2012: School of Leadership in Action
Contents Academic News
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Investing In Leadership
9
Fostering Connections: Graduation, Alumni News and Volunteerism
The SLPA Team
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16
Making Difference a
Last year, School of Leadership and Professional Advancement (SLPA) students, alumni, clients, partners, friends and staff together celebrated academic achievements, reached professional milestones and traveled the globe to advance the understanding of leadership. We looked at new technology, developed new courses and modified how we assess curricula to ensure that our programs continue to be of the highest quality and remain relevant for the evolving leadership landscape. A redesigned website was introduced to provide prospective students with a rich source of program information. Awards were received, certifications met and new relationships formed with members of our local communities. Perhaps most importantly, we advanced as a team capable of creativity and innovation. It has been a busy year, and SLPA invites you to share in these experiences as we explore 2012.
Dean’s Letter Every year we run several academic programs and host numerous activities, events and celebrations. As a school with a focus on exploring leadership and leadership development, we spend a lot of time developing programs that support you in any effort to continually refine and sharpen your skills. We want you to know about them. We want you to know about them, and this report is one of our ways of doing so. It contains a recap of the events and happenings which occurred in 2012, most of which will continue in 2013. We work exclusively with adult students, and we believe strongly in providing education for the mind, heart and spirit. No one exemplifies this more than our student services team. They received the highest ranking at Duquesne University in the just released Academic Advising Student Expectation Survey (AASES). Looking at the results of the survey, Associate Provost for Enrollment Management, Paul-James Cukanna said “it is clear that our students expect both a high-touch and high-tech approach to advisement.” That’s what you get when you come to SLPA - a strong personal connection with your advisor and a high commitment to graduating from Duquesne. Thank you for being a friend of our School, and feel free to come to SLPA for all of your leadership development needs.
Dr. Dorothy Bassett, Dean January 2013
Academic News
Pursuing Mark Prestopnik (left) and David McGeehan discussing Quality Matters.
Academic Excellence This past year, our focus was on ensuring academic excellence through the strengthening of core programs. In an effort to strengthen our programs and to provide online courses of the highest caliber, we invested in the program Quality Matters (QM). Quality Matters is a faculty-centered, peer review process that is designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses. At the heart of the QM process is a rubric containing standards on a range of issues from assessment to accessibility that when met, ensure quality coursework. • Our technicians, David McGeehan and Mark Prestopnik, completed the extensive training required to become nationally certified as peer reviewers. As a result of a successful QM pilot launched in the fall of 2012, SLPA is now positioned to fully roll out the QM review initiative in 2013.
Program Coordinator, Pam Bailey, completes the required series of self-evaluation reports.
• SLPA’s commitment to quality is again demonstrated through an ongoing effort to maintain the American Bar Association (ABA) certification for the Paralegal Certificate Program. The rigorous process to obtain this standing begins with a series of thoroughly investigated self-evaluation reports followed by an onsite evaluation of program operations conducted to verify ABA guidelines compliance. SLPA’s Paralegal program is the region’s only ABA approved program.
Academic News
Recognizing Carol Hesz, chair of the Mealy Scholarship Selection Committee, (left) with Megan Veres, this year’s Genevieve A. Mealy Scholarship Award Winner.
Pam Bailey, Program Coordinator of our Paralegal Institute, with the 2011/2012 Academic Achievement Award Winner Gary Proch at the Paralegal Institute Graduation Reception.
Achievement Awards are a way to recognize and celebrate the actions of students, programs and organizations that have made significant advancements in the academic and business communities. SLPA has been recognized with and received, as well as presented, an array of awards. • Dr. Erroline Williams, Director of Professional Development and Corporate Outreach, was one of only a dozen honorees selected for the 2012 Pittsburgh Business Times’ Human Resources Leadership Awards. Williams, the only recipient chosen from a college or university, designs, develops and implements professional training programs for SLPA. • The Genevieve A. Mealy Scholarship Award and Academic Achievement Award were presented to students at the Paralegal Institute Graduation Ceremony. • GI Jobs and Military Advanced Education magazines named the School of Leadership a 2012 Military Friendly School.
