Wow!!! It’s almost over. Tomorrow is our last day and we are celebrating like any institution of higher education would…GRADUATION day is tomorrow! I feel like I have had a crash course in leadership and deserved or not, I am looking forward to getting my certificate of COMPLETION! I can’t tell you how bless I feel to have had this opportunity and will be sharing as much as I can with my OSU colleagues and friends to “pass the gift on” to others who are interested. I have a lot of “lessons learned” that will stay with me forever. Let me also say, how grateful I am to have received 63 letters and cards during the last 3 weeks. My dorm room wall is covered with your words of encouragement, support and humorous messages. You have enabled me to feel connected to all of you which has made all the difference in the world. As you all know, being and staying connected is so important to me. THANK YOU AGAIN!
I had another wonderful weekend in Philly. One of my dearest friends, Wendy, came to visit for the weekend and she experienced it all…the Bryn Mawr college, dorm life, the summer leadership institute and downtown Philadelphia all within 48 hours! Wendy was feeling adventurous and wanted to relive her college days so we embraced the opportunity to “sneak” her into my dorm room overnight on Friday. Ironically, I think she slept better than I did. We “borrowed” the couch cushions from the community living room and made a bed for her on my dorm room floor. Her reaction the next day was classic…”I can’t believe you’ve done this for 3 weeks!” I have validation! Wendy completely validated my initial reaction that the dorms aren’t as exciting as they may seem. I had class on Saturday until noon so Wendy actually joined me for part of the morning session. We watched a documentary called the “Women of Summer” that details how Bryn Mawr welcomed women workers from industry offering summer school from 1921 to 1938. After class, we headed downtown to Philly to see the sights and walk and eat our way through South street and Penn’s Landing. It was wonderful!
Last Thursday ( July 9th), we traveled to Washington D.C. to visit the American Council on Education (ACE). This was probably the most impactful day of the entire summer institute. I had heard a little about ACE but didn’t really understand the scale and scope of this organization for higher education. ACE membership represents 80% of the colleges/institutions in the US ranging from private to public, doctorate degree institutions to community colleges and nonprofit to profit sectors. ACE advocates for higher institutions in Washington D.C. on public policy issues and provides a forum for collaboration and training on critical issues such as diversity, internationalization and leadership. It was completing eye-opening for me to hear the national perspective about the challenges that higher education faces now and in the future. Challenges or should I say “opportunities for improvement” such as student aid legislation, access and innovation. President Obama has made the declaration that he wants to have the highest percentage of college educated citizens by the year 2010. Currently, 39% of Americans under the age of 25 have a college degree (30% have a bachelors and 9% have an associate degree). Canada has the highest percentage (55%), followed by Japan (54%) and Korea. If you are interested in hearing more, ask me. J I also heard about the impact of the new GI Bill (effective August 2009), more data on the changing workforce and initiatives to increase women and underrepresented minorities in leadership roles. Things are changing and it is so important that we monitor the national perspective as well as the state’s agenda as Ohio State moves from excellence to eminence. REALLY GREAT INFORMATION!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wendy and I at the Market St. train station
Wendy and I were having so much fun that we kept forgetting to take pictures. We took this one just as she was catching the train for the airport to go home.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The OSU FIVE... From left to right, front to back row, Carla Curtis (Assoc. Professor, College of Social Work), Georgina Dodge (Asst. Vice Provost for Minority Affairs), Lisa Hinkleman (Director, The Interprofessional Commission of Ohio, College of Education and Human Ecology), Me and Mindy Wright (Director of Community Partnerships, Colleges of Arts and Sciences).
My Career Triad... Navenna Ponnusamy (Asst Dean for College of Business, University of Southern California), Me and Krista Hoffmann-Longtin (Associate Dtr for Outreach and Engagement at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis)
Third week...
