Building Inclusive Doctoral Programs in Leadership

Session Submission Type: Pre/Post-conference Workshop

Detailed Abstract

Members of the Doctoral Program Faculty and Leaders Learning Community understand all too
well the importance of ILA’s 2016 conference theme: “The Dynamics of Inclusive Leadership.”
For although we are connected by our positions as faculty and administrators of leadership
programs, the work we do within our programs is greatly diverse. From this diversity, we,
leaders ourselves, continue to value the knowledge and approaches we generate as a collective
group. The full-day pre-conference workshop brings together doctoral leadership faculty and
administrators and through presentations and discussion allows for the deepening of our
expertise and our networks.

The goal of the workshop is to foster new ideas of inclusiveness, leadership and change in
leadership doctoral programs worldwide. Through a combination of presentations and facilitated
roundtable brainstorming sessions, this workshop will explore established and innovative
approaches to address today’s most demanding challenges in doctoral education.

Recognizing that the heart of many leadership doctoral programs is to enact change in individual,
communities, organization and society, highlighted discussions will target how to enhance the
inclusiveness and expand the impact of leadership doctoral programs. Discussions will be
grounded in emerging research related to doctoral education, providing opportunities to explore
issues unique to this context. The workshop offers a highly engaging and interactive environment
designed for a diverse and expansive community of faculty and leaders to explore opportunities
to promote inclusiveness and explore innovative practices in doctoral education.

Facilitators of the session represent an inclusive group of faculty from programs housed in a
variety of departments (Education, Business, and Interdisciplinary), offered in a variety of
formats (campus-based, hybrid, and online) and established in a wide range of locations (Boston,
Arkansas, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Seattle, Charlotte, and Indiana). The discussions will be
intentionally focused to promote inclusive conversations from a wide variety of contexts.

Agenda

9:00 am Refreshments

9:30 Introductions and Ice-breaker

9:40 Review of the Objectives and Logistics

9:45 Discussion of Study regarding doctoral programs. Share general features of doctoral
programs and discuss emerging trends and issues in doctoral education.

10:15 Roundtable Discussions - Each roundtable will have a designated and pre-assigned
discussion leader. The leader will provide a general review of scholarship on the
given topic as a springboard for the conversation (15 minutes). General discussion
and brainstorming will occur (30 minutes). Participants will generate an overview of
their discussion with points about (a) what is known or learned; (b) how might the
field of knowledge be expanded; (c) what question/statement might shape the next
course of inquiry; (c) what action steps are necessary; (d) who would be
responsible/involved in the action steps (15 minutes)

A.Inclusiveness of Doctoral Programs - This discussion group will examine what
universities are doing to recruit students and graduate alumni that represent ethnic,
gender, cultural, professional, physical, and global diversity.

B. Inclusion of the Greater Doctoral Program Community in Peer Review of our own
Doctoral Programs. The discussion group will discuss ways that program directors
might include other program directors as peer-reviewers to assist during program
reviews.

C. Inclusion of the Greater Scholars Community as external readers and committee
members of our dissertation committees. The discussion group will discuss ways that
outside committee members and/or external reviewers might add to the dissertation
committee process.

D.Inclusion of Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Research Journal Editors thoughts and
ideas of how we might help our dissertation students publish some or all of their
dissertations. The discussion group will discuss ways that Journal Editors might be
invited to participate in journal publishing workshops for our dissertation students.

E. Inclusive expansion of doctoral impact. This discussion group will explore how
doctoral programs can extend their impact through the expansion and development
of an inclusive community of learners. It will focus on efforts and the potential for
doctoral programs to further change through the development of inclusive and
collaborative partnerships with members of localized and global communities.

11:30 Lunch and Further Discussion

12:30 Report Out and General Discussion – This will be an opportunity for each of the
groups to share their ideas and suggestions a they related to the five roundtable topic.

1:00 Round Table Discussion (Round 2) This will be a repeat of the five roundtables from
the morning session. By repeating the morning sessions, each attendee will have an
opportunity to explore each of the topics in more depth.

2:00 Report Out and Plan Next Steps – This will be an opporutnity for each of the groups
to share their ideas and suggestions a they related to the five roundtable topic.

2:30 Wrap Up – This will be a time when attendees can share the thoughts and ideas
about the workshop. In addition, the leaders will collect ideas on how the Doctoral
Program Faculty and Leaders Learning Community can benefit attendees by
networking, sharing common concerns, and providing learning opportunities.

3:00 Conclusion

Sub Unit

• Leadership Education

Presenters

• Tova Olson Sanders, Northeastern University

• Rhonda McClellan, University of Central Arkansas

• Bruce E. Winston, Regent University