| An online magazine dedicated to sharing best practices and providing in-depth coverage of issues and trends affecting the Washington State community and technical college system. |
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| September 2005 Edition 4 |
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| All in the Family | ||
Washington’s two-year colleges continue to grow and serve a more diverse student population than any other sector of higher education. Two-year colleges connect with business and industry leaders to develop educational pathways to boost economic growth, and system leaders present their expertise regularly to legislators and other elected officials. So, given the nature of the two-year college system’s connectivity, the question arises: “What are colleges doing to prepare their employees to be knowledgeable and responsive to the needs of their many constituents?” In addition to serving a diverse external constituency, increased access to technology brings greater efficiency and challenges to the internal work environment. Colleagues no longer have to pick up the phone to ask a question – they can send an e-mail. Meetings can be conducted via video conference, rather than face-to-face. However, with all this multi-tasking, another question surfaces, “Are colleges providing opportunities for employees to learn from one another and to develop the skills they need to be effective and stay engaged in the workplace?” According to professionals from around the state, the answer to both questions is: yes. The system is supported by both statewide associations and local professional development programs that provide employees with opportunities to step out of their daily roles and explore their strengths, learn with others about issues that affect the system, and develop professional networks based on shared insight and best practices. The Association – facilitating statewide dialogue and growth opportunitiesThe Association of Washington Community and Technical College Administrators, commonly referred to as “the Association," has offered continuing education opportunities to college administrators in Washington state for over 20 years. Most colleges in the two-year system are members of the Association and pay yearly membership dues. All employees of member colleges are eligible to participate in sponsored events and programs. The Association holds three conferences per year, as well as sponsoring the Washington Executive Leadership Academy (WELA) and a four-day workshop for employees new to the system or leadership positions called “Leading from the Middle.” “The Association is a valuable resource for the system,” stated Catherine Hays, Professional Development Coordinator in the Executive Office of the Association. “Conferences provide professionals the opportunity to gain deeper understanding of the issues affecting colleges statewide and nationally, as well as the ability to network with others in similar fields from across the state.” In addition to conferences and workshops, scholarships are also awarded to classified, professional or confidential exempt employees to support those interested in pursing careers as community or technical college administrators. The next Association conference is scheduled for November 3, at South Seattle Community College. Entitled, “Extreme Makeover: College Edition,” its focus will be on college responsiveness to current market needs and trends. “Growing our own” – preparing tomorrow’s leaders todayWhen the Washington Executive Leadership Academy (WELA) was developed in 2001, its primary goal was to identify potential leaders from the system and prepare them to be strong, competitive candidates for top level college positions, such as president or vice president. “WELA is not about leadership development,” explained Executive Director Dr. Kae Hutchinson. “It is about making sure participants know what they need to know in order to operate at the top levels. We assume they already know about leadership on a broad level. This program goes beyond that.” When participants of the year-long program are selected, they must be prepared to declare publicly their aspirations to move up the college ladder. Hutchinson said that while this can be unnerving for some, it gives a participant statewide visibility. What makes WELA stand out from other programs nationally is its specific emphasis on candidacy skills – in both written and interview skills. This is training that is not readily available elsewhere, according to Hutchinson. The program also includes a mentoring component and prepares candidates to be well versed in the state’s political system, beyond what they experience at the college level. “We get participants well tuned to understanding how the colleges work within the political system, give them access to leaders and state board staff, and give them the opportunity to watch these leaders operate,” Hutchinson stated. “This gives participants an accurate picture of what the job they are looking at requires.” The program has a proven track record of producing new leadership for the system, from the system. Several program graduates have moved into new leadership positions and two alumni of the program have assumed presidencies. They include Centralia’s Dr. Walton and Dr. Ed Brewster, president of Grays Harbor College. “The WELA experience did several things for me,” explained Dr. Jim Walton, president of Centralia College. “As a potential executive leader I was given the opportunity to understand the community college system from a more holistic viewpoint. I was able to refine and polish my resume and interview skills for the application process, and I was able to build a network of peers that will be meaningful throughout my career.” The presidents both expressed the great value they see in preparing prospective presidents in our state. “I’ve participated