I’ll be home a week from TODAY! Wow, time does really fly by. It’s interesting how one adjusts and what really bothered me the first week doesn’t even matter anymore. A twin bed, bare walls, the unknown of this experience is no longer relevant. The first week seemed to last forever and now I only have 6 more days with these incredible women. I am doing my best to soak up the wisdom and experience around me. I am so thankful for this experience!!! 20/20 hindsight makes me wonder if the organizers of the HERS program “over-saturated” us with information and sessions in the beginning to “break us in”? Remember how hard freshman year was? Now things seem a bit easier and more relaxed, probably because I am no longer wasting energy on the little stuff.
So far, this week has been all about budgets, finance and mapping out our career paths. Oh… the terminology of the finance world! It has been so helpful to gain a deeper understanding of the common language…financial statements (income, balance, statement of cash flows), operating budget identifying revenue sources vs. expenses, unrestricted vs. permanently restricted net assets, incremental budgeting vs. responsibility centered budgeting. ARGH! Don’t ask me for an explanation unless I am in front of my notes. J They stressed the value of endowments for private colleges vs. public institutions. We heard from John Griffith (Treasurer for Bryn Mawr) who came from a state public system (University of New Jersey). He was able to compare and contrast between the public and private sectors. Endowment revenue is a vital component of the operating budget for most private institutions whereas endowments represent a very small portion of the budget for public institutions For example, Bryn Mawr ‘s endowment represents 40% of their operating budget compared to 2% for OSU. Of course, OSU has a lot more revenue generating departments (medical center, research grants, athletics etc.) that most private institutions don’t have.
We shifting topics yesterday back to our own professional development… we spent time with our "career triad". At the end of the first week, we formed groups of three to concentrate on our career paths and offer each other advice... aka a career triad. Yesterday, our career triad actually had a chance to talk in depth with a senior administrator, Joann Mitchell, Vice President for Institutional Affairs at the University of Penn. She was incredible and offered great suggestions for me to consider as I advance in the years to come. One of the most valuable aspects of this institute for me has been the ability to make connections with senior faculty, administrators, provosts and presidents from various colleges. My professional network has exploded but the key will be maintaining these relationships when the “real world” welcomes me back home.
I keep forgetting to share two tidbids of information completely unrelated to the events of the last few days. The Canyon Ranch has been catering all of our food! Yes, that’s right! Canyon Ranch is one of most famous spas in the country and they are hosting a kid’s camp at Bryn Mawr. So, we benefit from all of the meals being catered by the Canyon Ranch chefs which means the food has been delicious and healthy at the same time. I am getting so spoiled. The food definitely makes up for the dorm room and lack of other creature comforts. Secondly, there are 49 attendees at this summer institute which is dramatically smaller than previous years primarily due to the economy. But, almost 20% of the attendees are from the state of Ohio! As you know, 5 are from OSU but 5 other Ohio colleges are represented (Case Western Reserve, Cleveland State, University of Dayton, Ohio University and Wright State). “O-H” always receives an “I-O” in response regardless of the crowd. Very cool!
ANOTHER big thank you for the continuous incoming mail. I received 12 pieces of mail this week so far! You all have far surpassed my wishes and hopes for mail. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
So far, this week has been all about budgets, finance and mapping out our career paths. Oh… the terminology of the finance world! It has been so helpful to gain a deeper understanding of the common language…financial statements (income, balance, statement of cash flows), operating budget identifying revenue sources vs. expenses, unrestricted vs. permanently restricted net assets, incremental budgeting vs. responsibility centered budgeting. ARGH! Don’t ask me for an explanation unless I am in front of my notes. J They stressed the value of endowments for private colleges vs. public institutions. We heard from John Griffith (Treasurer for Bryn Mawr) who came from a state public system (University of New Jersey). He was able to compare and contrast between the public and private sectors. Endowment revenue is a vital component of the operating budget for most private institutions whereas endowments represent a very small portion of the budget for public institutions For example, Bryn Mawr ‘s endowment represents 40% of their operating budget compared to 2% for OSU. Of course, OSU has a lot more revenue generating departments (medical center, research grants, athletics etc.) that most private institutions don’t have.
