Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LHE Colloquium
Tuesdays, 7-9:20
Part 1
During my first quarter of the Leadership in Higher Education program, I took 3 classes and
co-facilitated a First-year Interest Group course for the Pipeline Project. The courses served as an
individual path higher education. The experience facilitating with Pipeline allowed me to connect
with the population I will be serving and motivate me to build the skills to do so properly.
In the LHE Colloquium, the discussion topics and guest speakers allowed me to examine my
role as a future leader in the higher education system. Beginning with the Personal Journey and goal
setting, we took a deeper look at our path thus far and continuing direction. It was perfect to begin
with this- having clarity in purpose gives a solid tool for examination. As we addressed different
topics throughout the quarter, I was able to reflect back on my goals to determine how they fit
together or reexamine my own ideas. The work with Dr. Jason Johnson on Engaging Theory helped
to build a sense of what our purpose as graduate student is and how academic research can
contribute to our work after graduation. His insight into the research world, especially the idea of
research being a discussion between academics and practitioners, helped me build more of a
connection to research as a whole as opposed to simply picking out relevant pieces as needed.
Especially as I prepare to complete an independent literature review, this has been impactful. Dr. Ed
Taylor shared his story with us as a leader at the University of Washington and in the general
community. I found his perspective to be powerful. He focused very little on the day to day tasks of
his role; it was evident that he was driven by compassion, pursuit of honesty and a desire to have an
open community for every person. He does his job well, and I am excited to continue learning how he
The most impactful topic for me in the Leadership in Higher Education Colloquium was Equity
in Education. I found it surprising to realize that Id never had an in depth discussion about the
difference between equality and equity, nor had I thought much about the differences in application.
I am not a person to accept a position because they told me so or because of convenience. This
holds true for perspectives of equity and equality. Having this discussion in class has given me a lense
to analyze the purpose of each of these ideas. With continued analysis, I have been thinking about
equality being the ultimate goal in society and equity being an important tool to get there. These
ideas are fluid and developing with every discussion, but in general, our social justice discussion has
encouraged me to think about overall societal change and the possible strategies, tools and pathways
to achieving it.
In Secondary Data Analysis, Dr. Ismael Fajardo has taught us the basics of research and data
analysis. These are important skills that I know will be utilized in the future. In looking at data, there
are many different perspectives one could utilize. In our classes, we practiced using these tools of
perspective and interpretation. I am particularly happy to have gained the skill of using SPSS. Using
the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) data set- with over 7,000 variables- in order to
complete our final project felt like trial by fire, but it allowed for a larger amount of growth in a short
time. Conducting research has been intimidating to me in the past. Now, I have more confidence in
my abilities.
In Student Development Theory I, we have been learning about different aspects of the
student experience and growth. Readings on theoretical concepts are paired with class discussion and
reflection questions. Reflections focus on thinking through application of theory. Having a deeper
understanding of the experiences of college students is significant in creating a system of supports to
meet the needs of all students. This course has been especially helpful in thinking about how
different aspects of a persons life impact their experience such as income, religion and race. I am
looking forward to continuing in the second part of this course to further examine effective
Part 2
Leadership is service. As a leader you are beholden to a group, mission and- as cliche as it
sounds- building a better future. To me, important aspects of leadership include having a true
connection to your community, recognizing all perspectives and needs, showing compassion, building
up those around you and taking action. Connection to community facilitates understanding and a
stronger ability to make decisions that will positively impact those you serve. It is easy to recognize
and cater to the majority, but a strong leader will make an effort to understand the complexities of
their community and address the concerns of both the many and the few. Not only do they need to
recognize and address these perspectives, but it is their duty to educate others when a gap is
identified. When conflicts inevitably arise, having compassion helps keep the door open for positive
development. Instead of shutting a person or situation down, create stronger community members
by empowering others and facilitating growth. Lastly, a leader must be willing to take action to do
what is needed.
For myself, success means following the path that is right for me- even if it is nontraditional-
and having a positive impact. The path to get there is both logical and intuitive, and it is not reliant on
a definitive outcome. The freedom of not being tied down by accomplishing specific things allows me
shift in the direction of what is needed as it is needed. At the point when someone asks me, Do you
feel you have lived a successful life? I hope I can reflect back on the joy of others that I have taken
part in making.
Part 3
The colloquium has helped me to think about leadership and personal success as a deeper
extension of impact and responsibility. Being a leader is more than completing a set of tasks or
utilizing authority. While there are certainly hard skills necessary dependant on your sector, qualities
of a leader are more reflective of the person as a whole than a skill they are proficient at. Seeing the
challenges that students and institutions face has helped me create a more fluid definition of success
for myself. There isnt one problem to solve or one way to do it. There is a large community to work
The colloquium was great in motivating thought about relevant topics for our graduate
program. One thing that could facilitate more learning is helping students initiate engagement with
professionals on an individual level. As someone who does not come from the higher education
sector, this push would be very helpful. Perhaps a pointed informational interview assignment or
attendance/reflection on a campus event. Even without this, the colloquium was impactful and a