Alex Milan

LHE Colloquium

Tuesdays, 7-9:20

Quarterly Learning Summary: Fall 2016

Part 1

During my first quarter of the Leadership in Higher Education program, I took 3 classes and

co-facilitated a First-year Interest Group course for the Pipeline Project. The courses served as an

introduction to social science research, student development and assisted in formation of an

individual path higher education. The experience facilitating with Pipeline allowed me to connect

with the population I will be serving and motivate me to build the skills to do so properly.

In the LHE Colloquium, the discussion topics and guest speakers allowed me to examine my

role as a future leader in the higher education system. Beginning with the Personal Journey and goal

setting, we took a deeper look at our path thus far and continuing direction. It was perfect to begin

with this- having clarity in purpose gives a solid tool for examination. As we addressed different

topics throughout the quarter, I was able to reflect back on my goals to determine how they fit

together or reexamine my own ideas. The work with Dr. Jason Johnson on Engaging Theory helped

to build a sense of what our purpose as graduate student is and how academic research can

contribute to our work after graduation. His insight into the research world, especially the idea of

research being a discussion between academics and practitioners, helped me build more of a

connection to research as a whole as opposed to simply picking out relevant pieces as needed.

Especially as I prepare to complete an independent literature review, this has been impactful. Dr. Ed

Taylor shared his story with us as a leader at the University of Washington and in the general

community. I found his perspective to be powerful. He focused very little on the day to day tasks of

his role; it was evident that he was driven by compassion, pursuit of honesty and a desire to have an
open community for every person. He does his job well, and I am excited to continue learning how he

approaches his work.

The most impactful topic for me in the Leadership in Higher Education Colloquium was Equity

in Education. I found it surprising to realize that Id never had an in depth discussion about the

difference between equality and equity, nor had I thought much about the differences in application.

I am not a person to accept a position because they told me so or because of convenience. This

holds true for perspectives of equity and equality. Having this discussion in class has given me a lense

to analyze the purpose of each of these ideas. With continued analysis, I have been thinking about

equality being the ultimate goal in society and equity being an important tool to get there. These

ideas are fluid and developing with every discussion, but in general, our social justice discussion has

encouraged me to think about overall societal change and the possible strategies, tools and pathways

to achieving it.

In Secondary Data Analysis, Dr. Ismael Fajardo has taught us the basics of research and data

analysis. These are important skills that I know will be utilized in the future. In looking at data, there

are many different perspectives one could utilize. In our classes, we practiced using these tools of

perspective and interpretation. I am particularly happy to have gained the skill of using SPSS. Using

the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) data set- with over 7,000 variables- in order to

complete our final project felt like trial by fire, but it allowed for a larger amount of growth in a short

time. Conducting research has been intimidating to me in the past. Now, I have more confidence in

my abilities.

In Student Development Theory I, we have been learning about different aspects of the

student experience and growth. Readings on theoretical concepts are paired with class discussion and

reflection questions. Reflections focus on thinking through application of theory. Having a deeper
understanding of the experiences of college students is significant in creating a system of supports to

meet the needs of all students. This course has been especially helpful in thinking about how

different aspects of a persons life impact their experience such as income, religion and race. I am

looking forward to continuing in the second part of this course to further examine effective

application of student development theory.

Part 2

Leadership is service. As a leader you are beholden to a group, mission and- as cliche as it

sounds- building a better future. To me, important aspects of leadership include having a true

connection to your community, recognizing all perspectives and needs, showing compassion, building

up those around you and taking action. Connection to community facilitates understanding and a

stronger ability to make decisions that will positively impact those you serve. It is easy to recognize

and cater to the majority, but a strong leader will make an effort to understand the complexities of

their community and address the concerns of both the many and the few. Not only do they need to

recognize and address these perspectives, but it is their duty to educate others when a gap is

identified. When conflicts inevitably arise, having compassion helps keep the door open for positive

development. Instead of shutting a person or situation down, create stronger community members

by empowering others and facilitating growth. Lastly, a leader must be willing to take action to do

what is needed.

For myself, success means following the path that is right for me- even if it is nontraditional-

and having a positive impact. The path to get there is both logical and intuitive, and it is not reliant on

a definitive outcome. The freedom of not being tied down by accomplishing specific things allows me

shift in the direction of what is needed as it is needed. At the point when someone asks me, Do you
feel you have lived a successful life? I hope I can reflect back on the joy of others that I have taken

part in making.

Part 3

The colloquium has helped me to think about leadership and personal success as a deeper

extension of impact and responsibility. Being a leader is more than completing a set of tasks or

utilizing authority. While there are certainly hard skills necessary dependant on your sector, qualities

of a leader are more reflective of the person as a whole than a skill they are proficient at. Seeing the

challenges that students and institutions face has helped me create a more fluid definition of success

for myself. There isnt one problem to solve or one way to do it. There is a large community to work

with in order to do this.

The colloquium was great in motivating thought about relevant topics for our graduate

program. One thing that could facilitate more learning is helping students initiate engagement with

professionals on an individual level. As someone who does not come from the higher education

sector, this push would be very helpful. Perhaps a pointed informational interview assignment or

attendance/reflection on a campus event. Even without this, the colloquium was impactful and a

great introduction to the program!