Introducing New Higher Ed Track for the EdD in Educational Leadership

Introducing New Higher Ed Track for the EdD in Educational Leadership

The Higher Education Administration track was designed with input from administrators from across all areas of the University, each lending their expertise to the curriculum.

We’ve seen a demand for leaders all across the higher ed space, from those in strategic planning to residence life and everything in between. Developing this program was a logical next focus for us.

— Dean Laurie Grupp, PhD

Inaugurated in September 2021, the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD)’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program has quickly proven successful. With a determined focus on social justice and equity that underpins every aspect of the curriculum, it has a distinction that differentiates it from other EdD programs.

Recently, Dean Laurie Grupp, PhD, announced a new track within the program, one that is specifically designed to build leadership skills for those working in higher education.

“We’ve seen a demand for leaders all across the higher ed space, from those in strategic planning to residence life and everything in between,” explained Dr. Grupp. “Developing this program was a logical next focus for us.”

Recruiting is ongoing and the new cohort will begin in September under the direction of Mack Hines, EdD, formerly on the faculty of Tennessee State University. He has written extensively on diversity, inclusion, and leadership in education.

One of the strengths of the Higher Education Administration track is that it came together with the input of a “powerhouse team” of administrators from across all areas of the University, each lending their expertise to the curriculum.

“I initially reached out to a cross section of administrators around campus to get their input on the overall curriculum, and they showed up ready to roll up their sleeves and dive in,” said Dr. Grupp. “Together, we identified concepts we knew we wanted to include in the program. Those evolved into learning outcomes and course development. It was a very natural and collaborative approach.”

One member of the team, Associate Dean and Director of Residence Life Meredith Smith, was determined that the curriculum would allow students to practice resiliency. “Our graduates will be working in essential roles at a college or university, and they have to be prepared to meet the unexpected,” she said, offering the pandemic, demographic shifts in population, and mental health issues as examples of the unexpected issues that higher education institutions have recently faced. “That means knowing how to use data and research to support students of all backgrounds and experiences.”

Using data to make decisions “and to understand if the programs and services provided are doing what they are supposed to do,” is critical for success in higher education, agreed Dean of Students Will Johnson, PhD, who brought his 17 years of experience at Fairfield University to the table.

David Frassinelli, vice president of facilities management, was instrumental in guiding the team on budget development, and Melissa Quan, PhD, director of the Center for Social Impact, put together opportunities for teaching, learning, and student engagement. Other members of the team included Megan Monahan, JD, equity and compliance director, and Karen Donoghue, vice president of student life.

“An EdD program like ours is more practical than theoretical, and since I’m midway through a similar program myself, my focus was always to steer the group toward the practical,” said Rev. Keith Maczkiewicz, S.J., ’04, director of Campus Ministry and University chaplain. A small cohort like the one established by SEHD lends itself to true cura personalis, where individual attention is offered in mentoring relationships, he added. “That’s a very Ignatian lens, and one that sets us apart.”

Indeed, the Jesuit ideals of equity, access, and social justice are threaded throughout the program, and many of the people involved in the design of the courses will be teaching them in the future.

“I believe this degree is critical to the future of Fairfield,” Smith said. “These leaders will be out in the world and will highlight the work we do here through their knowledge and bold actions.”

To learn more about the EdD program, and the Higher Education Administration and Teacher Leaders tracks, visit fairfield.edu/edd.

Tags:  SEHD,  Top Stories

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