The Handbook for Aspiring Higher Education Leaders

Edited by:
Antione D. Tomlin, Anne Arundel Community College

A volume in the series: Research, Theory, and Practice Within Academic Affairs. Editor(s): Antione D. Tomlin, Anne Arundel Community College. Sherella Cupid, Louisiana State University.

In Press 2024

The aim of this book is to allow past and present higher education leaders to offer wisdom and advice for new and potential leaders. Each chapter author shares experiences, strategies, and recommendations for both academic and student affairs leaders across divisions and departments to help new and aspiring leaders on their journey to success. While there is no one true definition of leadership, we hope this text will add to the conversation about impactful and effective leadership.

Each chapter is rich in knowledge and perspective that support the current and next generation of leaders. We approach this book as a handbook, where chapter authors reflect upon their journeys to glean insight and wisdom. Each chapter is formatted in a similar way. Each author details their unique journeys into their respective fields, trajectory to leadership, and experiences that helped shape their leadership approaches. Then, the authors look back to discern advice they would share with themselves as new higher education leaders and what (if anything) they would do differently. Lastly, the authors share rich tips, strategies, and recommendations for new and potential higher education leaders on achieving success in the field. We are confident that there will be a notion or practice within these chapters to support all who read. Chapter authors are from a variety of disciplines.

We see this book as a volume that can be used by practitioners and aspiring practitioners across the nation as inspiration to higher education leaders on navigating careers in higher education and how to be an effective leader. Throughout the book, we offer four themes that provide more insight into tips, strategies, and recommendations for new and potential higher education leaders on how to achieve success in the field. While each chapter in this book follows the structure mentioned above, the themes illuminate the experiences of higher education leaders and their individual and collective journeys.

CONTENTS
Introduction, Darian Senn-Carter. SECTION I: JOURNEY TO LEADERSHIP. Who’s Got Your Back? Mentorship as Sponsorship, Juan M. Hernandez. Graduate Students Need Support Too, Shauntisha Pilgrim. Reflective Journeys of Two Black Faculty Administering a Minority-Specific Academic Program in the Post-Racial Reckoning Educational Landscape, James Calvin and Susan Swayze. Siempre el único (Always the Only One): Reflections From a Latino Senior Student Affairs Administrator, Juan R. Guardia. Take the Lateral, Becki Tankson-Artis. Career Advancement and Trajectory in Higher Education, Felix Quayson. SECTION II: PREPARATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP. Testimonios From Those Who Have Successfully Navigated the Doctoral Pipeline While Working Professionally in the Field of Student Affairs, Jennifer Alanis and Tony Jimenez. Being Prepared: How to Navigate the Course When Embarking on the Academic Leadership Journey, Karen Marie Wagner-Clarke. White People Explain Things to Me: Experiences and Recommendations on Surviving “Know-Your-Place Aggression”, Amir Asim Gilmore. Strive to Serve, Jacob Ashby. Unpack, Unlearn, Unleash, Tasha Wilson. SECTION III: LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONING. Understanding Organizational Structures, Leadership Theories, and Identity Matters for Effective Higher Education Leadership, Heather D. Maldonado. From Staff to Faculty: Navigating the Transition and Thriving in a New Role, Nadia Ibrahim-Taney. From University Administrator Back to Full-Time Faculty: Transitioning and Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders, Mark Gillen. Waiting to Excel, Alea Cross. Practicing from a Place of Authenticity, Dawn Shafer. SECTION IV: LEADERSHIP IN ACTION. What You Really Need: Empathy, D’Shaun Vance. Psychological Safety: Setting the Tone for Team Effectiveness, LaToya Jordan. Academic Leadership at a Small Liberal Arts College, Bradley Fuster. Creating a Ripple Effect through Small Leadership Strategies, Lauren Harris. Leadership in Student Affairs, Merab Mushfiq. Navigating Title IX Obligations and Student Support: Lessons From Faculty Experiences in and out of the Classroom, Jaclyn Stone. Between Academic and Student Affairs: Advice for New Student Services Leaders in Academic Units, Zayd Abukar. My Journey Into Higher Education Leadership as a Black Immigrant, Neijma Celestine-Donnor. About the Editor. About the Contributors.