Building Better Professional Boundaries in Higher Education
Professional Boundaries in Higher Education shape how we teach, learn, and collaborate. They define expectations, protect well-being, and create structure in spaces that often demand constant availability. In today’s professional environment, boundary-setting also affects team cohesion and informs how we navigate power dynamics that appear in classrooms, advising relationships, and departmental cultures. When we set […]
My Path to Coaching Badass Women in Higher Ed
Childhood Dreams to Coaching in Higher Ed When I was a little girl, I would line up my stuffed animals classroom-style and pretend I was their teacher. I idolized my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Brophy, who wore loud clogs, taught us American Sign Language, and let us do impromptu dance performances at the front of the […]
Your department is not a family. Stop calling it that.
Employee Family Boundary Have you read The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban? If you haven’t, order it from your favorite independent bookstore right now. It’s an amazing guide and could change parts of your life (it has scripts!). Urban is the co-founder of Whole30 and an expert at helping people set boundaries, particularly around […]
Thoughts on Strategic Plan Implementation
Strategic planning engages our creativity This allows us to articulate our hopes for the future. Academics are GREAT at ideation. I’m sure you have found yourself at meetings where more ideas are generated than could ever possibly be implemented. We often have more ideas than the resources to carry them out. I have actually felt […]
The 4Ds of Task Management
The Overwhelm of the Academic Year There are times in the academic year that we all know are just a murky soup of overwhelm. The time of year probably correlates to your position on campus and the workflow of your department. September is usually a blur for everyone. So is May. Despite these predictable rhythms, […]
How to involve multiple stakeholders in an inclusive strategic planning process
The Power of Inclusive Strategic Planning When community college leaders envision future priorities, I can guarantee they are not only considering stakeholders within the metaphorical walls of the institution. Community colleges play a vital role in local and regional economic, community, and workforce development. They enjoy symbiotic relationships with many partners whose voices and perspectives […]
Are you ready to SOAR?
SOAR Analysis for Higher Education Leadership Many of us are familiar with the SWOT analysis, which examines an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. SWOT is a common strategic planning tool, especially in corporate settings. The organization’s strengths and weaknesses are discussed, and the opportunities and threats in the external environment are explored. From there, […]
Meaningful Ways to Make Academic Meetings Inclusive
Inclusive Academic meetings shape research collaboration, decision-making, and innovation. Yet, too often, certain voices dominate while others go unheard. Making academic meetings more inclusive ensures that every participant feels respected, valued, and equipped to contribute meaningfully. By broadening who speaks and how ideas are shared, we improve both the quality of discussions and the outcomes […]
The secret to implementing an inclusive and successful strategic planning process
Why Inclusive Planning Matters Including people in a decision that affects them increases its potential for success. The same goes for strategic planning. Strategic planning processes that include stakeholders are more successful because we are more likely to support ideas that we help shape. This is particularly pertinent in higher education, where shared governance is […]
Six Conditions Leading to a Successful Strategic Planning Process
Why Strategic Planning for College Leaders Matters In my almost three decades as a community college administrator, I heard a lot of people groan when discussing strategic planning. Often people felt they were too busy to participate in a process that they felt wasn’t worth their time. When facilitated properly, strategic planning can be a […]