Pre-doctoral Leadership Development Institute

Traditional doctoral education is devoted exclusively to preparing students for a career in scholarship or teaching within a particular discipline. What this means, however, is that future faculty members complete their degree without a more general understanding of higher education, with minimal knowledge of the structure and dynamics of institutions, and with little if any of the preparation necessary for assuming formal organizational leadership positions such as program director, department chair, or dean. The existing model simply produces too few individuals with the motivation, competencies, or experience needed to effectively engage the growing array of leadership challenges that confront the academy. There is a growing need for faculty members who are well prepared for success within their own discipline, but who also understand colleges and universities as complex organizations, know the challenges higher education faces, and have the foundational leadership knowledge and competencies to promote effective collaborative problem-solving at all levels within their institutions.

The Rutgers Pre-Doc Leadership Development Institute (PLDI) will help address these needs for Rutgers doctoral students. The Institute aims to enhance leadership knowledge, competency, motivation and skills among future faculty members early in their doctoral education, and to do so as an enhancement to their traditional disciplinary education. The components of PLDI will include both didactic and experiential elements that together, will provide fundamental knowledge of higher education from historical and contemporary perspectives, the array of problems and opportunities confronting the academy today, and approaches and competencies required of academic and administrative leaders to meaningfully address these challenges.

This new program, the first of its kind nationally, begins in Fall 2010. The first course in the program, Leadership Issues in Higher Education is designed to help doctoral students prepare for future group, team and organizational leadership roles. The course will enhance graduate students’ leadership knowledge and competencies, and broaden their understanding of the contemporary challenges facing U.S. colleges and universities. For course information, click here.

LEADER.edu ®

Under construction: This item will soon provide details on an interactive leadership development leadership development simulation.

Academic Leadership Program (ALP)

The Academic Leadership Program provides a forum for disseminating information on policies and practices, addressing theoretical and practical problems of academic leadership, sharing effective practices across disciplines, and creating a collaborative network of administrators and faculty members charged with providing academic leadership for the institution.  Components of the program include: a "Welcome Back" event in the fall for academic leaders; an orientation for new deans and chairs; a luncheon discussion series; and an academic leadership website.
http://www.academicleadership.rutgers.edu/. ALP is sponsored by ODL, of the Graduate School-NB, and the University Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Program activities are coordinated by a planning committee chaired by Dr. Barbara Bender, Associate Dean, Graduate School, New Brunswick Campus. For further information, contact ODL at center@odl.rutgers.edu or Dr. Bender at bbender@rci.rutgers.edu.

Executive Leadership Forum (ELF)

Through a series of forums and discussion meetings, the Executive Leadership Forum provides administrative leaders in the university with opportunities for networking, learning, and sharing information on policies, practices, and major university initiatives.  ELF is coordinated by ODL, under the auspices of the Vice President for Faculty and Staff Resources.  For further information, contact ODL at center@odl.rutgers.edu.

Student Leadership Forum

The Student Leadership Forum is currently being developed.  This new program will allow selected student leaders to participate in networking and learning opportunities that will enhance their knowledge of effective leadership practices.

Leadership and Communication Style Inventories

The Leadership Style Inventory  and the Communication Style Inventory  are web-based tools designed to assess leadership and communication styles as a means to gain insight into these two critical dimensions of organizational effectiveness.

Leadership Competency Development

ODL provides leadership competency development through a series of self-assessment tools which can be customized to fit the needs of each organization.  What Leaders Need to Know and Do: A Leadership Competencies Scorecard, which allows readers to assess their leadership knowledge and skills, is available from the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Leadership Consulting and Mentoring

Consulting services designed to enhance leadership effectiveness are offered to academic and administrative leaders.  Mentoring partnerships can also be arranged to provide additional support for developing leaders.

Leadership Evaluation