OXFORD, Miss. – About 40 academic leaders from across the Southeastern
\nConference have converged at the University of Mississippi this week
\nfor help with developing their management and organization skills.
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\nThe two-day Leading for Excellence workshop, which began Tuesday (Oct.
\n6), is conducted by the SEC Academic Consortium. The group’s Academic
\nLeadership Development Program seminars focus on a variety of topics,
\nincluding budgeting and finance, diversity issues, trends in higher
\neducation and leadership strategies. The goal is to identify, develop,
\nprepare and advance faculty as academic leaders in and for SEC
\nuniversities.\n<\/p>\n
\n“It’s a tremendous honor and privilege to have
\nthese individuals here,” said UM pharmacy Dean Barbara G. Wells. “They
\nare incredibly bright and their potential is phenomenal.”\n<\/p>\n
\nA seminar presenter, Wells addressed the group on the importance
\nof listening and communication. “Strong communicating skills probably
\nrepresent the most important skills that a leader can have.”\n<\/p>\n
\nWells said she hopes participants leave the conference with a better
\nunderstanding of their abilities and the process they can follow to
\nrealize their potential as creative leaders to take their institutions
\nto the next level.\n<\/p>\n
\nSECAC was established in 2007 to advance academic successes
\nthroughout the conference by pooling resources and creating new ideas
\nthrough a collaborative approach. SECAC director Julie Goldman said the
\norganization encourages academic collaboration across all 12 SEC
\nuniversities.\n<\/p>\n
\n“We recognize that the whole is greater than the sum of its
\nparts,” Goldman said. “We’re looking for ways to combine our
\nefficiencies, highlight our expertise and to stretch our academic
\npursuits across the universities.”\n<\/p>\n
\nJohnny Lott, director of UM’s Center for Excellence in Teaching
\nand Learning and the university’s representative to SECAC, said having
\nrepresentatives from SEC schools exchange ideas is key to each
\ninstitution’s future success.\n<\/p>\n
\n“These are future deans and provosts for the SEC,” Lott said.
\n“This leadership development is a valuable experience for all of them.”\n<\/p>\n
\nEach SEC university is allowed four academic fellows. UM has two
\nfellows: Angela Rutherford, coordinator for the Center for Excellence
\nin Literacy Instruction, and Donald Dyer, chair of the Department of
\nModern Languages.\n<\/p>\n