We shifting topics yesterday back to our own professional development… we spent time with our "career triad". At the end of the first week, we formed groups of three to concentrate on our career paths and offer each other advice... aka a career triad. Yesterday, our career triad actually had a chance to talk in depth with a senior administrator, Joann Mitchell, Vice President for Institutional Affairs at the University of Penn. She was incredible and offered great suggestions for me to consider as I advance in the years to come. One of the most valuable aspects of this institute for me has been the ability to make connections with senior faculty, administrators, provosts and presidents from various colleges. My professional network has exploded but the key will be maintaining these relationships when the “real world” welcomes me back home.
I keep forgetting to share two tidbids of information completely unrelated to the events of the last few days. The Canyon Ranch has been catering all of our food! Yes, that’s right! Canyon Ranch is one of most famous spas in the country and they are hosting a kid’s camp at Bryn Mawr. So, we benefit from all of the meals being catered by the Canyon Ranch chefs which means the food has been delicious and healthy at the same time. I am getting so spoiled. The food definitely makes up for the dorm room and lack of other creature comforts. Secondly, there are 49 attendees at this summer institute which is dramatically smaller than previous years primarily due to the economy. But, almost 20% of the attendees are from the state of Ohio! As you know, 5 are from OSU but 5 other Ohio colleges are represented (Case Western Reserve, Cleveland State, University of Dayton, Ohio University and Wright State). “O-H” always receives an “I-O” in response regardless of the crowd. Very cool!
ANOTHER big thank you for the continuous incoming mail. I received 12 pieces of mail this week so far! You all have far surpassed my wishes and hopes for mail. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
INDEPENDENCE DAY in Philadelphia!
What a great city… expensive city…and truly American city rich with history and cultural significance! Derek arrived a few minutes EARLY on Friday night but I was there to greet him at the airport. Thanks to Cousin Anne, I felt like a native already taking charge of getting us to the hotel and finding a great restaurant for dinner. Only 2 blocks from the Sheraton on Society Hill, we ate at a Spanish tapas restaurant and as Derek always says…”we ordered the menu.” We had a sampling of the chef’s favorite dishes sitting on the patio and people watching the entire time.
Saturday was filled with traditional 4th of July fun. We watched the parade as it marched through Independence Mall, walked the streets of downtown Philly and had an early dinner at a yummy Cuban restaurant. Then we embraced public transit (yes, the subway) as we made our way to the Museum of Art along with a few hundred thousand of our closest friends to watch Sheryl Crow and see the fireworks! It was very fun, incredibly crowded but worth it all!
Today, we took it much easier. We walked down to Reading Market to enjoy some of the local food fare and then back to Benjamin Franklin Parkway where all the museums are located. Off my right, I saw a flag waving from the science museum that read “Star Trek Adventure”. Luckily for Derek, it was a Star Trek exhibition so we spent a few hours milling around the museum enjoying the sights. We spend the rest of the day hanging out at the pool and walking around the historic district and Penn’s landing only blocks from the hotel.
It felt so great to just relax and be with Derek. I am definitely home sick and missed celebrating the 4th with my friends and family. I was secretly hoping that Derek would sneak “the girls/Pixel and Paxil’ on the plane.
Tomorrow, it is back to the routine of class all day but the coursework this week looks very interesting. Sessions about budget and finance, planning our careers for the future, getting advice from senior female administrators and a road trip to Washington D.C. to visit the America Council on Education. Good stuff!
Saturday was filled with traditional 4th of July fun. We watched the parade as it marched through Independence Mall, walked the streets of downtown Philly and had an early dinner at a yummy Cuban restaurant. Then we embraced public transit (yes, the subway) as we made our way to the Museum of Art along with a few hundred thousand of our closest friends to watch Sheryl Crow and see the fireworks! It was very fun, incredibly crowded but worth it all!
