Accolades

Ritchie wins Management in Education Journal Editorial Board Choice Award

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A recent BELMAS (British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society) newsletter announced that the winner of Management in Education’s Board Choice Award for the most downloaded article is Margaret Ritchie for ‘Succession Planning for Successful Leadership: Why We Need to Talk About Succession Planning!’

Margaret is a Fall 2020 graduate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies PhD in Leadership Studies program. An interview with Margaret can be found on the MiE’s website in the near future.  Her award winning article can be found here.

Center for Educational Leadership to Facilitate the Tennessee Rural Principal Network

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The Center for Educational Leadership, directed by Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Assistant Professor Practice Dr. Jim McIntyre, was just awarded a grant from the Kern Family Foundation to more explicitly integrate character development into all leadership programming over the next three years. The award will allow Dr. McIntyre and his team, in collaboration with the American Institutes for Research, to facilitate an intensive, yearlong collaborative professional learning experience for 54 rural school principals from across the state of Tennessee.

“The power of this network is the principals,” said McIntyre. “The participants will learn with and from each other and tackle tough issues around public education in the rural context. We plan to very intentionally build a professional support network for these remarkable school leaders that will help enhance and strengthen rural schooling across the state.”

The mission of the Kern Family Foundation is to empower the rising generation of Americans to build flourishing lives anchored in strong character, inspired by quality education, driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, and guided by the desire to create value for others. They focus on initiatives that have long-term, systemic impact,

For more information on the award, see this news release from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. For more information on the Center for Educational Leadership, click here.

HEAM PhD Candidate Steve Syoen’s Virtual Writing Retreats Create Global Community

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Steve Syoen

Steve Syoen, Organizer of Virtual Writing Retreats

How do extroverts and social learners cope with the loss of community during a pandemic, which only intensifies the oftentimes lonely dissertation stage?

Well, if you’re ELPS PhD candidate Steve Syoen, you don’t struggle with the loss of community, you just create a new one.

Syoen began organizing his Virtual Writing Retreats in the spring of 2020 after passing comps and entering the dissertation phase of his degree: “I do best with others around me pursuing similar goals. COVID-19 struck, they closed libraries on campus, and I started working from home. My other go-to used to be McDonald’s for free WiFi, but then restaurant dining rooms closed. I needed SOMETHING… so when your natural community isn’t available, I decided to make one.”

Syoen builds community with guided chat between writing sessions.

Most of Steve’s Virtual Writing Retreat attendees are “working folks” with full lives outside their PhD pursuits, so each event usually runs from 9:15am-3:30pm EST. Syoen describes what to expect: “We start with people getting settled in, we write for 75 or 90 minutes, we take 15 minute breaks (30 for lunch), and then we write more. Before each writing session starts, participants are offered an opportunity to either speak or chat their goals for the next work period into existence. At the end of a session, participants are invited to share what they accomplished. The goal is progress, and whether that is one paragraph, one article, or an entire chapter – we celebrate it all.” Between sessions, participants chat with questions guided by Syoen about everything from favorite snacks for focus to favorite productivity tools and writing implements. “I was able to complete my detailed outline for my section! This was terrific, Steve!” one attendee reports during a break.

The goal is progress, and whether that is one paragraph, one article, or an entire chapter – we celebrate it all.

Steve Syoen HEAM PhD Candidate and Organizer of global Virtual Writing Retreats

Since beginning his Virtual Writing Retreats, Syoen’s new community has gone global. “We have people from India, China, and the Netherlands who’ve joined each of the last two sessions. The person in India has asked me to help start coordinating these for her program so she can do them in her time zone (they are 8.5 hours ahead of us) instead of attending ours in Eastern time.”

Students interested in joining one Syoen’s Virtual Writing Retreats can either send him an email or stay in the know of future events by joining the Working Folks Guide to a PhD Facebook group.

ELPS News

New Works Explore Challenges and Future of Fraternities and Sororities

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ELPS Professor Patrick Biddix’s latest co-edited volumes explore conversations about the challenges and future of fraternities and sororities.

Book cover for "Foundations, Research, and Assessment of Fraternities and Sororities"Foundations, Research, and Assessment of Fraternities and Sororities (2019) features continuing conversations about the challenges facing fraternities and sororities on campuses across the country. Faculty, administrators, and alumni/ae will find inspiration as higher education scholars and practitioners that examine the past and future constructs of fraternity and sorority institutions. The volume opens with a historical section on the origins of fraternities and sororities, then moves to examine values, legal issues, and research before concluding with an overview of fraternity/sorority scholarship that includes profiles of large, national benchmark surveys.

“As higher education professionals seek to build leaders and programs that align with institutional values, this text provides thoughtful study and practical assessment of the fraternity and sorority experience.”

-Kathryn Cavins-Tull, Texas Christian University Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Book cover for "Supporting Fraternities and Sororities in the Contemporary Era"Biddix’s second volume, Supporting Fraternities and Sororities in the Contemporary Era (2019), follows conversations and scholarship suggesting that not just change is necessary, but that there ought to be a fundamental reconceptualization of the fraternity and sorority construct.

“The authors’ focus on collaboration between campus based and Headquarters based fraternity and sorority professionals adds an important new perspective to the administration of fraternity and sorority affairs.”

Charles G. Eberly, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Counseling and Higher Education, Eastern Illinois University

Including summaries of national organizations from authentic, represented voices, chapters in Supporting Fraternities and Sororities in the Contemporary Era focus on solutions to support the fraternity and sorority experience and provide strategies and emerging explanations for the issues described in this text.