Dr. Erroline Williams
Academic News
Addressing
Military Academic Needs There is a reason SLPA was recognized as a Military Friendly School by GI Jobs and Military Advanced magazines. We honor those who have served time in the military and pay close attention to those seeking to earn a degree. During the past year, we continued to focus on the completion rates of our veterans. At SLPA this is a key measure of success – the high graduation rates and the difference our graduates make in the world. • We celebrated the 14th annual Veterans Day Breakfast which brought together 700 veterans and their guests. Duquesne graduate Gen. Michael V. Hayden presented. One-third of the proceeds from the event benefited the Duquesne Student Veterans Resource Fund. • In April 2012, SLPA hosted the 3rd annual 5K Run/ Walk for Ryan, held in honor of fallen Marine Sgt. Ryan Lane. The run/walk is a collaborative effort organized with the students, ROTC Midshipman, and Cadets at Duquesne University. Proceeds went toward a scholarship endowment in Ryan’s name.
Our experienced faculty is sensitive to the hassles tied to last minute deployments.
14th Annual
Veterans Day Breakfast
Academic News
Breaking Boundaries through Leadership As we continue to respond to leadership challenges of our day, we recognize the importance of understanding leadership in a variety of contexts. We have traveled far and wide to expand our global reach through the development of relationships with universities who bring new cross-cultural dimensions to the table.
Dean Bassett and David McGeehan, at a conference in Indonesia.
• Dean Bassett and David McGeehan, Program Director, promoted the MS in Leadership, Concentration in Global Leadership program at a conference in Indonesia. • The Master of Science in Leadership degree with a concentration in Leadership in Mission continues to be offered in Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines.
Academic Programs
and Coursework Doug Shields, former President of the Pittsburgh City Council, developed a new graduate course entitled Political Leadership. It’s specifically designed for those who want to understand the dynamics of political leadership and develop the ability to effectively influence public policy making. The new course examines the fundamental role of political leadership, how it is attained, its successes and failures. Going beyond what you hear on talk shows and in political talking points, this course delves into the elements of political leadership and how it affects every aspect of both our private and professional lives. The course challenges assumptions regarding political life and the people who live it.
Members of the 20122014 cohort of the Leadership in Mission MS degree for women religious, together with SLPA faculty and administrators in Quezon City, Manila, the Philippines.
Doug Shields
Investing In Leadership
Strengthening the leadership capacity of the local community is essential to our overall mission. In an effort to deliver the tools and strategies leaders need to make a positive impact on the world, the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement works through its Center for Leadership Development to host an annual Leadership Breakfast Series, to present professional development days tailored to client needs and broadcast free webinars. As part of our commitment to professional development, we work with clients in corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Each year we collaborate with a variety of institutions and provide customized consulting and professional development work.
Dr. Erroline Williams, Director, Professional Development & Outreach 2012 Human Resource Leadership Award Winner, Pittsburgh Business Times
Investing In Leadership
Facilitator and consultant Lois Bradley leading the session on Effective Communications: The Power of Influence and Connection in the Workplace.
The Leadership Breakfast Series Publicly, professional development is headlined by our Leadership Breakfast Series, which ran from May through December 2012. This year, the series brought together and created an extensive network of organizational leaders. It is essentially an educational networking event designed to inspire mindful thinking about successful leadership. The series includes several leading-edge topics relevant to professional and personal lives. This past year, topics ranged from Advancing Women in Leadership, Leveraging Multiple Generations in the Workplace, Effective Communications and Managing Self-Talk in a Multicultural Workforce. • The series is designed to enhance leadership skills, regardless of role or position, and its informal structure is designed to expose more people to the School of Leadership’s programs.
Michael Aaron Glass, CEO of Dress for Success networking with Atiya Abdelmalik, Director of Community Programs & Employee Volunteerism at Highmark Inc.
Jennifer E. Susco, Account Vice President Nepa/Susco Team, UBS Financial Services, Inc at the Leadership Breakfast Series.
Investing In Leadership
Professional Development Day We introduced a new service, Professional Development Day (PDD), for organizations to provide employees professional enrichment throughout a day of learning. This one-day program helps organizations address their most pressing professional advancement needs. Our experts consult with participants about strategies to enhance their careers and provide training sessions on topics deemed critical by the organization. The School of Leadership and Professional Advancement customizes the PDD for each corporate partner. The most requested agenda is the Professional and Personal Growth session.
