Tribune submission (continued)
STRATEGY 2: Engage in ongoing scholarship/advocacy of teaching and
learning. As said, it is important, perhaps more so for the internal
than the external constituency, that the president place an emphasis on
student learning as the primary mission of the institution. The
president may attend or present at conferences related to teaching and
learning. As the public face of the institution, the president has many
opportunities to speak on its behalf. In this regard, the president
should use frequent and repeated opportunities to focus on the teaching
and learning process. Literally “standing up” for the teaching and
learning mission of the college has both symbolic and systemic impact.
STRATEGY 3: Schedule time to observe faculty and students in the
classroom setting. The president should seek periodic opportunities to
establish authentic contact with the instructional processes of the
institution. Although a few presidents have sought to maintain contact
with instruction by actually teaching a class, for most, this is
impractical. Direct classroom observation of faculty and students
(e.g., visiting randomly selected classes by invitation) across
disciplines is an effective way for the president to understand the
challenges faculty face in their day-to-day academic responsibilities
and the subtle and not-so-subtle changes in the student body of the
college. When you enter this environment, it is important to listen
well and honestly observe the process. This is not a time for judgment
or evaluation, but for learning about teaching and learning
interactions from which you are often removed.
STRATEGY 4: Periodically connect at all levels that routinely involve
faculty and student services staff. From time to time, the president
should attend on-campus meetings that directly involve faculty and
staff attempting to impact the teaching and learning process. From
faculty senate meetings, curriculum committee gatherings, to student
service orientation planning, learning about colleague strategies to
connect with students is vital. As appropriate, the president can ask
for a copy of the meeting agenda, be prepared to make remarks, and, if
invited, host an open forum for questions and answers with the faculty
and staff.
STRATEGY 5: Host formal listening sessions, solicit input, and then
demonstrate responsiveness. Meeting with groups of faculty, student
support staff, and students to address particular issues regarding the
teaching and learning process is an effective way for the president to
actively engage in a dialogue about teaching and learning. The
president should make certain that faculty in particular have an
opportunity for direct contribution to the major processes of the
institution, including the budget process. Regarding the budget, the
president should clearly articulate how resources are allocated to the
main mission of the institution: student learning.
STRATEGY 6: Support faculty professional development initiatives. The
president should provide adequate resources to promote professional
development for faculty, whether full-time, part-time, or adjunct, and
should be directly involved in the professional development process.
Additionally, the president should help to set the agenda for
professional development activities and should periodically participate
in institutionally sponsored professional development activities. If
learning about learning is important for others, it is important for
the president.
STRATEGY 7: Step outside the president’s office. The president can host
social gatherings and other informal gatherings (e.g., ice cream
social, holiday party, meet the president, chat and chew) in which
faculty, staff, and students are invited to talk about teaching and
learning in a more relaxed atmosphere. Or simply walk the halls. It is
amazing how open faculty, staff, and students become when you leave the
often intimidating presidential office and enter their daily world of
teaching and learning work. Sit down in faculty offices and have a cup
of coffee, pull up a chair in the cafeteria and connect with students,
or relax outside the student services offices and just watch. There is
little substitute for the power of attention used in this way.
The external activities associated with the president’s function (e.g.,
spokesperson for the college, fundraiser, and lobbyist) are integral to
the daily operation and overall success of the institution. Because of
these myriad responsibilities, the community college president needs to
find a point of balance that supports external visibility as the
executive leader, alongside internal recognition as the academic leader
of the institution. To be sure, the college president cannot be
directly involved in every aspect of the day-to-day process of teaching
and learning. However, even with the complexity of community college
organization, administration, and supervision, the president can use
simple strategies to stay in touch with the teaching and learning
process. In doing so, the president clearly articulates and strongly
supports the message of a visible, ongoing, and vested interest in the
primary mission of the institution: teaching to facilitate student
learning.
Charles R. Dassance mailto:dassancc@cf.edu is President of Central
Florida Community College in Ocala. Ruby Evans
mailto:revans@mail.ucf.edu is Associate Professor of Higher Education
and Policy Studies and Program Coordinator of Community College
Specialization, Department of Educational Research, Technology, and
Leadership at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.