As Dr. Thelma Scott-Skillman appropriately noted in the Spring 2007 issue of the iJournal, leadership succession planning is a must: “If effective succession planning does not occur, the effectiveness of the institution will clearly be at stake. The quality of education and student support programs will be in jeopardy and the integrity of the institution may be compromised.”

Succession planning: an institutional and personal process

Leadership succession planning is both an institutional process as Dr. Scott-Skillman described as well as a very personal process. An institutional plan allows college leaders to design an intentional approach to leadership succession; while the plan may be institution-wide, it relies on personal relationships to come to life. These individual relationships demonstrate the commitment of college leaders to identifying and developing the next wave of leaders—those who are mid-career professionals as well as those who are beginning their professional journey.

Some leadership succession initiatives may focus on developing internal leaders—that is, those folks who will become campus leaders; other work may focus on developing future California leaders—that is, those who may actually leave our institution to take a leadership position at another college. In either case, the mentors demonstrate a great deal of generosity as they develop the skills of people who will likely leave their current position to take on additional responsibilities. It is this very generosity that is a hallmark of those who worked with me, serving as guides along my journey.

With few exceptions, the managers I worked with throughout my career have been committed to mentoring and coaching those with whom they worked. Their focus on individual leadership development, while not necessarily part of an institutional process, helped ensure that staff and faculty developed the skills necessary to lead in California community colleges. Outlined below are characteristics of the individual leadership development they offered.

Create opportunities for development and growth

When I first began working at Solano Community College, I had limited experience in higher education and no direct experience in the community college system. Marva Canada not only encouraged me to enroll in graduate school, she also provided opportunities for me to broaden my understanding of community colleges: from attending CACCRAO conferences and workshops to encouraging me to join the collective bargaining team.

These experiences did prepare me well and I soon moved to another position at American River College. Like Marva before him, my new manager, Robert Allegre, encouraged me to become involved in college-wide activities, such as the governance committee, to help develop a sense of how a college works.

Honestly assess skills, identify knowledge gaps, and help build those areas

The managers I worked with discussed my professional aspirations, then worked with me to develop a plan to get to the next level. The manager helped identify key knowledge areas I needed in order to be successful in my current position and to prepare for the next one. This included both technical skills (i.e., understanding regulations, conflict resolution, and collective bargaining) and political skills (i.e., developing positive relationships with faculty, understanding the complexity of shared governance, and responding to disruptive student behavior).

Rosemary Montijo, from American River College, would provide feedback after a presentation or while working on an accreditation report. Such feedback provided a mirror to myself. Her observations helped me see what areas needed improvement and to build on my strengths.

Similarly, Dr. Sharon Dyer had a knack for “telling it like it is”—sometimes painfully honest, but courageous nonetheless. Each of us needs a person who is willing to tell us what no one else will and tell us with compassion. This alerts us to areas could impede our best efforts to be successful leaders.

Provide a sense of the bigger picture

College administrators often shield staff and faculty from many of the politics involved with their work; as a result, new administrators and other campus leaders may be unprepared for campus politics, including how to negotiate relationships with formal and informal campus leaders, working effectively in a shared governance environment, and the importance of listening to diverse opinions (and not taking disagreement personally).

What proved extremely helpful to me was how campus leaders, such as Dr. Ed Shenk when we worked together at Napa Valley College, took the time to explain the implications and consequences of major policy issues. When challenging issues arose—issues that divided the campus—Ed talked with me about the background of the problem, the history of the concern on campus, and how he was considering working with others around the issue. Not only did this allow me to better support Ed’s efforts, it helped me develop a sense of how I might approach similar issues in the future.

Similarly, Dr. Thelma Scott-Skillman, at the time Vice Chancellor of Student Services for the California Community Colleges, suggested that it would be helpful for me to broaden my understanding of student services from a statewide perspective. She invited me to serve on the student services Think Tank which brought together leaders from a variety of community colleges. Such an experience introduced me to many others in our system while providing an opportunity to see how people in different leadership understood the role of student services.