in several leadership programs and found this one especially helpful because of its focus on Washington state,” commented Dr. Brewster. “As my mentor, Rich Rutkowski, president of Green River Community College, gave me valuable insight which helped prepare me for a presidency and so much of what I encountered during my first year as president.” Investing in legacy planningWhen the state’s workforce councils expressed concern over the lack of professional development opportunities in the field of workforce education, the Center of Excellence for Careers in Education housed at Green River Community College was tapped to respond. “When they (councils) began to look at all retirements coming up, they realized they were going to lose a tremendous knowledge base,” said the Center’s director, Leslie Heizer Newquist. “The realm of workforce education is constantly changing. If someone hasn’t already been immersed in the system, they miss out on a lot of practical knowledge they need to do their job.” The Center’s year-long leadership program was designed to provide innovative, hands-on training for future workforce deans and vice presidents. Heizer Newquist said they utilized system expertise to educate participants about the history of workforce education, as well as provide training for the specific skills needed for jobs in the field, such as in grant writing. “We helped participants identify the barriers to effective grant writing and gave them the opportunity to practice their skills in various scenarios,” she said. “Our aim was to make the program relevant to the changing landscape of the workforce education field. This program gave us the chance to ‘practice what we preach’ as the Center of Excellence in Education.” Based on the success of year one, the program has been approved for a second year. It’s more than just professional development – it’s about changing cultureAfter years of responding to requests for supervisor and leadership training, the Edmonds Community College human resources office determined it was time to develop a specialized program to lend support to supervisors on campus. The result was “Leading to Succeed,” a six-month program designed to help supervisors hone their practical skills, such as giving performance evaluations and conflict resolution, as well as offer a more complete understanding of the college’s strategic mission and administrative functions. After the first group completed the program, its designers found that the program not only did what it was supposed to, but it went even further. “The greatest impact of the program was the relationships forged by the participants,” stated Chris Hudyma, Edmonds CC Director of Organization Development and Employee Training. “We witnessed first-hand the benefit of people working collaboratively across department lines and believe it’s helped to break down the silos that naturally exist in our work environment.” It was with this similar vision and support from the college’s leadership that GraceLeaf and Dr. Terri Monaghan McKenzie led the Community Colleges of Spokane on a journey to restore the health and vitality of their system through the creation of the CCS Leadership Development Program. “The program is much more than just professional development,” expressed Leaf. “It responds to the need for contact that crosses organizational boundary lines, breaking people out of their silos to change the way they do their everyday business. The learning community gives the opportunity for this.” Spokane’s program is unique in that participation is open to everyone from classified to exempt employees. The program further broadens participation by holding open invitation “Friday Forums,” which are monthly lecture series on various leadership topics. “College executives are starting to realize that a critical mass of people are speaking a different language when it comes to dealing with conflict resolution, cultural differences and change management,” Leaf stated. In its fourth year, the program is beginning to not only have an impact on campus, but statewide at other colleges and the State Board, who have initiated leadership programs of their own inspired by Spokane’s success. An organization that learns together, grows togetherAs an organization that regularly acts as a conduit between the colleges and the Legislature, other state agencies and stakeholders, the State Board realized the importance of challenging its employees to think about the impact of leadership (theirs and others) on their work. That philosophy was the driving force behind the development of the SBCTC Leadership Institute, said SBCTC Executive Director Earl Hale. Covering issues ranging from managing change to policy development and the legislative process, the Institute also sponsored State Board-specific sessions about the agency’s history and its role in relation to the colleges. “The Leadership Institute has become a vital part of our staff development effort,” stated SBCTC Administrative Services Director Chris Reykdal. “Put simply, the institute attempts to do more than just create future leaders, it’s creating leaders right now at every level of the organization. We are trying to move beyond titles and levels of authority, in order to engage and challenge all employees to take responsibility for the success of this organization.” Though leadership training might seem like today’s newest human resources fad, the value is apparent –employees want to feel connected to their work. The face-to-face contact and opportunity for mentoring that were once commonplace before the age of technology are being facilitated in new ways. “Developing employees throughout the two-year college system results in every employee having the ability to effectively serve the college’s most important constituent – the student,” said Reykdal.
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