1. Leading the Way Administration and Student Learning
Evaluating Institutional Learning Centeredness Conference
July 12-14, 2007
Gary A. Miller, Ph.D.

2. Setting the Stage Engaging, Empowering, Enhancing
Team Building & Change
Structures & Finances
Key Moments
Not all inclusive list - leading assessment is complex and institution specific
July 2007
G.A.Miller

3. Assessment Begins at the Top Engage, Empower, Enhance
Role of Academic Leadership
Be engaged; engage others
Empower leaders and teams; hold them accountable
Institutional integrity(enhancement) not re-accreditation
Gain knowledge; give knowledge
Empowerment does not mean autonomy
Significant principle: we assess for institutional integrity and improvement!
July 2007
G.A.Miller

4. Building Teams that Achieve
Select well - “coalition of the willing”
Experts
Facilitators
Contributors
Skeptics
Providing Resources
Time
Support staff
Education
Data access
Amenities
Lencioni - Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Base is trust; trust is earned over time
First Break All the Rules - Gallup research - 10s of thousands of responses - Developed 12 questions: correlation between excellent managers and productivity, profitability - It’s not what you do for employees, it’s how they feel about their supervisor, company support and growing
July 2007
G.A.Miller

5. More Team Building Ideas
Accountability
Be involved but not overbearing
Regular reports to community
Various levels of success
Affirm Achievement
Private encouragement; public recognition
Reward systems that work:
Promotion credit
Special awards
$$$$$$
Do not be discouraged - good assessment takes talent and time!
July 2007
G.A.Miller

6. Example of a team that works - their lives depend upon it!
July 2007
G.A.Miller

7. The Inevitability of Change
There are four “givens:”
Given enough time, change will occur naturally, but uncontrollably.
Given the right talent & resources, change can be transforming.
Given a nurturing environment, change can be essential to the future.
Given a good attitude, change can be FUN!
Proactive or reactive - change will occur
The nurturing environment is administration’s domain/responsibility
July 2007
G.A.Miller

8. Transformational Change
Leading an institution towards student-learning outcomes - major challenge!
Learning from “the cube”
Cube Change Exercise
July 2007
G.A.Miller

9. Quote by Carl Jung:
“When we must deal with problems, we resist trying the way that leads through obscurity and darkness. We wish to hear only of unequivocal results, and we forget that these results can only be achieved when we venture into - and emerge again from - the darkness of uncertainty and confusion.”
Good quote about assessment
July 2007
G.A.Miller

10. Structures and Finances
Leadership is responsible for providing both
Existing & creating structures
Resources to initiate and sustain
Assessment is not cheap - it demands people with talent and tools for success
Sustaining will be key in the future
July 2007
G.A.Miller

11. Key Moments Select existing Create new Involve members
Take to highest levels
Enthusiasm! Energy! Encouragement!
Masada - key moment in Israel’s history
Final act of remnant
What are the key moments in institutional life?
Carefully consider who should be acknowledged
July 2007
G.A.Miller

12. July 2007
G.A.Miller