ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 1

2018 44th Annual Conference Roundtable

East Coast Colleges Social Science Association

Rethinking Leadership in Higher Education—A Continuation of the Dialogue

The Contextualization of Leadership—Teaching Faculty as Leaders in Instruction,

Knowledge, Innovation, Leadership and Transformation

ECCSSA 2017 continues the dialogue on rethinking leadership in higher education. In the 2016

conference we examined the construct of leadership and explored new, visionary and effective

models of leadership success. The 2017 conference explored the role of instruction, learning and

leadership in higher education. The focus was on holistic education and development of students

we serve in preparing a society of individuals for ethical leadership, caring, humanity and

ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 2

sustainability of a future world. The goal was to develop a model for preparing future citizens

and leaders.

For 2018, ECCSSA calls for the cultivation of the leadership of learning. This conference will focus

on instructional faculty who perform most of the daily interactions with students as the leaders

of learning. This conference seeks to put leadership into context with a focal point on the core of

the leadership pool—teaching faculty.

Faculty as Leaders Faculty as leaders serve as agents of societal transformation. Decision making spans the gamut of

roles and responsibilities: teacher, mentor, role model, scholar, colleague, fundraiser,

entrepreneur, administrator, servant to the community, and consultant. Teaching faculty

demonstrate every aspect of transformational leadership (Astin & Astin, 2000). Per leadership

researchers, “Faculty are in a position to begin the change agenda in their classrooms and in their

governance activities” (p.45). This is precisely the attitude that should be cultivated and conveyed

on the premise that everyone can lead, live by leadership principles, and, work for change in their

own sphere of influence.

When faculty begin to accept, model and practice the principles of transformative leadership,

their constraining beliefs are replaced by a set of empowering beliefs that can lead to actions that

not only support and strengthen the institution, but also model leadership behaviors for students.

Such a mindset also improves and enriches their individual working lives (Astin & Astin, 2000).

Expanding and re-centering the concept of leadership is crucial. Faculty are the core foundation

of higher education institutions and the most classical and long sustaining leaders. Without them,

there would be no instructional program and no foundational base in higher education

institutions.

In his book, The Fall of the Faculty (2011), Ginsberg discusses how there has been a deemphasis of

viewing the teaching professoriate in a leadership role. He stresses the importance and urgency

of faculty regaining their voice and power as leaders. He asserts that from a historical perspective,

American universities were led mainly by their faculties. They viewed intellectual production

and pedagogy as the core mission of higher education. Currently, and over the last decade, per

Ginsberg, this has changed where “deanlets”—administrators and staffers, often without serious

academic backgrounds or experience—are setting the educational agenda.

In a further irony, per Ginsberg, many of the newly minted—and non-academic—administrators

are career managers who downplay the importance of teaching and research, as evidenced by

their tireless advocacy for a banal “life skills” or get through college curriculum. Therefore,

students are denied a more enriching educational experience—one defined by intellectual rigor.

Ginsberg calls for teaching faculty to assume their proper role as leaders of learning and in all

aspects of higher education life.

ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 3

College and university faculty can provide the kind of leadership that could transform their

institution toward building greater community, cooperation and harmony. Faculty are

considered the stewards of the institution; and, they tend to have the greatest longevity. Faculty

are also a powerful force in the development of young people. Faculty should view themselves

as the leaders of learning. Many faculty are among a community of scholars and are typically

knowledge-based. They are also charged with designing and implementing important

mechanisms and methods for learning. They must actively and innovatively engage students

who are also part of the teaching/learning, leader/follower exchange. Faculty are also called to

serve society as agents of societal change. They provide leadership as teachers, scholars and

servants to the larger society and world; and, some in a profound way.

Teaching itself, is a form of leadership within the classroom, although little of that is

acknowledged when leadership is discussed in the literature. However, the new emerging

paradigm shares this notion, and most scholars agree, that the meaning of leadership depends on

the context in which it is found (Drury, 2005) and involves the expectations of the leader and

followers. Many of the descriptions in emerging leadership paradigms also include an emphasis

on a combination of traits of the leader, followers and context. Thus, in the new emerging

paradigm of leadership, it is becoming more apparent that teachers should be viewed as

influential leaders and agents of change in the classroom and beyond in community, society and

world.

Per Drury (2005),” leadership is what effective teachers do in their classrooms when they influence a

passion for the subject matter, initiate structure in areas of professional competence, guide group

discussion, persuade peer tutoring to occur, design and motivate action-learning processes, clarify goals or

learning objectives, encourage individual persistence, exhibit consideration for students in a variety of

interpersonal behaviors, and in many other ways that facilitate learning outcomes among students” (p.4).

Faculty are leaders because they create and are at the core of the learning organization. They have

the widest impact in the organization, touching the lives of thousands of students, their families

and the communities in which they interface. According to Peter Senge (1990), the best leaders

teach people throughout the organization not only how to see the big picture, but how and why

the different parts interact. Thus, the leader-teacher interaction is an interchangeable one—

teachers must be leaders to be most effective in the classroom.

Leaders of learning also expand knowledge and empower students. Students will observe and

generate their notions and conceptions about leadership from their observation of models and

interactions in the classroom, campus environment, and participation in campus activities. They

will also learn intentionally and unintentionally from such models; as well as, through their

engagement in the educational process. Further, the impact that faculty as leaders have on

ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 4

students is far reaching to those students becoming global citizens, productive professionals, civic

oriented citizens, ethical leaders and world-changers.

Teaching faculty scholars have the most profound influence and leader power than any

administrative task leader in higher education. ECCSSA calls for teaching faculty to regenerate,

rise and assume their leadership role.

Goals of 2018 ECCSSA Roundtable The 2018 ECCSSA conference will focus on a scholarly and practical dialogue on cultivating the

leadership of learning. It is a call for teaching faculty to assume their leadership status in higher

education.

