The DPLS Blog at Gonzaga University

We apologize. There was an error for the course formerly listed as DPLS 772 this summer 2013. Instead, this course is an Ethics course, which the syllabus lists as Leadership and Applied Ethics: Contemporary Issues. If you do not need any more Ethics courses, you probably do not want to be enrolled. If you were prepared for Ethics, this number will be listed as DPLS 746, and we will transfer currently enrolled students into that new number. We have updated the syllabus found on the syllabi page. Please also note the updated dates and location for this course.

If you have questions, please feel free to email or call Marnie Broughton: broughton@gonzaga.edu. Thank you.

The photographs from the DPLS Graduation Banquet are now up on Facebook. Don’t our graduates look beautiful?

Any and all new students from fall 2012, spring 2013, and summer 2013 should plan to attend the New Student Orientation on June 21 from noon-2:30 p.m. in Tilford 117. A light lunch will be provided. See you then!

Dr. David Whitfield would like to invite you to consider enrolling in either of his two classes this summer. To find out more, click the links below for the flyers, or go to ZagWeb.

DPLS 705 Leadership & Social Justice

DPLS 777 Intercultural Leadership

Fall GA applications are due July 10. Please turn them in to Marnie’s office. Click here for forms and more GA info.

April 24, 2013

To:  Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies Students and Alumni

From: Joe Albert, Acting-Dean, School of Professional Studies—Leadership Division

Subject:  Decision regarding doctoral faculty search process recommendations

I am writing to members of the doctoral community. First, I would like to thank those who served on the search committee. As a group your work was thorough and effective. I believe you did an excellent job of surfacing the best candidates available for this position. The second reason for my letter to you is to let you know that I have decided, with the support of the Academic Vice President, not to offer a position to either of the finalists. I would like to explain my decision-making process on this issue.

In my mind this search is a critical one. With the departure of long-time faculty member and chair, Dr. James Beebe, the DPLS is at an important juncture in terms of its future. I felt strongly, heading into the search, that whoever was hired would need to fill two critical needs. I believed that the candidate needed to have experience as a teacher and dissertation advisor. My fear is that to hire someone who did not have some minimum dissertation advising experience would place a tremendous load on the current doctoral faculty.

Another key element of my decision had to do with my strong belief that the person needed to possess a solid grounding in the field of leadership studies. This past year the School of Professional Studies—Leadership Division was involved in a very time consuming and thoughtful strategic planning process. Our challenge has been to formulate a proposal that would express the aspirations of the faculty and staff and would result in a structural alignment within the university that would allow all of the leadership programs to thrive. In our proposal to the Academic Vice President, Dr. Killen, that we presented on November 27, 2012, we recommended that Gonzaga establish a new academic school, a School of Leadership Studies. Critical in this proposal was our belief that leadership studies is an emerging discipline as evidenced by the burgeoning number of academic leadership journals and academic leadership programs proliferating across the country. While in the past many leadership programs were staffed with faculty members from a variety of disciplines (e.g., anthropology, business, education, psychology and many other), there are a rapidly increasing number of doctorally qualified individuals in leadership studies. My hope at the beginning of the search process and now is that the person hired for the DPLS position would reflect the emergence of leadership as a legitimate academic discipline.

I fully supported the work of the search committee as the process unfolded. On March 18 I was able to do phone interviews with both of the finalists. While I was impressed with both candidates and enjoyed my conversation with both of them, I was particularly impressed with the engaging style of one candidate. My concern after my interview with both candidates, however, was a clear lack of any publishing or teaching in the area of leadership. I shared this concern with Dr. Francovich who provided a very thoughtful and insightful rationale for how the backgrounds of both candidates could serve the department very well if hired.

On April 12 I received a letter from Dr. Francovich, on behalf of the search committee containing the results of the vote by the committee, and input from other faculty and students. The majority voiced a preference for hiring Candidate A. I carefully reviewed the comprehensive review provided by Dr. Francovich of the deliberations of the committee and their rationale for hiring this candidate. After this I arrived at tentative decision and on Sunday, April 14, I spoke with Dr. Killen who had also interviewed both candidates. Her opinion concurred with my own belief that neither candidate would be a good hire at this time.

My decision was based on the belief that Candidate A did not represent the requisite teaching experience, dissertation advising background, or academic exposure in the field of leadership studies to address the needs of the department. I fully appreciated the many gifts that Candidate A offered. Her passion for social justice, critical race theory, culture and identity and overall congruence with the mission of Gonzaga were all very positive and persuasive features. However, in my opinion these positive gifts and traits did not warrant her being offered a position at this time.

After I met with the DPLS faculty on Wednesday, 4/17, to inform them of my decision, I asked for and received support from the Office of the Academic Vice President to renew the search for the position this fall. My hope and goal is to aggressively seek a quality pool of candidates who can meet the needs of the department and the aspirational goals of our emerging vision of leadership studies at Gonzaga.

Again, thank you for your efforts and commitment in this process. I look forward to our work in the future.

Sincerely,

Joe Albert, Ph.D.
Acting-Dean, School of Professional Studies—Leadership Division

Addendum: If you you have any questions or concerns regarding Dr. Albert’s letter or the decision made please contact either Dr. Barbour, the chair of the DPLS, or any core doctoral faculty.

This is another reminder to complete course evaluations for any and all courses you took this Spring 2013 term. Complete your evaluations on ZagWeb. Students have until May 12 to complete these evaluations.

The Comprehensive Leadership Program and Emerging Leaders Program are currently accepting applications for the open Program Coordinator position. The Program Coordinator (PC) is responsible for various activities related to the infrastructure and coordination of all curricular and co-curricular activities of students in the Comprehensive Leadership Program (CLP), and for all marketing, recruiting, and scheduling activities for the CEO Institute, the Emerging Leaders Program, and the Leadership Connections program.

The job of the PC is to work under the direction of the CLP academic director and with students and instructors in the CLP, and with the chair of the Department of Organizational Leadership for the CEO Institute, Emerging Leadership Program, and Leadership Connection functions.

More info can be found here. Applications will be accepted through May 17, 2013.

This is a reminder that all GA students working this summer 2013 must have a Summer PAR on file. Please pick up the form asap from the Student Employment office in College Hall and then pass it along to Marnie to sign. Summer officially begins May 13 for payroll purposes.

We captured Friday sessions at the Leadership Studies Student Research Symposium in still photographs and you may now view them here! Thank you to all who made this an incredible event! ‘Til next year!