July 22, 2013

5 Career Suggestions for Emerging Higher Education Leaders

Jul. 22, 2013 at 08:00 AM | By Todd Bloom, Ph.D. | Comment Count

(Excerpts from ACE Fellows panel, “Your Future in Higher Education”)

On June 5, 2013, I had the opportunity to participate in a fascinating panel discussion – including Andrea Hamos, Ph.D., Vice President for Consulting Operations and Senior Consultant at Academic Search, Inc., and Paul Chou, Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice, Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry International - with the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program. The panel examined opportunities available to senior higher education administrators at the end of their ACE Fellows year. The goal of the conversation wasn’t to provide a step-by-step guide for what fellows ought to do upon completion of the program, but rather to encourage fellows to explore myriad possibilities in what is a dynamic higher education marketplace.

“Since 1965, more than 1,800 vice presidents, deans, department chairs, faculty, and other emerging leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program.

The ACE Fellows Program helps ensure that higher education’s future leaders are ready to take on real-world challenges and serve the capacity-building needs of their institutions.
Fellows:

Observe and participate in key meetings and events, and take on special projects and assignments while under the mentorship of a team of experienced campus or system leaders.
Participate in three multi-day seminars, engage in team-based case studies, visit other campuses, and attend national meetings.
Develop a network of higher education leaders across the US and abroad.
Observe and participate in key meetings and events, and take on special projects and assignments while under the mentorship of a team of experienced administrators.” Learn more

So, what should ACE Fellows or any emerging leader in higher education keep in mind when preparing for their professional futures?

5 Career Suggestions for Emerging Higher Education Leaders

Think “You Inc.” - With internet-based search tools, expertise is incredibly easy to find. Clarifying your expertise is critical to finding a positive match between your expertise and an organization’s needs. Consider how your expertise is visible to organizations. Language matters – consider the language of those whom you seek to connect and attract.

Institutional Opportunities

What value do you bring relative to an organization and Student Return on Investment (SROI)? Always draw a “hard line” between your efforts and SROI – your efforts and success will ultimately be judged by how they improve SROI. The customer depends on this focus and therefore so too does the institution.

Institution vs. Other Options - Generally speaking, for-profit or not-for-profits that are not institutions operate in a world of “fee for service.” That is, organizational sustainability and growth is highly dependent on the activities of these organizations’ employees. Therefore, these organizations have some differences that are worthy of consideration.

Personal/Professional Alignment - While organizational mission is often seen as far removed from day to day activities, it is worthy of consideration prior to committing one’s effort and career. If mission is important to you, as it likely should be, then alignment of one’s own mission and the institution is important for long term value – both for you and your employer.

Data, There’s No Hiding From It - “Data-driven decision making, big data, evidence-based management," etc. is beyond trite and buzzy. While using data to inform management and leadership is certainly a required practice, balance data with experience and skepticism. One data set can “tell” us much, but to not question data is to potentially ignore nuance, context, and limitations.

5 Career Suggestions for Emerging Higher Education Leaders from Hobsons