ECCSSA invites you to join us in dialogue at the 2018 Roundtable as we call for research, models,

proposals and papers that address, support, and promote teaching faculty as leaders of learning.

Teaching faculty are the true leaders in higher education, with the responsibility of developing,

shaping and molding human potential—in character, ethics, knowledge, skills, well-being,

worldviews, and ability to become productive and viable national and global citizens, and leaders

of the future. It is the teaching faculty who are the basic and foundational core of any institution

of higher learning. They are also parents, heads of households, and must lead their families.

The 2018 ECCSSA Roundtable has some of the following goals:

• To explore the contextualization of leadership;

• To regain leadership status for instructional faculty;

• To develop strategies and models for preparing teaching faculty as leaders of learning;

• To understand theory, epistemology and ways of knowing;

• To promote education for holistic development;

• To explore strategies for teaching, learning, and development of human potential;

• To explore development and building of skills for life and work beyond the classroom;

• To model leadership behavior and cultivate a new leadership archetype;

• To build a culture of creativity and innovation; and,

• To promote transformation, global participation and a sustainable future.

ECCSSA invites you to join us in dialogue at this conference roundtable. We encourage

undergraduate and graduate student participation, joint faculty-student collaboration and team

or group projects and presentations.

Conference presentation formats include individual, collaborative projects, panel discussions,

and posters. Proposals will also be accepted for special pre- and post-conference sessions.

ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 5

Special Call for Student Poster Presentations and Papers ECCSSA traditionally and historically has been an organization that supports student

scholarship. We strongly recommend Association members and teaching faculty to encourage

student participation in the conference.

We encourage graduate and undergraduate student submission of poster presentations and

papers. Poster presentations will remain on display through the duration of the conference and

students are asked to be present at their poster during morning breakfast and lunch. Guidelines

for student and faculty papers and poster presentations can be found on the ECCSSA website at:

www.eccssa.org.

_____

References

Astin, A.W. & Astin, H.S. and Associates. (2000). The leadership role of faculty. In Leadership reconsidered: Engaging higher education in

social change. Battle Creek, MI: W.H. Kellogg Foundation.

Drury, S. (2005). Teacher as servant leader: A faculty model for effectiveness with students. School of Leadership Studies.

Regent University. Online:

http://www.regent.edu/acad/sls/publications/conference_proceedings/servant_leadership_roundtable/2005/pdf/drury_teacher_serv

ant.pdf.

Ginsberg, Benjamin. (2011). The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why It Matters (Oxford

University Press).

Miller, H. (2008). Rethinking the classroom. Spaces designed for active and engaged learning and teaching. Solution Essay. Online.

http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/rethinking-the-classroom.html

Senge, P.M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Currency Doubleday.

_____

A select group of presenters will gather for two days to present their work and to discuss the

work of other presenters. All participants will gather in the same room to hear each presentation.

Therefore, it is imperative that all presenters be in attendance for both days of the roundtable.

_____

For more information and to download proposal, registration and other forms or to pay online, please visit our

website at: www.eccssa.org. You may also contact Dr. Rosalyn M. King at conference@eccssa.org or roking@nvcc.edu

for additional information.

ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 6

Leadership Theories of Learning and Leadership

The Practice of Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Multiple Roles of the College Professor

Empowering Teachers as Agents of Change

Teacher as Leader

Teacher as Servant Leader

Developing Teaching Faculty as Leaders

Cultivating a New Leadership Archetype

Reimagining Meetings

Redesigning Learning

Collaborative Models of Leadership to Promote Teaching and Learning

New Paradigms, Models and Designs for Teaching and Learning Changing the Paradigm of Teaching

Developing a Teaching Philosophy

Empowering Students

Authentic Constructivist Teaching and Learning

Wholistic Education

Differentiated Instruction

Independent Learning

Building the Future of Learning

Fostering Direct and Conversational Relationships

Creating Dialogue

Nurturing Engagement

Neuroscience and Learning

Effective Teaching and Leading Strategies

Building Leadership Skills

Developing Principle-Centered Leaders

Building Skills for Life and Work Beyond the Classroom

Transformational Learning

Lifelong Learning

Positive Psychology

Teaching Mindfulness

Experiential, Service and Community-Engaged Learning

Research Design, Methods, Practice, Dissemination and Participation

ECCSSA 2017-2018—All Rights Reserved 7

Incorporating Innovation and Creativity Building a Culture of Innovation

Promoting and Encouraging Creativity

Building a Creative Class

Methods for Cultivating Foresight

Creating Games that Teach

Leveraging Technology to Transform Learning New Paradigms for Online Learning

Pedagogy for a Technological Culture

Transforming the Book into E-Book and Learning Portal

The Use and Effectiveness of Publisher Portals for Deep and Rich Learning

The Digital Sector

Using Social and Other Forms of Media

Effective Role and Use of Media to Educate, Inform and Transform

Designing More Effective Learning Environments and Spaces Designing Learning Spaces for Active and Engaged Teaching and Learning

Psychological and Physical Comfort

Creating Learning Studios

Creating Culturally Compatible Classrooms

Effective Learning Environmental Designs

Building Flexible Classroom Structures

Flexible Classroom Furniture and Spaces

Organizational Structure and Physical Design

Global Humanity Developing World Citizens

Developing Global Leaders

Study Abroad

Building Global Skills

Sustainability

Vision of Humanity

The Power of Art in Changing Worldviews

The Power of Art as Language

___

For more information and to download proposal, registration and other forms or to pay online, please visit our

website at: www.eccssa.org. You may also contact Dr. Rosalyn M. King at conference@eccssa.org or roking@nvcc.edu

for additional information.