faculty to Administration
Dr. Tammi Cooper, Associate Dean in the School of Business at Northcentral University, shares her knowledge from her own often-bumpy transition from faculty to academic administrator, covering the following key topics:
☑ The challenge of the transition
☑ Key areas for administrator success
☑ Creating a personal development plan
The challenge of the transition
As I reflect on my transition from faculty member to administrator, I can only describe it as awkward, challenging, and lonely. I am confident in what I do now, but I could not say that in the early years. There was no preparation or playbook for the role I took on and I often felt like a goldfish that had flopped outside the fish bowl.
Most of us enter higher education as faculty members excited to engage in the teaching and learning process with students. We are not formally prepared for administrator roles that challenge us to leverage multiple skills in a complex, ever-changing environment. So how can you prepare if you choose to become an administrator? From my battle-tested perspective, I want to share a framework that I hope might help. After serving in a variety of administrator roles over the last decade, I have unpacked my experiences into key growth areas I believe are necessary for success. These include:
☑ Understanding the higher education environment
☑ Knowing the institution you serve
☑ Learning the technical aspects of what you lead
☑ Practicing your soft skills
☑ Honing your leadership ability
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Pathways to the Real World: An Industry Perspective on Post-Secondary Education
Jim Vanides, senior education and industry advisor to organizations around the world and Senior Advisor to the National Laboratory for Education Transformation, shares his perspective on the pathway from post-secondary education to the “real world” of today’s career landscape and emerging opportunities.
For both degree programs and traditional workforce skill training certificate programs, the “real world” that awaits today’s post-secondary graduates is anything but traditional. We don’t need to look far and wide to see evidence that the Future of Work is already upon us. In response, how we learn and what we learn is transforming — but are we changing fast enough?
It is true that higher education institutions are facing financial pressures, and some would argue that demographic shifts are largely to blame. Regardless, we can remain bullish on the importance of post-secondary education and the emerging opportunities for learners. There are even new opportunities for revenue, as some higher education institutions have already discovered.
Stepping out of the “institution-looking-outward” point of view, this article brings an “industry-looking-toward-higher-ed” perspective. In doing so, six important themes begin to emerge — themes that can serve as a foundation for institutional strategies that prepare, and continually engage, learners in today’s Real World.
So what does it take to be that kind of institution?
Book Review: Robot-Proof
Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
by Joseph E. Aoun; Cambridge: MIT Press, 2017
Advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data will radically change the nature of work. Predictions on the impact of these advances range from the elimination of many types of jobs to the automation of a significant number of tasks. What is certain is that employees will need different types of skills to adapt to these changes, and higher education must play a central role in responding.
Read the book review by Chris Mayer, Associate Dean for Strategy and Initiatives and an Associate Professor at the United States Military Academy (West Point), reviews Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
Aoun, President of Northeastern University, proposes a new model of higher education that he believes will enable college graduates to succeed in a workforce where “any predictable work – including many jobs considered ‘knowledge economy jobs’ – are now within the purview of machines.” Because of the importance of preparing students for success after graduation, Robot-Proof should be on the reading list of higher education leaders.
In the book, Aoun provides context for and describing the challenges facing those entering and already in the workforce, identifying what skills employers desire, and proposing how colleges and universities can change to better prepare students for workforce success. A theme that runs throughout the book is that while machines will soon perform most predictable work, they will not be able to replicate the uniquely human skill of creativity. Therefore, higher education needs to prioritize the development of students into creators.
ASU/GSV and Higher Ed Leadership:
Bending the Arc of Human Potential
by Terri Givens, Founder & CEO
It was early April when I found myself walking into the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego with a bit of trepidation. It was my first ASU/GSV conference, and as the founder of a new company I was hoping to make connections, learn something about the world of ed tech, and with any luck, get inspired by the focus on innovation.
I had heard about the conference more than a year ago, and was curious about the attendees and the kinds of approaches that ed tech companies were taking to address issues related to student success, in particular.
First, what is ASU/GSV? ASU, of course, is Arizona State University, while GSV is Global Silicon Valley — part startup incubator, part venture capital fund. Their Twitter description captures the main focus of the event: to “support education and talent tech innovation and catalyze the #entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The conference is in its 10th year, bringing together leaders from startups, large tech companies, innovators, and education leaders. It has grown from 300 participants to nearly 5,000 over the past decade. Speakers have included Hollywood icons like Common, world leaders like Tony Blair, and educators, with ASU’s President Michael Crow playing the most prominent role.
“Life is not a popularity contest. Take the hill, but first answer the question: What is my hill?”
~Matthew McConaughey, past ASU/GSV speaker
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One Minute Video
Terri Givens, the CEO and Founder of The Center for Higher Education Leadership talks about her recent visit to Duke University where she gave the keynote address at the 2019 Global Inequality Research Initiative (GIRI) Capstone Conference: Race and Racism in Europe.
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