June 17, 2022

SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Webinar Focuses on Well-Being

The SEC Academic Leadership Development Program held a virtual summer session that focused on well-being and leadership.

By: SEC Staff
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

Birmingham, Ala. – The first-ever SEC Academic Leadership Development Program summer panel session was recently conducted in a virtual format for all current program participants and liaisons. The webinar featured senior administrators from different SEC member universities discussing, “Leadership in Action: Fostering Team Well-Being.”

The session was organized specifically for SEC ALDP Cohort 13, which had its traditional program experience interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on how, beyond a personal commitment to balancing life and work responsibilities, those in leadership positions can build well-being among their teams to ensure the highest levels of productivity and individual satisfaction.

Panelists included Dr. Angi Bourgeois, Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design at Mississippi State University and a former SEC ALDP fellow; Dr. Matthew Martens, Senior Vice Provost at the University of Missouri, a former SEC ALDP fellow and current SEC ALDP chair; and Dr. Christopher Rosen, the John H. Tyson Chair in Business Management at the University of Arkansas.

The trio discussed, among other topics, normalizing humanity and showing empathy; the vital importance of trust between the leader and the team members; and balancing team productivity with flexibility. “This was an excellent and affirming panel discussion,” said Dr. Coretta Jenerette, a fellow from the University of South Carolina.

SEC ALDP Cohort 13 fellows met initially at the University of South Carolina in February and will conclude their participation in the program with a final workshop at the University of Georgia this fall.

The 13-year-old SEC Academic Leadership Development Program seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond. It has multiple components, a university-level development program designed by each institution for its own fellows; two SEC-wide workshops held on specified campuses for all program participants; a competitive fellowship designed to provide administrative growth opportunities for former fellows; and a virtual continuing education forum.