Both titles are available online via Myers Education Press.

Spotlight on Olga M. Welch

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EdD, Educational Administration and Supervision

Class of 1977

Dean Olga Welch speaks on teaching responsible citizenry in a 90.5 WESA Life of Learning Forum

Olga M. Welch is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Howard University and EdD graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. After time as a Professor in the College of Education at UT, Dr. Welch accepted a position at Duquesne University where she went on to spend over a decade as Dean in the Duquesne University School of Education.

In an article co-authored with University of Tennessee Vice-Provost Emerita Carolyn Hodges, Welch remarks on the importance of balance in leadership: “Learning how to lead is also about learning how to balance the need for action with deliberative and deliberate approaches.”

“The real challenge for a new leader is to learn your context and not assume what worked in another context will work in a new one.”

Olga Welch, Dean Emeritus, Duquesne University

Author several publications, chapters, and books, most recently in 2011 the released of Turnaround Leadership: Deans of Color as Change Agents that focuses attention on deans as agents of change by presenting case studies of six deans of color. This volume’s emphasis on how particular leaders thought about and implemented change initiatives reflects Dr. Welch’s commitment to engaging in critical problem-solving as leaders. 

For more on Dr. Olga M. Welch:

 

About the Series

The ELPS Where are They Now? series inspires current and future students by spotlighting the career paths and accomplishments of graduates from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Continue your own leadership journey and learn more about our programs today.

ELPS News

Frank Cuevas Named Permanent Vice Chancellor for Student Life

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Frank Cuevas, who has been serving as the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Life since January, will take on the role permanently.

“Over the last several months, some of which have been the most challenging we’ve faced as an institution, I have watched Frank’s steady leadership, his steadfast advocacy for our students, and the trust and respect he has built with the Student Life staff,” said Chancellor Donde Plowman. “Frank is collaborative, compassionate, and thoughtful in his decision-making, and he has already proven himself to be a tremendous addition to our senior leadership team. I’m absolutely thrilled he has agreed to take on the role permanently.”

Frank Cuevas
Vice Chancellor for Student Life Frank Cuevas

Cuevas previously served as Assistant and then Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life. He also oversaw Student Housing at UT for seven years, beginning in 2010. He has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UT for seven years.

“I am deeply honored to serve UT as the Vice Chancellor for Student Life. I am passionate about both education and the student experience, so I am very excited to get to work on behalf of our students. I wish to thank Chancellor Plowman for entrusting me with this responsibility. I look forward to continuing to work with her, our campus leadership, and the student life team to support student learning as we work to advance the university’s mission.”

Cuevas was the only finalist out of a nationwide pool of candidates.

Before coming to UT, Cuevas served in various roles in student housing at Florida State University for nearly 20 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs, a master’s in student affairs, and a doctor of education in higher education administration, all from Florida State.

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CONTACT

Tyra Haag (865-974-5460, tyra.haag@tennessee.edu)

AERA Derrington Hayes Martinez

ELPS Faculty Attend AERA in Toronto, Canada

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Mary Lynne Derrington, Sonya Hayes, and James Martinez attended the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. The theme of this year’s meeting was “Leveraging Education Research in a “Post-Truth” Era: Multimodal Narratives to Democratize Evidence.”

Sonya Hayes presented a paper titled Using Improvement Science to (Re)design Leadership Preparation: Exploring PLEs Across 5 University Programs in a symposium on Improvement Science. She also facilitated the selection of the LTEL SIG’s Kottcamp award winner and presented the award at the LTEL SIG’s business meeting. Hayes attended both the DIV K planning meeting, where she is the Co-Chair for Section 10 Teacher Education Learning and Practice (she is on the DIV K planning committee for the 2020 AERA conference in San Antonio), and the DIV A newsletter editorial meeting, where she is one of the Associate Editors for DIV A.

Derrington at SAGE Publications reception for her bookMary Lynne Derrington presented a paper titled Teachers and Principals: Allied or at Odds After Five Years of New Evaluation Policy Implementation. She also attended a SAGE Publishing reception for her recently published book Qualitative Longitudinal Methods: Researching Implementation and Change.
 

Heather Hagenbuch and James Martinez at AERA

 

James Martinez was paired with Heather Hagenbuch (both pictured at right) as her mentor as part of the Boyd Mentorship Program that matches tenure-track professors with doctoral students across the U.S. Heather is a candidate in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Buffalo who is using longitudinal data from the same large National Center of Educational Statistics (NCES) database that he uses in his research. He will be mentoring her for the next year as she completes her doctoral studies in Educational Administration.

Jim McIntyre and Dorian McCoy

ELPS Faculty Honored at Student Life Awards

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Two faculty members from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies were recognized at the University of Tennessee Student Life Awards ceremony on April 17, 2019.  Dr. Dorian McCoy received the Friend of the Student Life Division Award for his selfless dedication to supporting the growth, development, and well-being of UT students and his collaborative partnership with all of the Student Life departments on campus.  Dr. Jim McIntyre was honored with the Student Organization Faculty Advisor of the Year Award for his support of the Tennessee Volunteers Tutoring Club. The club offers opportunities for UT students to provide afterschool tutoring to children at local inner-city elementary schools. Congratulations to Dr. McCoy and Dr. McIntyre!