MDP provides innovative and practical ideas about critical management challenges
facing mid-level administrators in the early years of their professional
careers. The program encourages you to think beyond the confines of
your own discipline and area of
administrative responsibility. MDP prepares participants to become
better leaders of their unit, department, or school. MDP provides ideas
that enable you to spend less time “putting
out fires” and more time providing forward-thinking leadership.
MDP is designed to provide new perspectives and practical insights for college
and university administrators who must "manage from the middle." By encouraging
you to think outside the confines of your area of formal administrative responsibility,
MDP helps you learn how to lead in ways that support larger institutional objectives.
In addition, by providing
a more sophisticated understanding of how different institutional
units
function,
MDP enables you to incorporate broader strategic considerations into management
decisions.
MDP Covers Key Skills Necessary for Your Success
All MDP participants shape and are shaped by the decisions made by campus leadership. Given this unique set of demands, the program provides a core set of conceptual tools that encourage participants to think beyond the confines of their own disciplines and areas of formal administrative responsibility.
Topics
You Will Explore
Leadership
What are the characteristics
of effective leadership in higher education institutions? How is an effective
leadership team developed and managed?
Fostering Innovation and Change
How can administrators function as effective change agents? What are the characteristics of “change-friendly” institutions? What role should you play in fostering institutional transformation?
Planning
What are the optimal roles of middle managers in planning initiatives? What are key features of successful planning initiatives?
Diversity and Community
How is the ever-changing demographic composition of our campuses redefining campus
life? What role should you play to promote a more inclusive campus environment?
Financial Management
What budgeting and financial analysis competencies are most critical for effective
campus leadership? What fiscal questions should you ask of themselves and their
institutions?
What
factors
should influence the allocation of an institution's financial resources?
Institutional Values and Integrity
What policies, practices, and leadership actions foster a stronger sense of institutional integrity? What are the most productive ways to think about the ethical dimensions of academic leadership?
Professional Renewal
How can your workplace become an environment that fosters personal growth? What conditions—both individual and institutional—increase prospects for meaningful professional development and personal transformation?
Comments from MDP Participants
"MDP was a career-altering and personally
satisfying experience that I am proud to have been a part of. I return
to my campus a better listener, a better team member, and hopefully a
better leader."
Susan Sarisky
Director of Admission
Lebanon Valley College
"MDP is a tremendous opportunity for higher
education leaders. My university has pledged to send one person each
year to the program as a way to enhance our leadership potential. I
look forward to working with my fellow graduates to strengthen our institution."
Mary Parker
Chair, Department of Criminal Justice
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
“I enjoyed the intensity and pace of MDP. It was
a broadening experience. The program is of great import, yet is delivered in
both a professionally stimulating and fun way.”
Carla Knorowski
Associate Dean, Development and External Affairs
University of Illinois at Chicago
“Words cannot express how impressed I was with MDP.
I gained knowledge and a sense of community that were unparalleled in my professional
experience.”
Celia Lloyd
Senior Registrar & Director, Student Information System
City College of New York
Who Should
Apply
MDP is most appropriate for mid-level administrators in the early
years of a responsible leadership position. Appropriate candidates
include
deans, directors,
and department heads.
An important part of the learning process of MDP is the opportunity for participants
to share individual perspectives and professional expertise in meaningful
ways. To facilitate such an experience, participants selected for
the program represent
a broad spectrum of higher education institutions and job responsibilities.
2008 Faculty
Kent John Chabotar, President, Guilford College,
Greensboro, NC. His academic and consulting activities focus on cost
accounting, organizational response to declining resources, and financial
analysis in schools, colleges, museums and other non-profits.
Carlos Cortés, Professor Emeritus of History
at the University of California, Riverside. The recipient of two book
awards, he also received his university's Distinguished Teaching Award,
and the American Society for Training and Development's National Multicultural
Trainer of the Year Award.
C. Kristina Gunsalus, Special Counsel, Office of
University Counsel, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her interests
include the ethical dimensions
of
leadership as they relate to organizational culture and personnel policies.
James Honan, Educational Co-Chair, Institute for Educational Management, and Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research interests focus on financial management and institutional planning.
Joseph Zolner, Director, Harvard Institutes for
Higher Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research
interests are curriculum change and institutional transformation.
Richard Elmore, Gregory P. Anrig Professor of Educational Leadership; Director, Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education. His current research focuses on the politics of leadership.
General Information
Schedule
MDP begins with registration on June 14 and ends on June 26. The MDP pace is
challenging and intense. Participants are expected to make a full-time commitment
to the
institute while at Harvard. A typical
MDP day begins with breakfast at 7 a.m., followed by class sessions beginning
at 8:30 a.m. and ending around 4:00 p.m.
Opportunities for late-afternoon physical fitness or relaxation are provided. Your daily schedule will extend into evening when you complete readings, attend optional evening sessions, or prepare assignments for the following day.
Once in Cambridge, your full-time participation throughout the program is expected. The institute will occupy both days and evenings each week.
Given the intensive schedule, bringing family to Cambridge is discouraged. In addition, you are expected to free yourself from work obligations and professional commitments during the program.
Environment
MDP participants have access to an array of academic, cultural, social, and other
resources at Harvard University.
Harvard Square, adjacent to the MDP classroom, offers a unique collection
of bookstores, specialty shops, coffee houses, bars and restaurants,
which cater to a variety of tastes and styles. Downtown Boston—just
a short distance away by subway—is rich in historic and cultural
significance and offers fine museums and art galleries, sporting events,
dining, dance, theatre, and music.
Accommodations
Since daily interaction among faculty and participants
is crucial to the success of the program, participants are encouraged to reside together on the Harvard campus. MDP participants are housed in the Currier House
Dormitory. Each participant is assigned a single air-conditioned room, sharing
a bathroom with one or two others. While facilities are clean and comfortable,
they are also spartan. Linens and daily housekeeping are provided.
Participants have the option to stay at a local hotel at their own expense. Room reservations are the responsibility of individual participants. Hotel information will be posted in the coming months.
Admission
MDP is designed as a developmental experience
for those with significant administrative responsibility in an institution of
higher education who demonstrate high potential for making substantive future
contributions. It is not designed for full-time faculty members or others without
current administrative duties.
Admission to MDP is competitive, we regret that we are unable
to accommodate all qualified applicants. Your personal statement is a key part
of the application; effective statements provide a clear and detailed explanation
of why MDP makes sense at this stage of your professional career and what you
expect to gain from the program.
Applicants are responsible for securing two recommendations, one from an immediate
supervisor, and a second from a colleague who can comment on professional accomplishments
and future potential.
Fees and Financial Aid
The comprehensive program fee of $6750 covers tuition, room and board, most
meals, and all instructional materials. Payment is due following acceptance.
Limited financial aid is available. Grants are based on institutional
need and typically do not exceed 20% of the program fee. Requests for
financial aid have
no effect on an applicant’s prospects for admission. Financial aid applications
may be obtained by contacting
the MDP office.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation notification must be made in writing. Full refunds
will be granted until May 12, 2008. Cancellations received between May
13-26 will be subject to a $675 cancellation fee. Cancellations received
after May 26,
2008 and no shows are subject to full payment.
The Harvard Graduate School of Education reserves the right to change
faculty or cancel the program at its discretion. In the unlikely event of changes,
the school is not responsible for non-refundable travel arrangements or other
planning costs incurred.
Further Information
Please contact us at 800-545-1849 or hihe@gse.harvard.edu with any questions.
The MDP office has a network of alumni willing to talk with those considering the program. Let us know if you would like to speak with one or more former participants from a similar institution or with comparable professional responsibilities. |
