Community College Leadership Graduate Certificate Program Summary

Description What it is: The Community College Leadership Certificate is a special program of 15 credit hours of graduate course work in educational leadership. The program is designed to develop professional leadership capabilities to meet the needs of potential and current community college leadership personnel. Students who complete the program will be awarded a Certificate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Who it's for: The program has the potential to serve a variety of people interested in leadership roles in community colleges. The program can serve those who are just beginning their career in community college administration as well as those who are in leadership positions and need or desire additional preparation. Delivery: All five courses required for this program are completed online. How to apply If you are already admitted to a degree program, please see your advisor to set up a plan of study for the certificate program. Otherwise, you will first need to be admitted as a non-degree student. Required by Office of Graduate Studies Application for Graduate Admission as a non-degree student $45 non-refundable application processing fee One set of official transcripts showing conferral of a bachelor's or higher degree Required by Educational Administration Departmental certificate application form Letter of application Personal vitae/resume Essay/goal statement Three letters of recommendation Registration form Application Deadline Fall: July 1       Spring: October 1       Summer: February 1

Community College Leadership Students in the Community College Leadership program participate in a curriculum that can be applied directly to the community college environment through online courses designed specifically for professionals in this field. Contact Staff Contact Sheila Hayes 402-472-3729 shayes4@unl.edu Faculty Contact Dr. Brent Cejda 402-472-0989 bcjeda2@unl.edu Department Website http://cehs.unl.edu/edad/

Required courses

The Community College Leadership Certificate is a 15 credit hour program. To earn the Certificate, participants must first be admitted to the program and then complete the five designated courses, 3 credit hours each, in the Department of Educational Administration (EDAD).

The following five courses are required for this certificate program:

EDAD 890 - Workforce, Economic, and Community Development
Workforce, economic, and community development represents a central mission of the community college. Community colleges provide an important means for educating citizens and preparing skilled workers to maintain the civic vitality and economic growth of their communities. EDAD 890 develops the knowledge base and capabilities needed by community college leaders to advance the workforce, economic, and community development mission of the community college. This course explores the workforce, economic and community development role of the community college within the broader context of recent economic, social, and technological changes in communities, society, and the economy and examines the how this role is integrated with, and distinct from, other community college missions. Drawing on both sound theory and best practices, course topics include the strategy, structure, funding, policy, and programs of the community college related to workforce, economic, and community development. Using both conventional and applied/experiential learning activities, students will explore leadership issues related to planning, managing, budgeting, and evaluating the effectiveness of workforce, economic, and community development programs in the community college.

EDAD 893 - Teaching and Learning in the Community College
This course is planned for individuals who hold or aspire to leadership positions in community colleges that focus on or support instructional programs and others who seek to learn more about this particular aspect of America's comprehensive community colleges. The primary purpose of the course is to develop a comprehensive understanding of five aspects of the community college:

• Its curricular missions (general education, transfer education, career education, remedial/developmental education, community education);
• Its faculty and student population;
• Issues concerning program and curriculum development;
• Human resources aspects related to instructional programs (full- and part-time faculty ratios, hiring qualified adjunct faculty, faculty development programs);
• Issues concerning the evaluation of programs and the assessment of student outcomes.

EDAD 910 - The Higher Education Environment
Colleges and universities are adaptive, living systems interacting with their environment. The objective of this course is to explore the environment(s) of higher education in the United States and to develop an understanding of the different factors and constituencies that affect the environment(s). Four goals have been established to accomplish this objective, building understanding of:

1. The various types of post-secondary institutions in the United States.
2. The various ways that colleges and universities can be viewed as organizations.
3. The various ways that post secondary education is governed from both a micro (institutional) and macro (state and federal government) perspective.
4. Identifiable cultural types of higher education organizations and the impact that culture has on the leadership of these organizations.

EDAD 923 - The Community College
This course is planned for individuals who hold or aspire to leadership positions in community colleges and others who seek to learn more about America's comprehensive community colleges and their role in the post-secondary knowledge industry. The primary purpose of the course is to develop a comprehensive understanding of three aspects of the community college:

• Its history, philosophy, and culture;
• Its organization and governance;
• Its funding.

Also included in the course will be discussion of recent developments and projections for the future of community colleges in the United States.

EDAD 966 - Community College Leadership
An understanding of leadership is essential for community college administrators, faculty and staff as they work collaboratively to provide a quality educational experience for students. This course is designed so that students become engaged with the large field of leadership theory, research and applications. General issues of the nature of leadership and what leaders do; power and influence; classical approaches to leadership; contemporary approaches to leadership; emerging leadership approaches; and looking toward the future will be examined and applied to the community college. Opportunities for each class member to engage in learning more about their own leadership and philosophy of leadership are presented throughout the class as they make application by using their community college as a "learning laboratory." The class is organized around five themes/modules:

• Foundations of Leadership (history-definition-leadership theories-examples)
• Leadership and the Community College (vision-organizational culture-power-group behavior-leadership and values)
• Leadership for the future (Kouzes & Posner 5 principles-new leadership paradigms-global leadership)
• Personal leadership practices (personal vision-transactional & transformational leadership-team building-empowering others)
• Leadership in action: Simulation titled The Phony Professor

The fifth module engages students in a multi-media simulation based on an actual case that occurred at a college. Students are required to practice leadership linking theory with practice. Students assume a role as a college administrator dealing with a sensitive issue making decisions as scenarios unfold. It truly is a hands on approach where students have to engage in leadership looking at options and possible consequences of each action and then make a final decision of what they would do. A "safe environment" is created to practice leadership and engage in a meaningful dialogue with fellow classmates.