After seven years as a department chair, I still proudly identify as a servant leader. But I have also learned the hard way that the label itself isn’t enough.
Leadership is the art of navigating constant complexity, where every decision balances people, purpose, and an ever-changing landscape. Colleges and universities operate through shared governance, professional autonomy, and firmly rooted
Among the many desired traits most prized in academic leadership, the ability to shape (or reshape) institutional culture is sometimes overlooked in favor of fiscal acumen, the ability to drive
I did not plan to become a university administrator. I planned to be a dancer.
Late spring semester in 2025, the president of a midsize liberal arts college convened an emergency meeting of the senior leadership team. A highly respected dean had submitted her resignation,
Early in our careers, we both believed that educational leadership followed a particular formula. You needed to earn the right degree, hold the correct title(s), and follow a clearly defined
Many student-facing leaders on college campuses work diligently to cultivate environments where students can thrive and be their authentic selves. But often, many higher education professionals do not get an
Disagreements emerging from the competing priorities of faculty members and administrators are unavoidable. Conflict, however, can emerge from drama being used as a strategic tactic to achieve a desired outcome.
Amid profound policy disruptions in US higher education—encompassing aggressive moves to dismantle DEI programs, restrictions on international student visas, suspensions of federal research grants, and more—there emerges a critical imperative
