Leadership Class Alumni

Alumni Events | Faculty Alumni | Staff Alumni

For 16 Years

The Towson University Leadership Institute is approaching its sixteenth year of providing year-long programs and other activities for faculty, department chairs & associate deans and senior staff. After sixteen years the number of participants is significant. To date, 302 faculty and chairs and 233 staff have completed the program.  We have just started another faculty class this Fall, 2010.

Building a Tradition

An early goal of the Leadership Institute was to build a tradition and not simply conduct unconnected annual programs. Since all classes have held their opening and closing retreats at the Aspen Wye River Conference Center, an inter-class fellowship has developed because they share common experiences. This fellowship also occurs on the many bus trips each class takes to off-campus sessions called on-site visits. These on-site visits are conducted with education, business and government leaders. These common threads are very important to building the tradition of inter-class and inter-disciplinary cooperation.

Community

Another important aspect of the leadership programs is encouragement and support among Leadership Institute alumni as they assist other alumni in the pursuit of tenure or promotion, grants, and special projects. Exposure provided by program participation has enabled many program graduates to establish an improved campus-wide presence and aid in the development of a feeling of community. The result is that many program alumni are being considered for and achieving significant positions.

A Difficult Task

A difficult task is maintaining the interaction and fellowship, cooperation, and commitment to Towson University. It has been eight years since the inaugural faculty class attended the first leadership retreat. The passing of time can cause relationships and fond memories to fade. To sustain initial program gains, we have established a number of post-program goals intended to nurture and sustain relationships.

Post-Program Goals

• The Leadership Institute Director maintains the highest possible level of individual and personal contact with you as program alumni.

• Leadership alumni are involved in program activities with current leadership classes by attending and speaking during seminar sessions.

• The Leadership Institute supports and assists alumni who, through individual efforts, plan and conduct social and educational activities like, 'welcome back to campus' events.

• Faculty alumni are invited to joint sessions with current staff leadership classes.

• The Leadership Institute maintains a register of alumni and the director does provide senior administrators with suggestions for program alumni who may meet a specific position opening or organization need.

• Leadership program alumni are notified, through the institute's network, and encouraged to participate in campus-wide events that are not conducted by the Leadership Institute. Examples are end-of-semester social gatherings, guest speakers, and concerts.

• Breakfasts are held with the president and provost and other senior administrators to bring leadership alumni together for updates, fellowship and contact with the members of the administration.

• The Leadership Institute asks alumni to participate in special leadership activities, for example, a public broadcasting telethon.

• The Leadership Institute, in cooperation with the Council of Chairs, assists in planning and providing support for the annual Department Chair Forum.

• Periodic alumni multi-day retreats are held to bring representatives from different leadership classes together to discuss current university issues and initiatives and assist in setting program goals. We have had department chair and faculty leadership class alumni retreats over the last few years.