2007-2008
Introduction
The Consortium Leadership And Renewal Academy (CLARA) is a year-long regional leadership information, development, and renewal program created for the member institutions of the North Texas Community College Consortium.
It serves entry-level and mid-level administrators who desire to improve their leadership and management abilities, update their knowledge, upgrade their skills, broaden their perspectives, prepare themselves for administrative advancement, and renew their commitment to higher education in the community college. It is also designed for faculty members and others interested in exploring careers in administration.
CLARA has been designed especially to benefit those serving as program coordinators, division and department chairs, deans, directors, and others in comparable roles. The program is open to professionals in instruction, student development, business services, continuing education, workforce development, libraries and media, research and planning, resource development, professional development, human resources, learning resources, public information, facilities management, and other college areas. It will also prove helpful to faculty members wishing to explore community college administration as a possible career.
Program Organization and Design
CLARA has been developed with input from Consortium leaders over a period of time, especially from leaders on the Board of Directors, the Professional Development Committee, the Institutional Research Committee, and members of our CLARA cohorts in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
In addition to providing high quality leadership development activities, the program is also designed to be affordable, accessible, and practical.
It furnishes basic skills for those who have had minimal administrative training or experience. It also furnishes renewal opportunities for veteran administrators.
As a leadership growth, development, and renewal program, CLARA is built upon (a) annual professional development activities of the North Texas Community College Consortium, such as our fall and spring conferences; (b) special sessions or tracks incorporated into these regular conferences and workshops and open only to CLARA participants; and (c) additional workshops throughout the year scheduled specifically and exclusively for the CLARA cohort.
Fundamental Themes and Issues
CLARA will focus on basic leadership and administrative skills and current issues such as the following:
- Finding and Developing an Appropriate Leadership and Management Style
- Effective Communications
- Budget and Finance
- Ethics
- The Modern Community College
- Legal Issues
- Using Technology to Enhance Administration and Teaching-Learning
- Planning, Research, and Institutional Effectiveness
- Equity and Diversity Issues
- Global Education Issues
- Professional Development
- Personnel Assessment and Evaluation Issues
- Time Management
- Dealing with Change
- Building Professional Resources and Networks.
CLARA Director
The Director of the Consortium Leadership And Renewal Academy is Jesse Jones.
Jesse is currently the President of the Consortium and has served as college faculty member, division chair, assistant dean, vice president of instruction, and interim president.
CLARA Instructors
Instructional staff for the program will be experienced leaders at Consortium colleges as well as national and international leaders who are speakers, presenters, and facilitators at Consortium conferences and workshops.
CLARA Participants
Each of the 25 member institutions may nominate as many participants as it would like.
Each institution may use its own internal selection criteria and process. The Consortium will provide a brief form that should be used in submitting selected participants to the Consortium and can also be used for internal selection if desired.
Responsibilities of Participating Institutions
Member institutions participating in CLARA commit themselves to the following guidelines and expectations:
- To select qualified participants using either an internal application and selection process or the application form suggested by the Consortium.
- To submit the participants to the Consortium for participation using the standard information form and meeting the announced timeline.
- To pay the full participation fee by the first week in November.
- To permit and encourage participants to attend all required CLARA events.
- To collaborate with each participant in selecting an administrative project for the year and a supervisor or mentor for the project.
- To participate in evaluating the effectiveness of the program from the institution’s perspective.
Responsibilities of CLARA Participants
Each CLARA participant will commit to the following guidelines and expectations:
- To attend designated program events.
- To complete pre-assessments and post-assessments.
- To read designated books, articles, papers, and on-line information relevant to community college leadership, administration, and management.
- To discuss those readings with CLARA colleagues in person or on-line.
- To develop an administrative portfolio.
- To plan and implement a project on an administrative topic or issue of the individual’s choice. This project should be completed with a mentor or supervisor at the participant’s college or another college within the Consortium. Completed projects will be presented and discussed during the late spring and early summer of 2007.
- To communicate regularly with the program director and participant colleagues via email and list serve.
- To complete an evaluation of the program.
- To serve in an advisory capacity for future CLARA programs.
- To report to the appropriate individuals at the home institution regarding the CLARA experience.
Responsibilities of the Consortium
The Director of CLARA, the Professional Development Committee, and other Consortium leaders will develop learning activities, secure faculty and presenters, facilitate communication among participants, and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Academy.
Program Credit
Participants who successfully complete the course of study will receive a certificate of completion issued by the Consortium. They will also be eligible for graduate course credit from the Department of Counseling, Development, and Higher Education at the University of North Texas.
Program Cost
The cost for participating in the Consortium Leadership and Renewal Academy is $1100 per participant. This fee will cover registration fees, meals, and materials for all 2007-08 workshops and conferences sponsored or co-sponsored by the Consortium, including CLARA-required events and CLARA-optional events; all costs for special CLARA workshops; program materials and supplies; and administrative coordination of the program.
Transportation costs and overnight lodging are not included in this fee.
For Additional Information:
Jesse Jones
President
University of North Texas
North Texas Community College Consortium
P.O. Box 310800
University of North Texas
Denton, TX 76203-0800
940-565-4035
jjones@unt.edu