Haitian Educators Seek Insight at PPE

Even before the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, Haitian educators had strategic plans in place to revamp their severely outdated higher education system. Following the earthquake, the challenges facing educators increased.

“After the quake, we needed insight to rebuild the higher education system,” shared Yves Voltaire, recteur (president) of the Universite Publique Du Sud Aux Cayes in Bergeaud Les Cayes, Haiti, naming  an influx of students, destroyed campuses, and ongoing economic struggles as some of the many challenges faced.

In an effort to gain that insight, Voltaire and four other Haitian higher education administrators traveled to Cambridge to attend two summer institutes through Harvard Graduate School of Education’s (HGSE) Programs in Professional Education (PPE). Thanks to a collaboration of HGSE, the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), three Haitian higher education administrators attended the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE) in late June, and two more (including Voltaire) attended the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) in July.

“The level of the higher education system in Haiti, partly due to the way that it is organized, is lagging behind and has much catching up to do,” said Haiti native Harry Dumay, SEAS associate dean for finance and IT operations, who has been involved heavily in bringing these educators to Harvard and also rebuilding the higher education system in the country.  Dumay said he knew education was one of the most important aspects of rebuilding Haiti, thus he sought out the neighboring Ed School to see how it could help.

Attending the two leadership and management institutes afforded the Haitian educators opportunities to interact with faculty, learn new skills, and meet with fellow higher education colleagues.

“We were interested in having them come as ‘pioneers’ on behalf of the higher education system in Haiti,” said Lecturer Joseph Zolner, senior director of the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education at PPE. “In the aftermath of the earthquake, their system is in rough shape.”

Zolner said that PPE saw this as an opportunity to provide assistance and help for Haiti, as well as a unique chance to partner with other schools at Harvard. “There was no hesitation among SEAS, HKS, and the Ed School to provide scholarship support for our Haitian colleagues,” Zolner said. “From my perspective, this was a clear win-win situation for the participants and for Harvard.”

Potential Haitian participants applied through PPE’s standard summer institute application process. Both MLE and IEM are focused on building strong leaders and developing management skills of higher education administrators; MLE curriculum addresses leadership challenges confronting deans, while IEM focuses on issues of relevance to presidents, provosts, and vice presidents. Ultimately, Zolner said that participants were chosen based on their prior professional experience and current administrative roles.

As the new president – only five months on the job – of the Universite Pyublique de l’Artibonite aux Gonaives (Public University of Artibonite) in Gonaives, Haiti, Lourdy K. Dorismond was thrilled to attend IEM, a well-known institute that provides opportunities for senior leaders in higher education to assess leadership skills, renew commitment to higher education, and develop tangible strategies for long-term institutional success.

“I had heard about the program and was really excited to be a part of it and grateful to Harvard,” Dorismond said. “This experience at Harvard is helping me continue the work.”

For the participants from Haiti – the underlying interest in the PPE institutes came from their desire to change education in their country.

“After the earthquake, I think it’s important to give another direction to the university,” said Marie-Chantal Dumay, directrice de la formation permanente at Université d'Etat d'Haiti in Port-au-Prince. She attended MLE, which is designed to help administrators think more strategically and lead change efforts on their campuses. The institute also offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on one’s personal leadership strengths and weaknesses, as well as develop a supportive network of professional colleagues.

In a country where many hope and want to go on to higher education, most students simply cannot afford it. In fact, only a small percentage of young people in Haiti actually get to attend colleges and universities. While state university is free, it can only take about 3,000 students each year. An additional 3,000 typically enroll in private universities.

“Everybody wants to go [to college] in Haiti because they understand it is a way to make it,” said Hilda Alcondor, dean of the school of nursing at the Universite Episcopale D'Haiti in Leogane, Haiti and MLE  participant.

During their time at Harvard, the educators discovered many new things. Marie-Chantal Dumay said she enjoyed having the chance to interact with fellow educators from around the world “to use the experience of each other to find better solutions.” Meanwhile, Voltaire said that he had become more aware of new ways of learning and teaching – all things that he saw as a means to help get the country “out of poverty and misery.”

The institutes also offered inspiration for the educators.  Alcondor said she was inspired by listening to MLE faculty chair, Professor Robert Kegan, discuss the need for the leaders to become agents of change. “We have a problem of leaders but we can make great leaders,” Alcondor said. “I’d like to thank Harvard for allowing Haiti to participate. It’s a great opportunity to become the leaders we are.”

Though the institutes educated them about the higher education system in America, their participation also brought a unique and useful perspective to the more than 200 fellow participants from around the globe. According to Zolner, the Haitian educators made valuable contributions from both the head and the heart. “They thoughtfully presented Haitian higher education, describing the impact of the natural disaster and the challenges associated with rebuilding their system,” Zolner said. “In addition, though, their incredible work under such adverse conditions was a source of inspiration to fellow participants as they strive to rebuild and reanimate the higher education system in Haiti.”

PPE and Harry Dumay have hopes to continue working with educators to overcome the challenges facing Haiti. “We want this to benefit more people in Haiti and try to replicate some kind of training model in Haiti so it can benefit a greater number of people,” Dumay says. “The idea was to begin with handful of advocates, who will serve as good ambassadors when talking about higher education.