Support professional development through leadership development programs, membership in professional associations, and educational advancement.

We are lucky in California to have extensive opportunities for leadership development; I was encouraged to participate in the ACCCA mentor program, the Asilomar Leadership Development experience, and the Student Services Leadership Institute. Each of these programs allowed me to develop distinct sets of skills from college leadership, to administrative skills, and leadership in student services. The National Institute for Leadership Development provided an opportunity to work with the college president on a specific project that expanded my skill set to include curriculum development. Additionally, Bob Allegre, Dr. Ed Shenk, the late Dr. Cedric Samson (College of the Redwoods), and Dan Henry (Los Medanos College) supported my interest in working with professional associations, including CACCRAO and C4S2A2.

Working with these associations allowed me to assume leadership positions that strengthened my on-campus work by connecting me to broader policy issues and tremendous resources throughout the state. Building my understanding of the California community system and developing specific leadership skills were only part of the preparation I needed to assume greater responsibilities on my campus and in the state.

An additional necessary component was continuing my education. Shortly after I began working at Solano Community College, Marva Canada encouraged me to enroll in a graduate program. She understood that even if I had strong leadership and management skills, I would not be able to move into college administration without a master’s degree. I began my graduate studies while working at American River College; Bob Allegre, who had also recently completed his master’s degree, fully supported my graduate studies—such a level of support was critical to my ability to complete my degree while working full-time.

Upon completing my degree, the late Dr. Marjorie Blaha’s response was: “Congratulations! Now, when are you going to start your doctorate?” A good mentor plants the seeds that allow us to dream of a future we had not previously envisioned. Cedric Samson gave me the final nudge toward doctoral studies in 1998 assuring me that the doctorate would open new doors; he supported my studies both by writing a letter of recommendation and working with me to create the time to attend classes in Oregon.

Support professional advancement—even when it means leaving the college (moving out in order to move up)

As noted above, each of the managers mentioned in this essay were models of generosity. They understood that the “pay off” for their efforts would likely be that I would leave the position and/or the college. In each case, in order to move up, I needed to leave the college. In doing so, I expanded my professional network and have maintained the relationships with my mentors.

And, finally, what we all recognized was that a protégée can never adequately thank the mentors for their efforts. The only thing they ever asked of me in return was that I provide the same opportunities and encouragement for others when I had the chance. Just as they had an offered me a hand, they asked that I offer my other hand to others. In following this advice, I later served as ACCCA mentor and sponsored many others who attended the Student Services Leadership Institute and the Asilomar Leadership Development experience. Furthermore, I built mentoring relationships one person at a time, consistently facilitating participation of others in campus, local, and state leadership development opportunities.

As a member of the faculty at University of the Pacific, I approach my teaching using the same principles outlined above. My goal is to develop future leaders for our California community colleges—leaders who, in turn, will ensure that our colleges, the students we serve, and the staff and faculty within each college have the opportunities to be their best and achieve their dreams.

 

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About the Author

Delores E. McNair, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership
University of Pacific
Stockton, California

Dr. Delores McNair is currently Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership at the University of Pacific in Stockton. Her career path provided opportunities to work at American River College, College of the Redwoods, Los Medanos College, Napa Valley College, and Solano Community College. Each of these experiences exposed and reinforced to Dr. McNair the importance of the California community colleges in serving students throughout the state.

She received her Ed.D. from the Community College Leadership Program at Oregon State University. She moved from administration to teaching in fall 2006 because of her desire to give back to the community colleges by helping prepare future educational leaders. She is past-president of CACCRAO, a former member of the C4S2A2 executive board, and the incoming District Training Director for Rotary International, District 5160. You can find out more about her by visiting her Facebook page.

Dr. McNair can be reached at dmcnair@pacific.edu.