Today, we took it much easier. We walked down to Reading Market to enjoy some of the local food fare and then back to Benjamin Franklin Parkway where all the museums are located. Off my right, I saw a flag waving from the science museum that read “Star Trek Adventure”. Luckily for Derek, it was a Star Trek exhibition so we spent a few hours milling around the museum enjoying the sights. We spend the rest of the day hanging out at the pool and walking around the historic district and Penn’s landing only blocks from the hotel.
It felt so great to just relax and be with Derek. I am definitely home sick and missed celebrating the 4th with my friends and family. I was secretly hoping that Derek would sneak “the girls/Pixel and Paxil’ on the plane.
Tomorrow, it is back to the routine of class all day but the coursework this week looks very interesting. Sessions about budget and finance, planning our careers for the future, getting advice from senior female administrators and a road trip to Washington D.C. to visit the America Council on Education. Good stuff!
4th of July Parade, fireworks/Sheryl Crow and the museum area.
Star Trek stimulator at the Science museum. Looks cooler than it was.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Ask and you shall receive… the universe has responded with MAIL! I can’t even believe it! I have received 17 pieces of mail this week so far. My wall is getting decorated with all of your incredible words of encouragement and colorful advice (June-Bugg). Keep it coming… I love it! You are the best friends and colleagues ever! I feel so blessed and grateful for your support. I miss everyone so much!!
I have definitely gained a new perspective this week. I am MUCH more comfortable and letting go of some of the “stuff” that was overwhelming me last week. I am also learning how to best “balance” the demanding schedule and my need for sleep and introspection! Yes, even strong extroverts need some down time with no people.
I am finding that I am getting the most value from the panel discussions. On Monday, we heard from three female leaders about state planning and budgets. Selma Botman is the new President for the University of Southern Maine which is a public institution with 3 campuses and approximately 10,000 students. Theo Kalikow is a long standing President (15 years) from the University of Maine at Farmington which is a public liberal arts college of about 2,000 students. Lastly, we heard from Peggy Rotundo who served on the legislative committee for the state of Maine. Most of the conversation was centered on the challenges and opportunities that exist for state institutions to develop a strong academic plan and operational budget without knowing the state appropriations. It was really interesting to learn more about how important it is for the state legislator and the campus leadership to have a strong and trusting relationship. We kept hearing how vital it is to align the university’s mission with the public agenda for state budgets to continue sufficient appropriations. I think we are very fortunate at OSU to have leadership who understands this and operates from this value system. Oh... the politics are so important. Each woman offered clear and direct advice from the heart. I could have listened to them for hours!
We had a field trip on Tuesday and traveled to Temple University located in northern Philadelphia (about a 30 minute bus ride). The campus is located in an “urban setting” with great diversity all around. Temple is the 26th largest institution in the country with student enrollment approximately 37,000 and 12,000 faculty & staff. Lisa Staiano-Coico, Provost of Temple, talked about how she led the strategic planning agenda for Temple upon her arrival in 2007. She used typical methods such as making decisions based on their core values while gathering input via focus groups and committee recommendations. She was very engaging but I didn’t hear any new ideas.
Yesterday was all about strategic planning and working with groups on case studies and understanding the value of development (fund-raising) in the academic environment. We have a few VP’s of Development as participants of the institute so it was great to hear multiple perspectives on how to support the development office and when to involve campus leadership in “closing the deal”.
Today, we broke up into smaller work groups to strategize about various topics. Many of you know that I had to select a leadership project prior to arriving to the institute. My topic was to learn what female faculty need in terms of career flexibility. I was involved in a lengthy conversation about “work-life” balance that was generated by a woman who is the department chair. Faculty and staff seem to share the same stressors about how to best integrate work and life. I heard the same frustrations and self-imposed expectations for excellence in both areas of life. I prompted them a few times to ask “What do you need from your organization?” “What policies, programs, services would best support you in the quest to integrate work and life?” The conversation kept going back to what is within one’s control. What can I do? Not what can my institution/college do to help me. Perhaps, with a group of self-starters and over-achievers, they are trained to seek the answers they need internally. Of course, this is a good thing but it was interesting that no one really wanted to talk about something that was outside of their locus of control. I will keep probing to see what I can learn.