Focus On Professional And
Personal Growth
We’ve developed a model that allows participants to invest in their professional development in a convenient, accessible way. An open forum welcomes participants to consult on their development throughout the course of the day. Information on SLPA’s degree, certificate and professional development programs are made available to those interested. Various short training sessions are presented throughout the day as pre-determined by the host company. The most requested sessions in 2012 were Dynamics of Personal Leadership and Building Effective Work Relationships. Don Accamando, SLPA’s Director of Military Programs, is available to provide presentations for organizations with military and veteran employees tailored to their professional needs.
Investing In Leadership
Lunch and Learn
Another service provided to organizations is our popular Lunch and Learn series. This free service is provided to corporate teams in need of in-depth knowledge in a particular leadership area. Our team can present during the lunch hour on company premises, via conference call or through a webinar. The most requested Lunch and Learns’ for 2012 were Managing Change in a Changing Environment, Leadership in the Workplace, Building Effective Work Relationships, and Executive Presence and Corporate Image.
Free, Personal Effectiveness
Webinar Series
The personal development series of webinars continued to run in 2012. These webinars were offered to alumni and friends of Duquesne and are designed to help attendees ‘sharpen the saw’ through skill development and to become more effective at work and in their communities. Webinar Series presented in 2012 included: Conducting Performance Reviews and Appraisals, Beyond Time Management, Execution – Getting Things Done, How to Delegate Effectively, Implementing and Executing a Strategic Plan, Building Effective Work Relationships, Leading and Participating in Effective Meetings, Managing Change and Improving Organizational Performance through Employee Engagement.
Fostering Connections:
Graduation, Alumni News and Volunteerism At SLPA, we foster an environment of camaraderie and support. We recognize the importance of the connections our students make and the strengths of the networks they build during their time as a student and as an alumnus within their communities. We coordinate social, community service and networking events to promote and nurture these relationships.
Graduating Leaders 150 students graduated from the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement between August and December. We are proud that our graduation rate is well above the national average. We look forward to continuing this trend in 2013 and beyond. Professional certificates are valuable credentials that can set leaders apart in a competitive employment market and position them for pay raises and promotions. In addition to our degree programs, the SLPA has several different noncredit certificate programs, which include: • Certificate in Paralegal Studies • Professional Coach Certification Program • Executive Certificate in Financial Planning The spring 2012 Cohort for the Certificate in Financial Planning completed its program on December 15.
Fostering Connections:
Graduation, Alumni News and Volunteerism
Bringing Alumni Leaders Together We hosted several get-togethers to reunite alumni with common interests and shared fellowship, including a celebration to launch alumna Jill Geisler’s new book Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know. In addition, alumni and friends of our Certificate in Financial Planning program got together at a CFP Connection event to network and discuss the development of the industry. For homecoming we held a luncheon where all SLPA alumni who worked at Duquesne University ‘came back home to SLPA.’
“There is no better way to lead than to serve.” -Stephen Buccilli
Volunteering The Duquesne Breakfast Club (DBC) reflects our spirit of service. The DBC is a club made up of SLPA students and alumni who meet most Saturdays bright and early at 6:15 a.m. at DeLuca’s in the Strip District. Throughout the year, they provide community service and outreach opportunities for all students and employees servicing the Pittsburgh community. Last year, they held food drives and raffles and volunteered to serve food at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
The SLPA Team
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Staff participated in the 3rd annual walk for National Breast Cancer Awareness month.
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Dr. Erroline Williams, accepting her Human Resource Leadership Award from the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Promoting A Culture of
Leadership
Whether traveling the world promoting our veterans program or at home supporting local fundraising activities, the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement team members never forget why we work as hard as we do. It’s for you – our students, alumni and corporate and community partners. As a school, we aspire to make a difference by combining academic excellence with innovative educational programs and convenient schedule options for students who need to fit their education around work, family and other responsibilities. As a team, we are dedicated, passionate and fully committed to making a difference in providing the effective leadership practices needed in the world today and in the changing, global world of tomorrow. We invite you to share in this behind the scenes look at the SLPA team in action during 2012.
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In Las Vegas while promoting our programs to Veterans, Mark Prestopnik, Assistant Director of Learning Management, met up with ‘Elvis.’
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The SLPA Team Sonia Layne-Gartside, Academic Project Manager, interviewing the co-founder of the One Young World Global Forum.
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Staff in their T-shirts for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;5K Walk/Run for Ryan.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Did they walk or run? What do you think?
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Pat Peysna (left) and Dean Bassett checking to see who won the Kindle at an alumni get-together.
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