I am SUPER excited for the weekend. Derek arrives at 6:35pm tomorrow and we have the weekend free from the institute to do whatever we want! So, we plan to explore Philly, check out the Rocky statue, watch the July 4th parade and of course see the fireworks! Oh, yeah… Sheryl Crow is playing downtown too as part of the festivities… FREE!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and celebrates all that America has to offer each and every one of us! God Bless America!
I have definitely gained a new perspective this week. I am MUCH more comfortable and letting go of some of the “stuff” that was overwhelming me last week. I am also learning how to best “balance” the demanding schedule and my need for sleep and introspection! Yes, even strong extroverts need some down time with no people.
I am finding that I am getting the most value from the panel discussions. On Monday, we heard from three female leaders about state planning and budgets. Selma Botman is the new President for the University of Southern Maine which is a public institution with 3 campuses and approximately 10,000 students. Theo Kalikow is a long standing President (15 years) from the University of Maine at Farmington which is a public liberal arts college of about 2,000 students. Lastly, we heard from Peggy Rotundo who served on the legislative committee for the state of Maine. Most of the conversation was centered on the challenges and opportunities that exist for state institutions to develop a strong academic plan and operational budget without knowing the state appropriations. It was really interesting to learn more about how important it is for the state legislator and the campus leadership to have a strong and trusting relationship. We kept hearing how vital it is to align the university’s mission with the public agenda for state budgets to continue sufficient appropriations. I think we are very fortunate at OSU to have leadership who understands this and operates from this value system. Oh... the politics are so important. Each woman offered clear and direct advice from the heart. I could have listened to them for hours!
We had a field trip on Tuesday and traveled to Temple University located in northern Philadelphia (about a 30 minute bus ride). The campus is located in an “urban setting” with great diversity all around. Temple is the 26th largest institution in the country with student enrollment approximately 37,000 and 12,000 faculty & staff. Lisa Staiano-Coico, Provost of Temple, talked about how she led the strategic planning agenda for Temple upon her arrival in 2007. She used typical methods such as making decisions based on their core values while gathering input via focus groups and committee recommendations. She was very engaging but I didn’t hear any new ideas.
Yesterday was all about strategic planning and working with groups on case studies and understanding the value of development (fund-raising) in the academic environment. We have a few VP’s of Development as participants of the institute so it was great to hear multiple perspectives on how to support the development office and when to involve campus leadership in “closing the deal”.
Today, we broke up into smaller work groups to strategize about various topics. Many of you know that I had to select a leadership project prior to arriving to the institute. My topic was to learn what female faculty need in terms of career flexibility. I was involved in a lengthy conversation about “work-life” balance that was generated by a woman who is the department chair. Faculty and staff seem to share the same stressors about how to best integrate work and life. I heard the same frustrations and self-imposed expectations for excellence in both areas of life. I prompted them a few times to ask “What do you need from your organization?” “What policies, programs, services would best support you in the quest to integrate work and life?” The conversation kept going back to what is within one’s control. What can I do? Not what can my institution/college do to help me. Perhaps, with a group of self-starters and over-achievers, they are trained to seek the answers they need internally. Of course, this is a good thing but it was interesting that no one really wanted to talk about something that was outside of their locus of control. I will keep probing to see what I can learn.
I am SUPER excited for the weekend. Derek arrives at 6:35pm tomorrow and we have the weekend free from the institute to do whatever we want! So, we plan to explore Philly, check out the Rocky statue, watch the July 4th parade and of course see the fireworks! Oh, yeah… Sheryl Crow is playing downtown too as part of the festivities… FREE!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and celebrates all that America has to offer each and every one of us! God Bless America!
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